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Radio works only with headlights

N

noresttill

NAXJA Forum User
Location
South Florida
I originally posted this here: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=69321

but I thought it should get its own thread.

My radio, dome light, and maybe some other things dont work unless the headlights are on. I realized this when this morning I was driving to school and my radio wasn't working (It was getting no power), so i got curious and checked my dome, no worky.

then i got scared and made sure my brake lights work, they did, and tested my headlights too, they did, but as I was getting close enough to a car to see the reflection of my headlights, my radio goes on!

This comes after I installed my new switch box, I have unplugged it to test if that was the prob. but it is consistent.

I have no idea where to start troubleshooting this.

Any Ideas??
 
No ideas, but I have a similar problem.

You may want to browse my old posts concerning an electrical problem and aux fan wiring.

Fergie
 
Is it an aftermarket radio? If so check how it's wired into the vehicle. When i bought my XJ someone wired it to the dash lights, so the headlights would have to be on for it to work. It was causing hell with my electrical system. It blew a breaker in the headlight switch so going down the road my highbeams would come on when the wanted. Well anyways start there if you haven't.
 
thanks for the replies.

Ill check those out today, Im not too worried about it being it is just annoying, but I still want it back to normal.

Yes, it is aftermarket. When they installed it it worked fine.
 
At least your's works with the headlights....mine just displays "MPX" with a left arrow in front of it, of course my radio is also rusty, must be that damn leak that I can't find.
 
Door-pin?? Please expound.

Did the dome light (and glove box light ive come to find out) not work also??

(sci-fi voice)Its seems the headlight switch is the gateway to aux power
 
My friend had a problem like that on his little saturn car. He found a blown fuse and now it works properly. Don't know if that helps since his car was a saturn.
 
I was searching here and on google and cant seem to find what door-pin you mean.

Is it the sensor that knows when the door is shut.

Sorry just a bit confused
 
Thanks, ill take a look at them tomorrow.

Still confused as to how that would contribute to my problem.
Im not saying your wrong or a liar or anything, I just don't understand.
 
I know this is a really old post but I am having the same problem. My bud was using the cig lighter and it didnt want to stay in, so I just held it in (apparently too long) and I heard a "pop" sound from under the dash, thinking it was just a blown fuse, I checked em all but none are blown, now my radio only works with the headlights on? I PMed the starter of this thread but haven't really given him enough time to respond yet (last night), do any of you guys have any idea?
 
If it's a aftermarket radio Sounds like some rookie wired it up and hooked the acc wire for the radio to the dimmer wire for the headlight switch

Good luck
 
Try running a dedicated ground wire from your radio chassis to the body(temporary) A lot of weird elec. problems on cars can be traced to bad ground. The plastic dash frames now in use help a lot.

If it's actually no power, try looking at the ignition switch.
 
noresttill said:
I originally posted this here: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=69321

but I thought it should get its own thread.

My radio, dome light, and maybe some other things dont work unless the headlights are on. I realized this when this morning I was driving to school and my radio wasn't working (It was getting no power), so i got curious and checked my dome, no worky.

then i got scared and made sure my brake lights work, they did, and tested my headlights too, they did, but as I was getting close enough to a car to see the reflection of my headlights, my radio goes on!

This comes after I installed my new switch box, I have unplugged it to test if that was the prob. but it is consistent.

I have no idea where to start troubleshooting this.

Any Ideas??
Click to expand...

i think its already been said, but just in case, have an electrician or someone who knows the vehicles electrical system look it over, whe I bought mine the aftermarket radio was wired into the turn signals, the signals didnt work but when you went to hit the signal switch the radio would blink on and off :rolleyes:

people do some weird things to jeeps...
 
TLowery04 said:
i think its already been said, but just in case, have an electrician or someone who knows the vehicles electrical system look it over, whe I bought mine the aftermarket radio was wired into the turn signals, the signals didnt work but when you went to hit the signal switch the radio would blink on and off :rolleyes:

people do some weird things to jeeps...
Click to expand...
Thats uckin funny! lol I want to be a paid member now so I can put that in my sig LOL! Since I install stereos on the side I have seen some crazy shit but thats pretty far out there. LOL
 
Keep in mind, the cig lighter also has no power til the hardlights are on. This all started when I held in the cig lighter too long and heard a "pop". I know I am gonna have to jump in with both feet and do ALOT of wire tracing, test-lighting, troubleshooting, but being that someone has already had the EXACT same problem(frankenjeep), I was hoping to avoid all that, Thats kinda what we're all here for, right? Any suggestions are appreciated.
 
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