New radio install problem

[lekmedm]

A bit of history first... my '98 OBW came with the original Subie radio/CD combo which worked fine. I replaced it with an aftermarket radio I had from another car I was getting rid of. That radio worked fine except that the tuner did not work. So now I decided to get a different aftermarket radio. I did a nice, clean job soldering and insulating the wires for the harnesses, but when I plugged it into the car's harness, nothing happened. I checked all the fuses, and they are good. I checked the harness for power, and it's also there. Am I missing something, or is the radio a dud? I put the original Subie radio back in, and it works except for the fact that it loses the station memory, which it never did before. One extra thing I've noticed is that the interior lights are out, both dome and map. Is there something related here? I can send the radio back for a replacement, but I first wanted to check out other possibilities. It just seems too strange.

[RallyKeith]

I put the original Subie radio back in, and it works except for the fact that it loses the station memory, which it never did before. One extra thing I've noticed is that the interior lights are out, both dome and map. Is there something related here? I can send the radio back for a replacement, but I first wanted to check out other possibilities. It just seems too strange.

 

You answered your own question in a way. There is a fuse blown somewhere. Newer radios draw all their power from the constant hot wire and just use the keyed wire to tell them to turn on. This would be the same wire keeps the memory presets. This power come from the same ciruit that powers the dome lights. So find the dome light fuse and check it. I'll bet it's blown. Replace it and then re-install your new stereo and it should all be good. If the fuse blows again than something is up. Maybe a miswire on the stereo, or maybe the new stereo draws a lot of current.

[lekmedm]

Well, I've looked at (and replaced) the radio and illumination fuses inside the car and tested fuse #25 under the hood with a multimeter (it's fine). Even the interior lights don't work. Any suggestions where to look and what to test and/or replace?

[lekmedm]

I hate to be a PITA, but I need to resolve this issue by the end of the weekend, so all ideas are welcome.

 

I have 2 issues:

 

1. my aftermarket radio doesn't show any signs of life at all, and I don't know why (and don't know if, perhaps, the radio is at fault)

 

2. my interior lights don't work

 

I've checked and replaced the fuses as I mentioned above. Is there some way I can check if the radio powers up at all without blowing it up? I can send it back to the vendor for a replacement, but I wouldn't want to go through that trouble if the radio works and the car is at fault. Help! :-\

[Richard1296]

I wasn't aware the radio fuse was under the hood. On my 2 Subaru's

it's in the fuse panel under the dash.

 

Richard

[lekmedm]

I wasn't aware the radio fuse was under the hood. On my 2 Subaru's

it's in the fuse panel under the dash.

 

Richard

 

I have a wiring diagram that shows power to the radio (for different functions) running through 3 fuses: 2 under the hood and 1 under the dash.

[john in KY]

Remove the radio and check the dash wiring harness with a multimeter. One wire should be hot with key off. This is the radio's memory wire. Another wire should be hot with the key in the ACC position. This wire turns the radio on and off. A third wire should be hot when the headlights are turned on. This is the illum wire. If all three wires have current flow then there is a problem with the radio or the wires are wired wrong.

[lekmedm]

Remove the radio and check the dash wiring harness with a multimeter. One wire should be hot with key off. This is the radio's memory wire. Another wire should be hot with the key in the ACC position. This wire turns the radio on and off. A third wire should be hot when the headlights are turned on. This is the illum wire. If all three wires have current flow then there is a problem with the radio or the wires are wired wrong.

 

Okey-dokey... Well, I checked power at the car's radio harness. Both ACC and ILLUM wires get power, but pin #6, MEM, does not under any circumstances, which makes sense since the Subie radio loses its memory. The thing is, the fuse that powers that line (which is under the hood) is running power. The wiring diagram does show something that looks like this running backwards: radio wiring harness ---> some other intermediate harness ---> another connection that I suspect (with the number 15 on it ---> fuse under hood. I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to dem dar fancy symbols on wiring diagrams, so anyone, HELP!

[lekmedm]

Can anybody shed some light on some parts of this wiring diagram? I'd like to know whats in between the fuse and the radio harness (and where I can find it). Also, does anyone think I could, as a last resort, just run a new wire from the fuse, through the firewall, and to the harness if all else fails?

[Mark-O-Back]

Can anybody shed some light on some parts of this wiring diagram? I'd like to know whats in between the fuse and the radio harness (and where I can find it). Also, does anyone think I could, as a last resort, just run a new wire from the fuse, through the firewall, and to the harness if all else fails?

