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90 legacy radio and climate controll buttons malfunctioning


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90 legacy L. for some reason ever since i put my new stereo in my memory is not working i am thinking fuse but i can't find one any where. i checked the fuse block, checked the radio fuse checked under the hood in the fuses relays box, and checked all over the place under the dash. also for some reason my climate control switches arn't getting any power, they haven't since i bought the car. i have checked for a fuse for that and found one in the fuse block but the fuse was in tact and for some reason when i checked it for power it has power to both sides of the fuse with the fuse removed. does anyone know what is causing this? i have a suspicion the two problems are connected somehow, but i'm not sure. any help would be appreciated.

i would really like to get the climate control working before winter so i can defrost my windows, its already starting to getting cold enough in the mornings up here to have frost on the windshield.

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yup, if the memory is not working then something is not hooked up right. memory needs power all the time, even with the key off.

 

as for the climate control buttons - this is a fairly common problem, a search should reveal how to handle it. Seems to me, the solder joints like to crack - a quick reheat with a good soldering iron should be all that is required to make the connections whole again. I vaguely remember doing this with my 90 LS's climate control. :D

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You need to double check the wiring on your headunit. I pray you used a harness adapter.

this is not the first radio i have wired i have the connections right but there is no power going to the memory wire at all. also all wires were marked so i am positive the connections are right

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yup, if the memory is not working then something is not hooked up right. memory needs power all the time, even with the key off.

 

as for the climate control buttons - this is a fairly common problem, a search should reveal how to handle it. Seems to me, the solder joints like to crack - a quick reheat with a good soldering iron should be all that is required to make the connections whole again. I vaguely remember doing this with my 90 LS's climate control. :D

climate control. that could be but what i don't understand is why i am getting power to both sides of the fuse even when the fuse is not inserted. i tried search but didn't come up with anything like this but i will try again using different parameters

 

memory. memory is positively hooked up right everything else works fine it just won't hold presets or time.

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this is not the first radio i have wired i have the connections right but there is no power going to the memory wire at all. also all wires were marked so i am positive the connections are right

 

If there is no power going to the memory at all, then NO, it is NOT hooked up right.

Edited by heartless
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climate control. that could be but what i don't understand is why i am getting power to both sides of the fuse even when the fuse is not inserted. i tried search but didn't come up with anything like this but i will try again using different parameters

 

memory. memory is positively hooked up right everything else works fine it just won't hold presets or time.

 

You didnt mention anything about fuses earlier, all you said was that the buttons were not getting power.

 

Please clarify the problem(s) and describe completely. Nothing like trying to diagnose something when one doesnt have ALL the relevant information. :rolleyes:

 

And again - if the memory is not working on the radio, then something is NOT hooked up right. Go back and check your work again. Radio memory requires power all the time, key or no key.

 

one question I do have for you is this: Did the car have a stock radio when you got it? OR did it have an aftermarket unit and you changed it?

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Check out this thread for info on the HVAC buttons not working

 

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1142

 

If you don't have any power to the HVAC control unit, it may be something more than just solder joints. Either way, you'll probably have to pull the surround around the gauge cluster to get the HVAC unit out and to check for power at the unit.

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You didnt mention anything about fuses earlier, all you said was that the buttons were not getting power.

 

Please clarify the problem(s) and describe completely. Nothing like trying to diagnose something when one doesnt have ALL the relevant information. :rolleyes:

 

And again - if the memory is not working on the radio, then something is NOT hooked up right. Go back and check your work again. Radio memory requires power all the time, key or no key.

 

one question I do have for you is this: Did the car have a stock radio when you got it? OR did it have an aftermarket unit and you changed it?

If you read my op you would rFealize that I did say that. And again the memory wire is hooked up properly it just doesnt have pOwer. I have tested the wire with a test light and it is not getting power now. Yes it was an after market stero and I'm not even sure that the memory was working on the old one. There should be a fuse for the memory somewhere there usually are. And just because there is no power going to the memory it DOESN'T mean it is hooked up wrong it is the original memory wire from the old radio. I can run a new wire from the battery but I don't like doing that if I can help it

Edited by mikaleda
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Check out this thread for info on the HVAC buttons not working

 

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1142

 

If you don't have any power to the HVAC control unit, it may be something more than just solder joints. Either way, you'll probably have to pull the surround around the gauge cluster to get the HVAC unit out and to check for power at the unit.

 

Thanks for the link I will take mine apart and look at it.

