stereo works WITHOUT the fuse in

[vrdevilcar]

So, I recently bought a VR Commodore with a VDO Dayton stereo (CD 4203) in it, of which I have yet to get sound out of - that's another issue I'll have to ask about. Lately the battery has been running flat and the mechanic said 'it's probably the stereo.' So I took the fuse out, and the thing still powers up! It went back to the mechanic but he couldn't figure out how to disconnect the stereo.

My question is...should I try to remove all associated dash parts (using the info I found on here) and disconnect it myself, or pay someone lots of money to do it for me? And then with all the dash parts pulled out, do I get another stereo or see why this one won't work?

*edit*
Someone came around for a look and found that there is another under dash fuse for slot 7 that is for the central locking - but ALSO feeds the stereo. Taking that one out killed the stereo, and the locking mechanism.

[azkwazere]

define fuse:

1. OEM Fuse under steering coloum
2. Fuse from the back of the unit itself

If 1. then its likely that it wasn't wired into the OEM wiring like you think and thats why its still working (im betting the farm on this one)

if 2. you have a faulty head unit... end of story.

aZk.

[Tom_1569]

Which fuse does it work without?
There will be one in the back of the headunit, and one under the dash cluster for stereo/cigarette lighter.

[Tom_1569]

Azk has the faster fingers lol.

[D-Man]

what about the fuse close to the battery....

i wouldnt imagine you took that out.. but just to be sure.

not the one under the steeringwheel or in the back of the unit but the one under the bonnet. inside the engine bay

[azkwazere]

what about the fuse close to the battery....

i wouldnt imagine you took that out.. but just to be sure.

not the one under the steeringwheel or in the back of the unit but the one under the bonnet. inside the engine bay

There is no fuse there for that... there is no point pulling out a top level fuse. Thats like disconnecting the battery and going, oh look it stopped... you need to pull the lowest level fuse out and work your way up...

aZk.

[Munromad]

If the stereo is wired correctly it will get it's main power from the fusebox via a fuse.

Most people just use the original stereo power wire to power any replacments stereo's meaning the original stereo fuse is still in use but not always.

But, even if they have put in a new wire (fused or not) there should be no reason for the unit to drain the battery.

I'd be checking other stuff. The boot light is a common cause of battery drain. The glovebox light as well. It's they are not turning off when you close them they can drain the battery.

A lot of earlier Holdens used to have trouble with the clocks. A fault in the clock would cause the battery to drain if the car wasn't started for a couple of days.

You need to find out where the stereo gets it's power from. It shouldn't be hard. Get under the dash with a torch and see if you can trace the wire.

Failing that you're going to have to remove the stereo and unplug it.

Hopefully if they've run a new wire it will have an inline fuse in it. If not, put one in anyway. Better than having a fire under your dash.

[ryno_vrx]

i'm betting the stereo is wired directly up to the battery, i know a few people that do it that way for some dumbass reason

[vrdevilcar]

define fuse:

1. OEM Fuse under steering coloum
2. Fuse from the back of the unit itself

If 1. then its likely that it wasn't wired into the OEM wiring like you think and thats why its still working (im betting the farm on this one)

if 2. you have a faulty head unit... end of story.

aZk.

I took out the 7.5 amp fuse from under the steering wheel (slot 13.)

[vrdevilcar]

If the stereo is wired correctly it will get it's main power from the fusebox via a fuse.

I'd be checking other stuff. The boot light is a common cause of battery drain. The glovebox light as well. It's they are not turning off when you close them they can drain the battery.

A lot of earlier Holdens used to have trouble with the clocks. A fault in the clock would cause the battery to drain if the car wasn't started for a couple of days.

You need to find out where the stereo gets it's power from. It shouldn't be hard. Get under the dash with a torch and see if you can trace the wire.

The boot light is already disconnected - battery drain might be why.

This one doesn't have a clock

And I can't get under the dash to find any wires. Trust me, I tried.

I'll check the glovebox light though.

[azkwazere]

I took out the 7.5 amp fuse from under the steering wheel (slot 13.)

Most people when they wire in a head unit will do it properly and use the existing wiring...

others will run their own and bybass stuff.. including fuses.

Without looking at the car its hard to say but i would suggest to you that you take your head unit out and snap some pics for me..

aZk.