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Please, somebody back me up!

Discussion in 'Suzuki Carry' started by likwyd, Nov 23, 2009.

  1. likwyd

    likwyd New Member

    We have been working on a '94 Suzuki Carry for the farm. A few weeks ago I installed a stereo to replace the factory AM radio with the built in speaker. Extremely basic setup. Pioneer deck and VR3 4 1/2" 3-way mids. My work has been considered to be professional/factory like.

    Right now, another worker is adding a custom tow hitch bracket to the rear that he built himself. After him having the vehicle over the weekend, I come to work this morning to be told I need to adjust my stereo wiring because it's screwing everything up. I ran a check to see what happened. I checked all fuses to find only the tail light fuse had blown. This leads to: no radio, no lights, high beam indicator comes on when pressing the brake pedal, just complete electrical freakout. The motor still starts up fine and the vehicle itself is fully operational. I replaced the blown fuse for the tail lights. Low and behold, everything works again. BUT!! I rolled the light switch to just park lights...BOOM, tail light fuse blows again. This tells me there is a short in the tail lights or even possibly the switch.

    The guy installing the hitch bracket (at the REAR of the vehicle, same area as the tail lights...hmmm) tells me I need to move my wiring for the stereo around because obviously, I must have wired the stereo into the tail lights!! ...WTF???? I tapped into the original 3 wire setup. I used my stereo installation tester (little cooler than basic 12v tester, from SCOSCHE) to test the wires for constant, switched, and ground. This was honestly the easiest wiring job I have ever done, and I have done, well...quite a few!

    I also triple checked everything on the vehicle upon finishing installation, to make sure all the electrical was still good, no shorts, no problems! Everything was sweet! I was proud. Very clean, pro looking job, working flawlessly.

    Tell me...where did I go wrong?..lol
     
  2. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    The three way connect wires were not what you thought they were...
    You cannot internally cross the red/yellow with the white/solid..
    Turn on lights and SHORT-BOOM..
    Use the white/solid for the memory and the white/black for pwr..
    Although, my own memory is not that good, I'd test thoughs again..
     
    111Shane111 likes this.
  3. likwyd

    likwyd New Member

    Not sure I follow. Regardless of the color, I tested the wires signal. I have a switched, a constant, and a ground. If I hook the power wires up backwards then I'll have no memory, making me tune presets and custom EQ's every time the key is turned....makes no sense.
     
  4. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    Japanese harnes; the signal/reading will change depending on what components are turned on or off. They use diods pretty sparingly. If you don't have the same harness/color as me, not much I can do to help..

    By the buy, you don't have a ground on the connector, you just found your problem..
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Nov 23, 2009
    o8k likes this.
  5. woodhe1

    woodhe1 Member

    electrical

    Just had the same thing happen. I have not changed the radio. I talked to Joe at GR Imports and it appears to be the light/turn signal switch is bad. Having one shipped to me. I'll replace it and see if it works!

    dan
     
  6. likwyd

    likwyd New Member


    Looking at your pic, I didn't have the same harness/color wiring. Either way, I cut the harness off and spliced straight into the corresponding wires. Hopefully Dan will have some luck and let me know about the switch!
     
  7. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    No problem, if the harness is different, test your connections with the lights off and then again with the lights on. I'm pretty sure your problem is HERE. I did the same thing with mine and found that MY red/yellow will switch between ground and pwr with the lighting system..I went to the back of the sig liter for the ground..all is well..
     
  8. woodhe1

    woodhe1 Member

    elec.

    Let us know what you find out! May have to rethink this.

    dan
     
  9. OldMachinist

    OldMachinist Moderator Staff Member

    First I'd disconnect the radio and see if the problem goes away. If it does I'd say that your parking and headlights are like some I seen with 12+ to them all the time and the switch just applies the ground. So one of the wires was likely for the instrument panel light in the old radio.
     
  10. likwyd

    likwyd New Member

    I will try all of the above for sure when I get the truck back from the other guy. Like I said in my initial post though, I installed a few weeks ago and triple checked everything worked. It has all been great until after this weekend!
     
  11. likwyd

    likwyd New Member

    So, it is possible that this wire is connected to the light switch but now I have it connected to the stereos ground. That would explain a short especially if it is the system that applies the ground from the switch. But why would this happen after a few weeks?..THAT I don't understand.

    So I can chassis/alternative ground the stereo, but then the "red/yellow" wire would need spliced with the constant to the stereo?, this also makes sense but only if it's not the switch=ground system. Sounds like a little challenge but I will give it a try hopefully tomorrow.
     
  12. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    Listen guys, I was a little confused as well. Why would one wire (MY red/yellow) be a ground/pwr; switchable to the lighting system, avalible at the radio connector?
    (SHRUG) doesn't matter, just don't use that wire for anything.
    Anyway it was in the connector but not TO anything.....three in/two out; stock.

    white/solid-bat pwr
    white/black-ignition pwr
    cig lighter black-ground
    All is well...

    Ghost in the machine...just isolate it...

    More importantly...give us some pics of your speaker locations and intallations!
     
  13. Stuff99

    Stuff99 Moderator Staff Member

    i was lucky and the toyota wireing kit from walmart worked. still had to run a constant from the fuse box though. i found at a store a thing that pugs into the fuse holder that still runs the power though for the fuse you tap into (mine was for dome light) then it runs a wire out on a fuse and thats what i used for the constant power.
     