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The fuse for the memory wire is under the hood, not inside the car. Look at the fuse box that's right by the battery, the fuse should be in there. I had to replace mine when I blew it installing my aftermarket head unit.

 

Do you have the wiring diagram for the radio/car? This is the only way you can make sure you are actually getting the correct wire for the memory. Otherwise you are just stabbing in the dark, hoping for the best.

 

I would find the wiring diagram (I have it if you really need it), double check to make sure you have the right wire, check the fuses inside the car, and under the hood with a DMM to make sure they are actually still good, and if all else fails, run a new memory wire. You can tap into the ignition and run a new wire from there if you don't want to run it from the battery.

 

As for the climate controls, you are probably going to have to pull them out and check for power at the unit. If there is no power at the unit, find the fuse. It might be under the hood as well, but I am not completely sure.

 

HTH!

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The fuse for the memory wire is under the hood, not inside the car. Look at the fuse box that's right by the battery, the fuse should be in there. I had to replace mine when I blew it installing my aftermarket head unit.

 

Do you have the wiring diagram for the radio/car? This is the only way you can make sure you are actually getting the correct wire for the memory. Otherwise you are just stabbing in the dark, hoping for the best.

 

I would find the wiring diagram (I have it if you really need it), double check to make sure you have the right wire, check the fuses inside the car, and under the hood with a DMM to make sure they are actually still good, and if all else fails, run a new memory wire. You can tap into the ignition and run a new wire from there if you don't want to run it from the battery.

 

As for the climate controls, you are probably going to have to pull them out and check for power at the unit. If there is no power at the unit, find the fuse. It might be under the hood as well, but I am not completely sure.

 

HTH!

Thank you that is th info I was looking for and yes I have wiring diagram and have double checked the wires they are all hooked up right, lol for once the colors all matched up. I will check for th fuse under the hood if that doesn't fix it then I will just run a new wire as you suggested. I will also check the soldered connections in the climate controll thank you for the help.

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I never much liked the "memory" label. I think it leads to confusion. It should be Main power, because that's what it does. It provides the main power source for the head unit. The switched power just tells it to turn on, but doesn't actually power the unit. It's like the remote sense lead for an amp. Sure there's 12V there, but that's not what actually powers the unit. It just tells it when to turn on.

 

That said, make sure the wire you're using for Main power in the dash is NOT switched.

 

The HVAC fuse, when you checked it where did you ground your meter?

Someone had an aftermarket stereo in the car before, did you notice any cut/spliced wires in the dash OTHER than what go to the radio?

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I never much liked the "memory" label. I think it leads to confusion. It should be Main power, because that's what it does. It provides the main power source for the head unit. The switched power just tells it to turn on, but doesn't actually power the unit. It's like the remote sense lead for an amp. Sure there's 12V there, but that's not what actually powers the unit. It just tells it when to turn on.

 

That said, make sure the wire you're using for Main power in the dash is NOT switched.

 

The HVAC fuse, when you checked it where did you ground your meter?

Someone had an aftermarket stereo in the car before, did you notice any cut/spliced wires in the dash OTHER than what go to the radio?

I used my clutch pedal for a ground when testing the hvac fuse and I didnt see any cut wires but I wasnt looking carefully. As for the radio everything is working properly except for the memory it turns on and off with the key but it won't hold time presets or anything. I know the radio is good it worked when I took it out of my old car. I will double check and make sure my main power is not switched

Edited by mikaleda
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Then your "memory" wire is probably switched.

Hook a meter to it w/key OFF, then turn key ON. 12V? If so, it's a switched wire. This should go to your RED wire.

 

Check the other power wire the same way.

Do that until you find a wire that is 12V w/key OFF, and remains 12V with key ON. This should go to your YELLOW wire.

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Is the harness cut? The factory plug is gone?

 

It's probably in there but has fallen down somewhere. If none of the fuses are blown then at least it hasn't shorted yet, so maybe the P/O actually taped or covered it to prevent shorting. It might have been cut off short and/or stuffed back into the wire loom also.

 

Did you remove the old stereo? Did it work properly?

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Is the harness cut? The factory plug is gone?

 

It's probably in there but has fallen down somewhere. If none of the fuses are blown then at least it hasn't shorted yet, so maybe the P/O actually taped or covered it to prevent shorting. It might have been cut off short and/or stuffed back into the wire loom also.

 

Did you remove the old stereo? Did it work properly?

 

The old radio wouldnt hold time or presets that is part of th reson I replaced it and I think I just found the old plug now I am removing stero right now to get at It and see if I can find original memory wire

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