The what is a 15 amp fuse. The where is ? Have you looked in the fuse panel inside the cab? Maybe there. I believe there is a fuse block along the kick panel on the driver's side.

Short of that if you can't follow the wire, do try, a new wire run as you suggest would work. Put a 15 amp fuse in line to be sure. I would think that Subaru would not hide the fuse too much so look around for it as that is the best way to fix this problem. Good luck! Gotta have the radio!

Mark

[82glsw]

Can anybody shed some light on some parts of this wiring diagram? I'd like to know whats in between the fuse and the radio harness (and where I can find it). Also, does anyone think I could, as a last resort, just run a new wire from the fuse, through the firewall, and to the harness if all else fails?

 

the 15 should be the fuse in the drivers side kick panel fuse box. as for testing the aftermarket stereo u can tie ur yellow and red wires together and hook the to a positive battery terminal and put the black on the negative. The unit will power up that way. that way you know ur aftermarket stereo works

[brew]

i have the same problem with a 99 forester, did you find the fuse or how to fix this problem?

[lekmedm]

The what is a 15 amp fuse. The where is ? Have you looked in the fuse panel inside the cab? Maybe there. I believe there is a fuse block along the kick panel on the driver's side.

Short of that if you can't follow the wire, do try, a new wire run as you suggest would work. Put a 15 amp fuse in line to be sure. I would think that Subaru would not hide the fuse too much so look around for it as that is the best way to fix this problem. Good luck! Gotta have the radio!

Mark

 

I do not believe the 15 is a fuse. It doesn't make sense to run 2 fuses in series with no components in between. Besides, in the rest of the diagram there are also the same kind of boxes with different numbers on them. I also wonder what the F45 and B62 ovals mean.

 

I would like to point out that my interior lights went out as well. On the wiring diagram, it looks like both the lights and radio memory work off this same circuit.

 

 

the 15 should be the fuse in the drivers side kick panel fuse box. as for testing the aftermarket stereo u can tie ur yellow and red wires together and hook the to a positive battery terminal and put the black on the negative. The unit will power up that way. that way you know ur aftermarket stereo works

 

The fuse in the driver's kick panel is the switched ACC power to the radio, and it is fine. I thought of the trick you mentioned about the red and yellow wires earlier and confirmed that the aftermarket radio is fine.

 

 

i have the same problem with a 99 forester, did you find the fuse or how to fix this problem?

 

I'm still trying to get some information before I'm only left with digging into the car and tearing out the electrical so I can check it at each junction. Stay tuned!

 

Anyone have any ideas?

[Mark-O-Back]

I do not believe the 15 is a fuse. It doesn't make sense to run 2 fuses in series with no components in between. Besides, in the rest of the diagram there are also the same kind of boxes with different numbers on them. I also wonder what the F45 and B62 ovals mean.

 

I would like to point out that my interior lights went out as well. On the wiring diagram, it looks like both the lights and radio memory work off this same circuit.

 

 

 

 

The fuse in the driver's kick panel is the switched ACC power to the radio, and it is fine. I thought of the trick you mentioned about the red and yellow wires earlier and confirmed that the aftermarket radio is fine.

 

 

 

 

I'm still trying to get some information before I'm only left with digging into the car and tearing out the electrical so I can check it at each junction. Stay tuned!

 

Anyone have any ideas?

I was wrong that [15] is not a fuse. F45 & B62 are connectors. 15 is the pin number. I have been studying my PDF copy of the electrical system and I'm noting F45 is a 20 pin connector that is somehow connected to the main fuse block (underhhood) I'm not sure but it seems to be at the firewall. There are many things (20 I guess!) that are run through it. I would follow the wire bundels to find a two row 20 pin connector.

Pin 15 is just left of center on the bottom row, facing? the mating end (I think)

Could be this conection is loose and all you need do is find the connectors and press them to.

I can email you the PDF, 92 pages (5,367KB) for the 97 legacy. Send me a PM with your email address and I'll send it off to you.

Mark

[OB99W]

[...]I also wonder what the F45 and B62 ovals mean.

[...]

As has been mentioned, those are connector identifiers. See the attachment to decipher the prefix letter.

