Kenwood DDX393 - Installation Help for noob (1 Viewer)

[canman]

Got back at late this afternoon. Discovered the in-line fuse for the CB was blown (glass type). Replaced it and it still didn’t work. Can’t remember how it was wired up, but the previous owner had installed a 10 ga or so wire to the battery with an in-line fuse. Checked that fuse (15A) and it was also blown. Replaced it, and the CB had power!
Bad news is that the Kenwood unit is no longer working. First I cut the blue/white wire on the main harness going into the connector that mates with the Kenwood connector. I then cut the yellow wire on the other side of the Kenwood/Metra connector and ran a jumper wire between the two thinking that maybe there was an issue with the two connectors. No luck. I did this because I was measuring battery voltage on the blue/white main harness wire. It was around 11.8V which was essentially the same voltage on both my batteries when the engine wasn’t running (I hadn’t started it since J last worked on it). I figured the engine wouldn’t start, but it did, and with the engine running (idle), the voltage jumped to about 14V at both batteries and around 13.8V and the blue/white wire.
Thinking I should find another 12V source under the dash I cut a red wire where I had soldered it to another red wire hoping it was 12V, but it had no power. Then reinstalled the wire I had used previously from the battery directly to the yellow wire (12V batt power) I had cut going into the Kenwood unit. Still no luck, but with those two wires connected, I was getting the blinking security light. Tried resetting it by depressing it, but no luck. I reconnected the two red wires, and still nothing other than the flashing security light. Super frustrating. Maybe I did something when I was cleaning up the wires to amp. Can’t think of anything else. Started raining again, and was getting dark, so called it a night. Suggestions?

 

[canman]

UPDATE:

Was going through the manual and saw the “Powering the Unit” section. Figured I would go back out and quickly see if that would work as I was playing around with the buttons as I couldn’t remember how to turn it on. Ran the wire from the battery back to the yellow wire. Yes!!! It works again!
So, tried the the jumper wire again between the yellow and blue/white wire. Not working. Not sure how I can be reading battery voltage on the blue/white wire and when jumpers to the yellow wire the unit doesn’t power up. Very strange indeed.
Tomorrow I’ll have to look into the wiring down by the driver’s footwell area to see if I can tap into that wire the previous owner ran to connect to the yellow wire. I believe I have already tapped into it for other things in the past. Really wish I made some kind of schematic back then. At least the unit is still working after cleaning up the amp wiring.

 

[woodsman 44]

Toss the factory amp if you haven’t already.. it’s not compatible with aftermarket stereos

 

[canman]

Maybe, but my factory amp has worked since I installed the Kenwood deck. Agree, would be better to have a real amp. Maybe down the road or when the factory one bits the dust.

 

[canman]

Swear the Kenwood deck is cursed. Ran a new permanent 12V power wire. Soldered it into the 10 ga wire that was already installed to the battery mentioned previously. Ran the wire from the driver’s footwell area up through the dash to the unit. Stripped the end and twisted it around the yellow power lead into the unit. Unit worked as expected. Ok. Good to go. Tiewrap wire up under dash. Make nice x Crimp on some terminals to connect the two wires, turn IGN on and it doesn’t work! WTF!!!
Can’t figure it out. Go back to running a wire directly from the battery again. As I disconnect the two terminals I crimped on, the one crimped to the wire exiting the unit pulls off. Ok. That’s the problem. Solder it on and reattach the wire from the battery. and still not working. Press the “Home” button repeatedly. No go. Try resetting it. No go. Unbelievable! Cursing up a storm. Trying to figure out what could have gone. Fiddle around more with trying to reset the unit and using the “Home” button. Do this for about an hour. Just as I’m about to pack it in, one last try and the f$$ker comes to life. What! Keep testing by shutting the IGN on/off. Play with settings for 1/2 hr while turning IGN on/off. Keeps working. Damn this this thing is driving me absolutely nuts.

New power for deck tapped into 10 ga wire from battery.

Power lead through dash to unit.

Finally working with new power lead.

 

[canman]

I think I found the problem. Haha!

 

[canman]

We’ll, the fiddle f$$k f$$kery is FINALLY over!

It’s ALIVE and kicking!

What it took…

1. Cut the solder lead to the broken terminal on the amp connector.
2. Soldered a wire to the lead coming off the PCB.
3. Drilled hole in amp casing, added grommet, and ran wire to outside.
4. It worked when connected to the corresponding wire in the main harness, but every time I moved some wires going into the amp with the corroded terminal of wound shut off. Jiggle the wires, if wound come back on. Rinse & repeat. Decided that the grey connector was too loose. Decided to replace it with the connector that I originally used to replace the power lead terminal. Only issue was the it wasn’t keyed exactly as the original but it only needed a slight “bump” in the slot removed.
5. Remove bump with Drexel cutting disc.
6. Find another similar connector (hazard switch) and remove all terminals and pigtails.
7. Remove terminals from original grey connector that was loose.
8. Graft “new” terminals/pigtails from hazard connector to factory wires that went into grey connector using the innards of butt connectors.
9. Add heat shrink to cover the innards of the butt connectors.
10. Add male/female terminals to the main power feed wire that I soldered to the PCB.
11. Add heat shrink to those terminals (removed plastic covers) and cover with heat shrink.
12. Install connectors to amp.

Wire (yellow) soldered to the PCB broken terminal lead.

Finished “new” connector below )bottom - now is white was grey) and “final” installation.

This is the culmination of over probably 15-20 hours of troubleshooting/corrective work. Hope it lasts at least a few years. Lots of other stuff to fix.