Vauxhall corsa radio keeps switching off

[salvulcano]

Make- Vauxhall
Model- Corsa sxi
Engine size/Type- 1.2 twinport
Year- 2006
Mileage- 83,000

Hi need help with the radio,
whenever i change gears my car radio switches off and if i change gear again it goes on and then off and on each time i switch gears and vice versa. Im thinking maybe the power wire is trapped in the gears because sometimes when i put it in reverse the car makes a crunching noise.? but what do you think the problem is. i tried taking the radio out checking the wiring. fixed a loose connection but it made it worse and didnt fix the problem. what do you guys think the problem is please? thank you.

also if the wire is trapped in the gear how would i remove it? thanks

 

[Burnerman]

Two different issues, I'm afraid......the gear crunch is due to the clutch not releasing completely and nothing to do with the radio.
When you change gear the engine moves around a bit - it is designed to - and this could be pulling on a cable, I guess.
First I'd look again at the connections at the back of the radio. Tell me - is it an original set or a set you have fitted?
John

 

[Brigade77]

Well it's obvious that the gearbox wiring loom has gotten entwangled between 1st & reverse gear (they're very close on this model).

You need to unentwangle the wiring loom & there are 3x ways to do this :

1. Get underneath the car, find a loose wire & pull hard.

2. Get a mate to go underneath the car, find a loose wire & pull hard.

3. Pay lots of money to Kevin at the garage to go underneath the car, find a loose wire & pull it hard.

There is another way, but I fear it might become general knowledge in the Corsa owning community & therefore do me out of lots of money. If you can get a mate to give it full throttle whilst you're blowing down the exhaust pipe then this IME usually dislodges the rogue wire.

You could also pour the entire contents of a Rice Crispies cereal box down the gearbox filler pipe, this would cure the grunching sound but it may start to go snap, crackle & pop.

You will of course still have the problem of the radio going on & off. This can be cured by tuning the radio into satellite only broadcasts, which are much more available now that NASA have stopped pretending to send old London red bus's into orbit.

 

[salvulcano]

Hi john I bought the car second hand and the seller fit his own radio. I could take a picture of the back if this would help? Thanks

 

[Burnerman]

Certainly the original radio connections are pretty foolproof and rarely fail. For info, if another set is fitted there's often a connector block available which basically allows the original vehicle wiring loom to connect with an aftermarket set - motor factors or Halfords can provide such a device.
By all means give us a pic of the connections that have been done, but I'd always solder any wires together and cover the join with heat shrink tube.....I really think this is where your problems lie.
John

 

[salvulcano]

Dork lord are you being seriously about pulling the cable and what would this fix thanks?

 

[salvulcano]

John the person already soldered the wire and put it in a heat proof tube I don't see any other problems with it.

 

[Burnerman]

Well, there are three wires that could cause your problem.....
1) The permanent live feed - this allows your radio to retain its memory for the stations programmed in
2) The live feed via the ignition - this allows the radio to work with the ignition on (or engine running)
3) The earth return - without it, there's no complete circuit and the set will switch off.
All of these connections must be secure.....also any fuse at the back of the set needs to be secure too.
John

 

[salvulcano]

It may be the live wire ignition feed but would that explain the gear change problem?

 

[Burnerman]

The crunching into reverse? A clutch problem as per my first reply......that is due to the clutch not releasing completely when you press the clutch pedal. At the end of the day you may need a new clutch but make sure the pedal can be depressed fully - no carpet in the way or whatever.
John

 

[salvulcano]

Here are some images attached, I also changed the fuse which was broken as when I first got the car the radio wasnt switching on.
http://imgur.com/a/kcMpZ
Thank you

 

[Burnerman]

I have to say, all of the connections at the back of the set look just fine.....however - the black wire that's been chopped off......do you know what that is for?
I'm just concerned that if it is the sets proper earth - and it isn't connected - the set will be getting its earth through another means......maybe even the aerial.
Before you do anything though - check for any voltage in that black wire. If it is live then connecting it to earth is the worse thing you can do.
Another point or two.....has there been any interference under the bonnet of the car - wires connected to the battery positive terminal perhaps?
Are there any other connections that have been bodged between the radio connections and the main wiring loom......I'd try with the radio on, tugging the wires gently to see if it switches off again.
John

 

[DaveHerns]

Is the stereo losing power or are you just losing sound? You might have a telephone mute wire shorting to earth.
Have you got any comeback against the seller or was it a private purchase?

 

[salvulcano]

Ok thanks will tug on the wires see if it helps also Dave the radio literally powers off says goodbye and then powers on again and no comeback it was a private seller

 

[Burnerman]

Maybe there's another (aftermarket and loose) fuse in the supply line somewhere......if a previous owner has been fiddling then its a case of tracing the wires back.
I'd still want a good earth though - even if it means putting in a separate wire.
John