[Tiny Clark]

I wish I had your diagrams, as I could probably help you quite a bit, since I troubleshoot aircraft wiring problems for a living. I have a wiring diagram and I don't even know what model it is, someone had a link to it at one time. Mine does show a B62 as a Super Multiple Junction and it labels it as a 66 pin connector way up in the dash. I doubt you’ll be able to get to it very easily.

 

Sometimes, you can tell the function of the stereo power wires by their physical size, or gauge. My Yellow wire shows it coming from ACCY power, switched on with the key. That would be main power for the radio and would be fairly robust. The wire for memory power, LR (Blue with Red stripe) probably isn’t be very big, as there is little current draw. Let me know if this isn’t the case.

 

I would suggest running a wire that has power all the time and splicing it in to the wire with no power. Where does that 3rd wire from FB12 go to on your diagram? If your Blue/red wire is not a large gauge, you could probably tap off of that one since it’s hot all the time as well.

 

Feel free to email me at bit73burger@yahoo.com

 

From my diagram:

 

2. Connector indications

 

-

Female connectors are shown as a box constructed of

a single continuous line. Male connectors are shown as a

box constructed of a continuous double line.

 

-

Connector boxes are divided into smaller boxes. The

number of smaller boxes corresponds to the number of

connector terminals. The numerical characters inside the

smaller boxes indicate terminal position.

 

 

The F designates a Front connector, the 45 number of pins as mark said, so maybe B62 has a few connectors plugged into it, which would make it a SMJ.

Mark, could you send me your diagram, it is probably closer to my 96 that the one I have.

[lekmedm]

I was wrong that [15] is not a fuse. F45 & B62 are connectors. 15 is the pin number. I have been studying my PDF copy of the electrical system and I'm noting F45 is a 20 pin connector that is somehow connected to the main fuse block (underhhood) I'm not sure but it seems to be at the firewall. There are many things (20 I guess!) that are run through it. I would follow the wire bundels to find a two row 20 pin connector.

Pin 15 is just left of center on the bottom row, facing? the mating end (I think)

Could be this conection is loose and all you need do is find the connectors and press them to.

I can email you the PDF, 92 pages (5,367KB) for the 97 legacy. Send me a PM with your email address and I'll send it off to you.

Mark

 

Thanks for the offer. I have a full wiring diagram already for my '98.

 

 

As has been mentioned, those are connector identifiers. See the attachment to decipher the prefix letter.

 

Does this mean that these 2 plugs plug into each other, and will I find them on the firewall in the engine bay?

 

 

I wish I had your diagrams, as I could probably help you quite a bit...

I have emailed to you my wiring diagram.

[Tiny Clark]

It’s no wonder your lights are out as well, they use the same fuse (No. 25) as the radio, but I have no idea where they are spliced together. They may have two wires coming off terminal 15 at the B62 connector.

Given the fact that B62 (see attachment) would be a monster to visually locate, let alone trying to get to it with two hands, here’s what I would do…

If you want to test this first, you can use a jumper cable and connect it the + side of the battery. Put your 25 amp fuse in the other end and touch that to the blue/red wire at the radio connector. Your interior lights should come on.

Go to a parts store and get a fuse holder that is wired up for installation. Of course, use a 25 amp fuse in it. You can tie into the inside or engine compartment fuse panel on the battery supply side of any decent size fuse that has 12 volts on it all the time. Tie the other end to that wire you don’t have voltage on. That should get you power to the radio and the interior lights.

[OB99W]

[...]

Does this mean that these 2 plugs plug into each other, and will I find them on the firewall in the engine bay?

[...]

Connector F45 does mate to B62. The "F" designation means the connector is attached to wiring in the front (engine compartment) side of the firewall; however, those wires can pass through the firewall and the connector itself can be on the passenger side. The "B" designation (bulkhead) refers to the firewall proximity; in the case of B62, that should be at the passenger/dash side.

 

I tend to believe more in cause-and-effect than coincidence. While a bad/dislodged connection could be the cause of the problem you're having, blown fuses due to misconnection may be more likely.

 

Could you be specific as to how you checked fuse #25? "Power is present across the fuse" leaves me with questions. Where exactly did you place the negative and positive meter leads when testing?

 

By the way, the info I have indicates that fuse #25 is a 15A, not a 25A as someone previously stated.

[Tiny Clark]

Connector F45 does mate to B62. The "F" designation means the connector is attached to wiring in the front (engine compartment) side of the firewall; however, those wires can pass through the firewall and the connector itself can be on the passenger side. The "B" designation (bulkhead) refers to the firewall proximity; in the case of B62, that should be at the passenger/dash side.

