Radio Grounding

[David Smithey]

I have installed an aftermarket, new radio and it shirts out when I hit bumps. I have wired it directly to the battery so I know it isn’t a short on the radio wiring. I think it is short in a ground somewhere else that is drawing the power from the battery. I have searched and searched for it with no luck. Could it be an unintended circuit? Any ideas are welcome.

 

[TheHardWay]

Are you saying you wired the radio ground wire directly to the battery negative post?

 

[David Smithey]

Are you saying you wired the radio ground wire directly to the battery negative post?

Yes, the radio is wired directly to the ground of the battery and to the positive of the battery.

 

[TheHardWay]

Do you have a fusible link attached to the battery positive post?

 

[David Smithey]

Do you have a fusible link attached to the battery positive post?

 

[David Smithey]

View attachment 2444495

The wire between my fingers goes to the ground of the radio. Does that help explain the setup?

 

[TheHardWay]

How about a pic of the positive post?

 

[1969FJ]

Why would you place the ground and attach to the coil resistor ?

 

[David Smithey]

Why would you place the ground and attach to the coil resistor ?

The cool resistor was poorly connected to the body. I moved it to the battery ground because it was easy.

 

[David Smithey]

How about a pic of the positive post?

How about a pic of the positive post?

 

[TheHardWay]

Green goes to radio? Where's the small black wire go?

 

[Living in the Past]

I would run a new set of temporary wires directly on the battery to the radio then check if it still does it. If it doesn't can rule out a bad solder connection or cracked printed circuit board in the radio. Just because the radio is new doesn't mean it doesn't have a problem. Could have tested fine sitting stationary and show up in a moving vehicle.

 

[Engineer8000]

You should have a fusible link in that green wire at the battery. If it grounds in the truck it will start on fire and you can't stop it.

Typically the new radios have a continuous 12 volt source and a switched 12v source, how is yours wired?

 

[bhsdriller]

If you have it wired directly to the battery how do you turn it on/off?

Like he said it's usually on a switched 12v source, on when the key is on

 

[kerplunk]

If you have it wired directly to the battery how do you turn it on/off?

Like he said it's usually on a switched 12v source, on when the key is on

Most modern radios (starting in like, the 80's) have a constant 12V and a switched 12V that turns them on and off.
So they can save radio station preset and keep a clock running when the ignition is turned off.

Running these all the way back to the battery is pretty extreme, usually I'd connect to something already on the fuse panel. But if you are running all the way back to the battery, you need a fuse close to the battery.

And the ground, I think I connected mine to one of the bolt for the hand brake. Anything not painted.

The shorting out when you hit bumps is probably just the radio. (Please don't tell me you're listening to CDs).

 

[Steamer]

Most radios come with an inline fuse in the line that goes to 12V +. If you have one, there could be a loose connection inside there.

If that is a ballast resistor, it shouldn't be grounded.