Thread: Audio guru's here? Pioneer navigation system

I have a 99 Maxima that I picked up that has a Pioneer Navigation system installed.

A couple weeks ago the antenna broke on the car (original owner went through a car wash and bent it pretty bad before selling), and the stereo stopped working.

I go to the trunk and noticed the capacitor wasn't on. It's digital so this was the first time I've even looked at a cap in over 10 years! So, there's a bunch of loose wires in the trunk. I see this bare wire hanging and think, hmmm..what if I connect it to a power source? So, I do, and the stereo comes back on. Then, blew the fuse under the hood. Replaced fuse, did it 2 more times. I connected the wire (looks like it was coming from the 6-disc changer in the trunk) to a 20amp fuse. The fuse under the hood is a 15amp fuse (which is probably why the fuse keeps blowing?)

The way the stereo is wired, it was the remote wires connected together, then ran to each amp (2 amps) and the cap was connected to 1 amp while the other amp went straight to a distribution block from the battery. So, everything looks fine. I've wired car stereos a FEW times before, so I know how to do it.

I figured it was the cap, so I took that out, ran the power straight to the 2nd amp, and re-did the remote wiring, cause it was kinda hacked up. So, the stereo turns on, but no sound. (amps aren't turning on)

I'm guessing that the only way I'll get sound is to connect this mysterious wire in the trunk, but will probably have to fuse it for something smaller than 15amps so it doesn't blow the fuse under the hood.

Has anyone ever seen where the amps are wired to the battery, the remote wire is run from the stereo and the amps are grounded, that some other wire turns the system on? I have never dealt with navigation systems before.

The stereo worked fine up to a few weeks ago, and the amps come on, when this mysterious wire is powered. Any guesses what this could be? What to check?

Honestly I'd pull the stereo out and re-do all the wiring. You've definately got something funky going on. You've got too many wires and too much complexity for what you're running. The only thing that came to mind for me was 1.) the radio was pulling spare juice from the cap, or 2.) the radio was getting it's ground from the antenna. When an aftermarket is put in our cars, you need to run a new ground. If you don't, it will pull a ground from the antenna cable's shielding.

My vote: Pull that bish out and clean up that rats nest. Do it completely over so you aren't guessing and you know everything is done right.

Chances are the remote wires at the back of the HU goes to the power antenna, and the remote turn on lead for the amp(s).
Power should come from battery + to a distribution block then to both amps. Then there should be a common ground in the trunk.

Are the RCA cables run into a Y splitter, or is there two sets run? I'm really trying to figure out what's going on based on the description.

I might just have to pull everything out.

There are 2 sets of RCA's running to the amps. I took out the cap and the wiring looks straight for the amps. I have a 4ga wire with 80a fuse at the battery, running to the fused distribution block, then a 8ga wire running to each amp. The grounds are going to a distribution block with 8ga wire, then a 4ga single ground to chassis. The remote wire is really what's killing me.

Maybe the remote is wired to the power antenna like Dustin says? How does that work? All I've ever done, is just run the remote wire from the HU, or, at least the Illumination wire. So, I was lost when I saw this.

I'm with wingman, just re-do everything. That way you know its done right.