 

I tend to believe more in cause-and-effect than coincidence. While a bad/dislodged connection could be the cause of the problem you're having, blown fuses due to misconnection may be more likely.

 

Could you be specific as to how you checked fuse #25? "Power is present across the fuse" leaves me with questions. Where exactly did you place the negative and positive meter leads when testing?

 

By the way, the info I have indicates that fuse #25 is a 15A, not a 25A as someone previously stated.

OOPS, yea, "I" previously stated, sorry 15 AMP. Looking at a ILS/ADI deflection and flag problem all damn day and have nothing but numbers in my head. I tried to do as much as I could at lunch.

 

If you do try to get to that connector, do yourself a favor and take your driver's seat out so you can lay on your back to make it easier to get to everything. You could try to get to the original wiring and fix it, but that may be more trouble than it's worth. Like I said, you can try it with a jumper first to make sure the fuse doesn't blow.

 

You really can't read the blue/red wire to ground and check for a short, since the readings thru all the bulbs in parallel will basically look like a short.

[Cougar]

I would guess that the connector is near the steering column. It looks like you have the factory manual data and I think there are drawings that show the locations of the connectors in the FSM. You may be able to fix the problem by just pulling the connector off and replacing it once you find the correct one.

[lekmedm]

Could you be specific as to how you checked fuse #25? "Power is present across the fuse" leaves me with questions. Where exactly did you place the negative and positive meter leads when testing?

 

I was touching the little metal doo-dads (how's that for technical?) on top of the fuse, and it showed 12V.

 

Actually, you got me thinking, so I went back to check. I tested the fuse, and there was 12V there like before. But something possessed me to pull the fuse, and it was blown! Holy cow! I checked that fuse visually before and it was OK. So now I replaced it, and everything is as it should. I think this is really weird because I swear it was fine before. And why was it showing current just before I pulled?

 

Anyways, problem solved. Thanks to all for all the input. This site is an incredible resource.

[Mark-O-Back]

I was touching the little metal doo-dads (how's that for technical?) on top of the fuse, and it showed 12V.

 

I tested the fuse, and there was 12V there like before. But something possessed me to pull the fuse, and it was blown! Holy cow! I checked that fuse visually before and it was OK. So now I replaced it, and everything is as it should. I think this is really weird because I swear it was fine before. And why was it showing current just before I pulled?

 

Anyways, problem solved. Thanks to all for all the input. This site is an incredible resource.

12V across a fuse means it's blown. Arrgh!

But you had looked at it so weird is right.

But on the bright side this thread has me determined to fix my car's faulty lighter outlet.

Hope the tunes are sounding good for you now!

Mark

[OB99W]

I was touching the little metal doo-dads (how's that for technical?) on top of the fuse, and it showed 12V.

That's what I thought might have occurred, and why I asked how you did the measurement.

 

 

[...]And why was it showing current just before I pulled?

12V across a fuse means it's blown. [...]

The quick story is Mark is right.

 

The longer story has to do with how a voltmeter works. Let's assume that the radio (or some other load) is connected, but the fuse is blown. If you ground the meter's negative lead, and place the positive lead on the fuse terminal that connects to the battery, you should read 12V on the meter. If you move the positive lead to the other side of the fuse (the one that goes to the radio), if the fuse is blown you should see zero volts. However, if you put the meter leads across the blown fuse, you'll see 12V because one lead of the meter is then connected to the battery, and the other lead gets a "ground" connection made through the radio. You might think that the "hot" wire of the radio wouldn't make a very good ground, but it doesn't have to. That's because any halfway-decent voltmeter has a pretty high input resistance, and therefore isn't going to cause much of a voltage drop across the radio; the voltage measured will appear to be quite close to 12V.

 

Okay, that probably wasn't as clear as it could have been, but it's getting late . Anyone who wants a better understanding could do a Google search on "Ohm's Law" and other electrical concepts.

 

Anyway, I'm glad you found the problem.

[Tiny Clark]

Yo, what 99 said, and this circuit was very close to ground since it had all your light bulb filaments added to the radio.

 

Glad you got it solved, it was easy fix, and you learned something.

 

I've come to learn over the years when I ask some of the airmen if they've checked this or that... I will go back and check just to make sure if the problem even remotely points in that direction.