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Radio Woes After Accident.


Automan2164
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Since getting the XJ back on the road I have noticed a somewhat plaguing and annoying problem. The volume on the stereo just doesn't seem to be as loud as it should. I have some ideas, like a poor ground on the inner fender, but want to ask if there is another go to I can try all in one session. Before the accident I couldn't comfortably turn up the volume to the max level. I really didn't even know what that top number was. Now I am all over the max volume and could go more to be at a level comparable to what I had it at before. Could the accident (not all too hard) have damaged an internal part? I want to believe that it could be a poor ground, but part of me wonders if that could be it, being that there are no other adverse effects... No other part of the radio or Jeep is acting like it is under electrical strain that I would associate with it.

 

Rob

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I can't see a power or ground issue,.. Usually they work or don't . Have a multimeter? Measure resistance from the stereo ground to the battery, chassis, block. Measure input voltage on 12V constant and switched power and resistance back to batt positive lead. I can assume you had the battery disconnected while repairing the body damage, did you check all your sound settings?

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I did go through all the sound settings. I put everything back to what it was pre-accident, and nothing seemed to help.

 

I've got a multimeter, and am versed in it's use, so that's no problem. Like you said though, I would imagine that the radio would either work or not work.

Rob

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Have you had your hearing checked recently?  Seriously.  I have a family history of hearing issues and my hearing is getting to the point I need to take corrective action.

 

You can also get an app for the cell phone that turns the phone into a sound meter.  Measure your radio output then another XJ.  Should be close to the same.  If not, you know the radio is the issue.

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Just the fact that it seems to be bad in all functions pretty well eliminates any input source problems. Not knowing your electronic knowledge or access to test equipment doesn't help. Suggestion. Replace the current setup with another unit. This well tell if the speakers and connections are OK. Just a straight ol AM/FM unit will work. If you have a external amplifier bypass it.and see what happens.

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I don't remember, did you have the infinity OEM system in that?  I know you added that OE spare tire sub and the Rockford amp.  Does the sub sound the same?  Did your battery get crushed in the accident?  If so a short could have done some damage perhaps.  Do you have any added noise, alternator wine, static etc?  You said you have all the settings the same on the radio so that sounds strange.  You are using the Kenwood deck's speaker outputs right?  No amp?

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I don't know how the connectors look on your speakers but have you considered they may be out of phase?  I had a similar issue in my home theater a few years ago but it was one channel iirc.  Don't know if that is possible with your connectors or not.

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Just to verify some of the questions abut if the speakers are wired in phase or anything like that - The only thing that has changed is the Jeep was in an accident. No wires were touched or tampered with.

 

As for my hearing... I imagine I have lost some over time and because of my job, but I don't think such a drastic change would occur over the month I have had the Cherokee off the road and fixing it... Wild thought, but the only thing I have noticed that is quiet is the stereo in the Cherokee.

 

The battery did get crushed in the accident. One of the cells leaked out and killed it. It hadn't occurred to me that it may have shorted out and caused some damage to the radio. Good possibility, although I still want to wager on a ground issue. I took the Jeep on a long weekend trip and didn't have much chance to play with it. I have tomorrow off to mess with it if I feel motivated enough, or Thursday if I don't play with it until then.

 

I'll report back with whatever I find.

 

Rob :cheers:

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Check the connectors on the back side. After slamming my LJ into a few things and rolling it on the side the main connector came loose causing similar issues. Mainly turning off during hard left turns.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Time to update.

 

Among the list of things I was going to try, updating the Firmware on the radio was one of them. I checked Kenwood's site, and they had updated the software 3 times since I last did it. One was for the problem that no matter what you did or how you did it, it would always hang up on a call when you turned the Jeep off - Even if I turned off the Bluetooth and was talking on the phone. Apparently, it wasn't just me not doing something right.

 

I downloaded all the updates onto my jump drive, and then uploaded everything as per the routine... First time it fired back up I could tell a huge difference. I am back to the previous volume levels as before the accident. Post accident I was up at 35, which was max, and it still didn't do it for me. Now I am back to the 20-25 I was at before.

 

Thanks for the advice guys!

Rob

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I imagine that more and more, we will be seeing changes to software than hardware issues. One of the GM Delco guys told us a few years ago that everything was moving towards software reprogramming that actual hard fixes. He gave us some sort of crazy number they were projecting for, but I forget what it was.

 

I'm under the impression that with either the battery failure or maybe the extended time disconnected the software became corrupted in the HU... Maybe just doing a reset would have brought it back, but I had already downloaded the update before hand, so I can't say for sure.

Rob

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