Radio stays on with key off.

[Raduque]

I wish the "WTF" smiley worked, because I definatly need one here.

I recently upgraded from a Jensen cd player to a Pioneer DEH-P4150 HU, and sometimes the radio comes back on when I turn the key off all the way. I can take the key OUT and the radio will still come back on. I think that's what killed my battery a couple days ago, but that's another story. Heh.

Anyway, the previous owner clipped the original radio out, so there's just bare wires hanging there, and for some reason, the always-hot 12v wire gets NO power, whatsoever. Yes, I checked all the fuses, they are all good. The ground works, and so does the switched 12v. I wired the always-hot on the radio to the always-hot on the switch for my aftermarket foglights (on the car when I got it). It has only done this twice. Could it be the wiring? When I turned the key to accesory, the radio turned off and stayed off after I took the key back out. Oh, and it only does this with the Pioneer HU.

Thanks for any help if anybody knows what might be going on here.

Ben/Radu

[PortugalFocus]

Hook your constant (yellow) up to a switch. Say parking lights so that when you turn your car on and then ur parking lights, then the radio turns on. It's fairly a fail safe process. That's how I have my amp and subs wired togather.

[Raduque]

I would do that, but then I'd always lose EQ settings, presets, etc.
Besides, like I said I have it wired to the hot side of my fog light's switch

[catalin]

There's a constant power fuse unuder the hood fuse block that is most likely blowen.

[N-Man]

i would suggest twisting yout power wire(red) and memory wire(yellow) and wire those both to the hot wire of the cig lighter. it worked for me w/no problems.

[RustyHo88]

NO NO NO NO NO..... Do NOT hook up the remote wire from your stereo to some random wire! There is a wire designated for that purpose dangling in that jumble of wires that the previous owner cut off. just get a simple wire tester (the kind that light up), or better yet, an ohm meter that can test for volts and amps. then, test all the wires in that mess of wires with your key off. the one that has continuous power is the power wire. then, turn your key to the accessory or on position. then test for another wire putting out power. that wire is your remote wire. hook that wire up to the corresponding wire on your head unit. the problem you described is probably due to the remote wire being connected to a wire that has continuous voltage. what kind of head unit do you have anyway? there should be a wiring diagram on the top of your HU unless its old or crappy. you will probably lose your presets, but it will be worth it... i promise. hope this helps.

[MrBen]

Some head units can stay on after ignition is turned off, for a set amount of time.

When I had this problem, my memory wire was hooked up wrong.

[TJ89Accord]

There's a constant power fuse unuder the hood fuse block that is most likely blowen.

That's what I was gonna say. Definatly check that. Maybe there is something loose in the ignition itself? Good luck.

tim

[TJ89Accord]

i would suggest twisting yout power wire(red) and memory wire(yellow) and wire those both to the hot wire of the cig lighter. it worked for me w/no problems.

But then you have to turn the radio on and off everytime you get in or out of your car.

tim

[lightbulblxi]

Originally Posted by catalin
There's a constant power fuse unuder the hood fuse block that is most likely blowen.

does anyone kno which fuse this is?? cuz my constant wire decided to stop working.

[TJ89Accord]

Look under the hood, there should be a box, take the top off, and look under there, I'm not sure if it is labled or anything, but you can pull them out and look at them to see if they are blown. Or look under the dash.

tim

[Raduque]

OK. When I first put the Jensen HU in, I tested each and every wire there. I tested them again when I put my Pioneer HU in. I printed out a wiring diagram from the installdr site, and made double-damn sure that I had every wire right. The wire I'm talking about is the "+12 Volt Battery Wire: White with Yellow or Blue Stripe" that connects to the Yellow HU wire. THAT wire in the harness bundle has no power, at all. I did have to replace the 10a "Radio" fuse under the dash to get the 12v Ignition wire to work, but the 12v battery wire still didn't have power. ALL underhood fuses are good, ALL underdash fuses are good. My car is equipped with a set of fog lights wired to a small switch stuck in a little hole to the left of the steering wheel. It has a constant-on wire that comes directly from the battery. It has a fuse in-line under the hood. I spliced my radio's Yellow wire off of that wire.

RustyHO88: when you say "remote wire" do you mean the 12v ignition wire, or the remote-turn on wire? Because I have the remote-turn on wire connected to my amp. =)
Also, I mentioned my HU in the first post, it's a Pioneer DEH-P4150 CD player with removable face-plate, DFS alarm, changer control, preamp outs, and aux in, in case you needed to know more =D.

Sorry for the novel, folks, I probably should've explained it a little better in my first post.

Ben/Radu

[N-Man]

But then you have to turn the radio on and off everytime you get in or out of your car.

tim

ur right. what i meant to say was hook the yellow wire to the cig lighter and find the positive wire that comes from the dash. disregard what i said earlier.

[Mac]

does anyone kno which fuse this is?? cuz my constant wire decided to stop working.

Check fuse #11 under the hood in the fuse/relay box. This fuse is also the memory for your clock and ECU.

[TJ89Accord]

yah does your clock work?

tim