Radio Ground Issue? - Please Help!

STEVE07

There is a secondary tab on the rear of the deck with three _ in descending size and a threaded hole mount the new ground wire there.

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Hoople

Not a regulator issue..
Not likely 3 bad radio's.

I would get my hands on the schematic for that exact model and see if there is a pin-out for the plug.
There must be one (pin out) or else troubleshooting speaker problems would be too hard for the dealer.
Like it was said earlier. Grounding the radio through the shield of the coax is a suicidal design move. Grounding the radio through the radio frame is a sure way to have alternator ripple enter the signal path. That also is another bad move to make but I have seen it done by radio manufactures that don't have experience with good design principals.

Stay on track. Get the schematic & also test your Tree Ground.

Hoop!

fenderheavy

"I would get my hands on the schematic for that exact model and see if there is a pin-out for the plug. "

What plug? And you mean ""pin out as in ground, right?

Do we all kinda agree that it's likely a faulty ground connection through the harness? And if it is, can I do what Steve07 suggests?

Hoople

No, the Radio mounting bolt WOULD make the radio play. But you would be going around the REAL reason for your problem.
Sure, if you just want to get the radio to play, just put a jumper wire from the frame of the radio to FRAME ground of the bike (Not the Tree). That would fix it. But I was under the assumption you really wanted to find the Root cause of your problem and not just patch it to work.

Hoop!

NEWHD74FAN

Forgot one thing, does your sound system also have cassette or CD player...do they cut out as well? If only the radio, we may only have a bad connection in the antenna cable...

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fenderheavy

Hoop, you busted me! I DO actually want to find the root cause and fix it, but a cheap cop out option is good to have in the interim! However, when I ran the extra ground from the bolt to the triple tree ground gromme it still died. So, going from the radio case to a different ground point may be a short term fix? I do really want the correct fix, for the record!

It's a CD deck, as well. All power is cut, not just the radio.

Hoople

Promise me you will not use my name when you tell people you fixed your radio yourself.

Yes, a quick and dirty way to get your radio to play would be to take a 12 gauge jumper wire and put one end to a stud or screw on the radio, and the other end to FRAME GROUND on the bike . Not the tree or any other part that is not welded to the frame. To the FRAME. The tree is supported by bearings so you can not use it.

Phantom!

fenderheavy

Hoop, wait a sec. I'm calling it the triple tree groung, but it was actually a ground on the side of the frame just behind the triple tree that I connected the extra ground wire (and the radio mounting bolt). The radio still died. It wasn't on the tree itself. I just realized my error in describing that part. No other mis spoken parts. I assure you!

Also, remember, it seems to work for a couple hours before it dies. What the heck?

If it works, in the interim, and any one asks who told me how to do it.... "The Phantom..."

Hoople

Oh my goodness that changes everything.
You better be Blond with a Great Shape & can cook.

1) Will the radio play under any forced condition (like shorting the allen wrench from the radio to ground with the antenna coax plugged in) Or is this Radio in a DOA state.
2) Can you borrow a voltmeter and put it across the battery. Start up the bike and with the engine running at maybe 2500 RPM what is the DC voltage you read on the meter.

A question I should have asked before. Where are the removed "bad Radios" going. Doesn't the dealer check the returned radio at all before they sell or exchange it for a new one.

Hoop!

fenderheavy

HA!

1) yes, it plays for a couple hours (timing could be coincidence, or may not be), then quits. I can take an allen wrench and hold it to the triple tree ground (yes the real one) and the radio case and it comes to life.

2) TBD

The bad radios are going back to the manufacturer and are alledgedly refurbished and resold. It's the "Harley Davidson" brand radio. I don't know who made them back in 2003.