Radio Cutting in and Out Problems

[tdodge41]

The radio in my 85 Brat cuts in and out on the D/S only, seems when I either hit a bump or shift funny it will cut out. Then if I turn the radio on and off, it will come back sometimes. I don't know if I have a broken radio, or there is a short somewhere in one of my wires. The Brat is wired to have two pioneer boxes behind the seats, but this was doing it before I added those speakers. I was thinking maybe if I took the radio apart and just used some contact cleaner that might work too. Any ideas would be wonderful.

[Lacyjs9]

my 87 gl wagon passenger side is out id like to see this answered id like to keep it factory 

[robm]

Chances are the speaker coils are toast. They hang up and stop working.  A good bump or a pop from turning on the stereo loosens them for a while. 

 

New speakers are the cure.

[l75eya]

Loose wire. Run new wire to rule it out. Takes 10 minutes.

[mikaleda]

I would check connections at the back of the radio and the speaker, very common to see a wire come loose and have a speaker that goes in and out.

[TomRhere]

Do believe owner prior to me, wired in extra speakers. May want to look at that.

Do know there was speaker wires, (I think), coming from under the rear of the console. Didn't really listen to radio much in it, was more into the sound of the exhaust note on it. Which seems to be to loud for where you're at. Hmmmmm. I always thought it could be louder.........

[Mechanical_misfit]

It's probably a loose connection at the point were those extra speaker wires are spliced in. Pull your radio and check those connections.

[jonas]

Were the speaker wires ran under the carpet? I have the same set-up, 2 boxes behind the seats. I ran my wires under the carpet but when I put the seats back in I bolted the drivers side on top of the wire, pinching it, making my speakers cut in and out. Took forever to find that out. It took awhile before the problem showed up.

[tdodge41]

So just by one bad connection between one speaker, even though there are three on the right side (dash, door, and box behind seat), it would cause all of them to cut out?

[mikaleda]

You have three speakers wired to the stock radio on one side? you probably burned you stereo out that's a lot more than the stock radio was made to handle

[jonas]

So just by one bad connection between one speaker, even though there are three on the right side (dash, door, and box behind seat), it would cause all of them to cut out?

Just a loose wire, no. If you're crossing wires/connections somewhere and you have a newer unit then yes. It's a safety feature so you don't fry your unit or cause other damage.

[l75eya]

Yeah, are you talking original radio? Aftermarket? How are the speakers wired in, and are they using the original wiring? Need some more details to help out more.

[TomRhere]

Like I said in one of the PM's, I'm pretty sure I put new speakers in the doors. You may want to pop the door cards and check the connections.

 

Could also be that the wire(s) have broke where they go from body to door. That usually happens on the DS more than PS, but I did carry a passenger a lot, so that door was used often.

 

Can't say if that's the original radio, but it is a factory stock EA81 unit.

Quite possible that I have another unit here. I'll post back and let you know.

[tdodge41]

The problem was happening when I only had the four stock speakers going. Now I also have two rear boxes hooked up and the problem still persists. I have an EA stock radio in there. The original speakers (I assume) were using original wiring. The new ones, well the wires were already there when I bought the brat. Don't know how they are wired in. Audio work isn't really my specialty.

[Mechanical_misfit]

I think those wires to the speaker boxes are spliced in to the door speaker wires at the radio connection and something came loose when you had it apart to install the working tape deck.

[TomRhere]

I never had the radio out of the dash, so can't comment on any of the wiring done by PO's.

Think I would check the added wiring for the rear speakers, make sure it isn't pinched somewhere under the console.

With it cutting out hitting bumps, or shifting, really sounds to me like a pinched wire shorting out.

Probably wouldn't hurt to run new wires for them anyways.

 

The BRAT was to be Del's, and she has to have a radio. That is the main reason I put new speakers in the doors, originals were shot. DS dash speaker was missing when I bought it, found the one you got, just never installed it.

[tdodge41]

I would have thought it was from when the tape deck was put in, but the speakers were cutting out long before I ever even took the radio apart. I think whats going to end up happening is I am going to run new wire and really just take everything apart this coming weekend.