  14. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    The simplest solution is usually the best route. Espesially with Japanese electrical harnesses. It's almost as if they have a departmental competition to eliminate as many return lines and diodes as possible for a given component structure. If they can run one switchable ground line to eliminate two pwr lines..it's in. This particular line, is a ground/pwr switchable; don't know what option it would be for, but my truck doesn't have it. Not connected to anything..
     
  15. likwyd

    likwyd New Member

    Well guys, I felt the need to head on out to the shop anyways because now it was buggin' the crap out of me.

    Spaner, you were right man. I found an alternate ground, cut the "red/yellow" out completely, taped it up...everything is great again. Thanks everyone for your input. I feel like an idiot for trying to blame the other guy now. I can take some pics today of the stereo and post them. Thanks again.
     
    Gilbert81 likes this.
  16. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    No prob man,
    I just happen to know the solution in THIS case, I ask for help all the time. That's what makes this the best site on the net.
    FIX THE PROBLEM FIRST, then nobody gets the blame.
    then make the jokes and poke fun:D
     
    Gilbert81 likes this.
  17. likwyd

    likwyd New Member

    Like I said, VERY basic install :)
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Nov 24, 2009
  18. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    Very nice, very nice...
    Helps me out, I know I can get some mids in the doors before I pull them apart..
    Just one question,
    What is up with your passenger dash vent? Is that an after-market ashtray?
     
  19. likwyd

    likwyd New Member

    Actually no, that is a removable cover for where there SHOULD be a vent. Don't know why there isn't one! :confused:
     
  20. KeiEye

    KeiEye Member

    Posts like this are why I keep coming back again & again. I know that when I've got an engine flameout in the dark at 30 thou, someone here at minitrucktalk will be able to talk me back down to the carrier deck.
    Seriously though, it's very good what goes on here. Thanks to all involved!
     
  21. spaner

    spaner Well-Known Member

    Best site on the net guys;

    KeiEye, I think you mean FL290...Were not RVSM certified here... :cool:

    MU-2B-60...YAT, on pot lights, in a blizzard, GNSS just lost RAIM on the OVERLAY...in the badlands:eek:
     
  22. MiniBrutes

    MiniBrutes Member

    The passenger vent is an option, and rare at that! Along with passenger door lock, visor, and holy-crap handle.
     
  23. erixun

    erixun Member

    wiring issues, help!

    Ok, so I follow your thoughts on the red/yellow wire, goes nowhere. Didnt even hook it up to anything, I tested and hooked up the 12v constant and 12v switched from the white and white/black respectively.

    BUT, I had a black wire connected to my factory stereo chassis, left that wire attached to the metal bracket on stereo support :frustration:, and connected my stereo ground to the black on the cig lighter. Stereo, headlights work fine, But my fuse for turn signals and back up alarm/light blew.... so I disconnected that black wire to the support, replaced the fuse... and now my turn signals dont work and the back up alarm for reverse sounds really weak...so I still have a short or something not connected..... have totally disconnected the stereo and problem still exists...what the #@%& was that black wire?

    thoughts? fixes?
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2009
  24. MiniBrutes

    MiniBrutes Member

    That wire is for illumination. It will show as a ground when off, but will power up when the headlights are on. Thus shorting straight to ground.

    Check the 4 way flasher switch. push it up and down. If its not seated, you wont have connection for the signal lights.
     
  25. erixun

    erixun Member

    Thanks!!!

    Yep, bad contacts, wiggled her a bit and works like a champ, now I need to cut that back up alarm off, scares the deer:D

    Thanks a bunch, I guess being a 93 there is a bunch of crap in there, need to get me some more contact cleaner....:rolleyes:
     
  26. MiniBrutes

    MiniBrutes Member

    No problems. Very common issue.

    Pull the steering wheel, pull the combination switch. Clean out all the gunk. Sand any contacts that dont look good with a little sandpaper.

    Then she should be good for the rest of the life of the truck.
     
  27. olddatsunfan

    olddatsunfan Member

    Sandpaper can be a bit too abrasive for cleaning copper contacts. I find that for electrical contacts a rubber eraser that has a bit of abrasive in it like those found on the end of cheap pencils works well.

    If you can, a better method would be to blow any dust and dirt out with compressed air and to soak the contacts in a straight vinager solution overnight, rinse out thoroughly with distilled water and blow dry completely.
     
  28. o8k

    o8k Member

    Thought about putting speakers there, but didnt have the guts to cut the metal. Ended up mounting them on the back of the cab in corner behind driver and passenger head rest.
     
  29. project_x

    project_x Member

    Can you post some pics of your speaker install?

    Thanks,
    Rob
     
  30. erixun

    erixun Member

    In my 93 Carry there were holes "pre-molded" inside the door metal for 3.5" to 4" speakers. This is where I put mine, on the back side of the door panel there is a cut-out already in place that is just held in place by 4 tabs, easily removed. I did have to put a "spacer" on the window track inside the door, to push the track towards the outside of the truck a bit so the window will clear the speaker magnet. I was nervous as well about cutting up my truck since replacement parts are not cheap or at your local junkyard.
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2009

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