Head Unit not producing any sound

[Ndnkobra 0]

Hey everyone, I just bought a used Alpine CDA 9885 and I've connected and soldered all the connections together. When I put it in, it turns on and I can go through any of the functions, but whenever I adjust the volume knob, no sound at all is being produced by my speakers. I cannot pick up any sound through the radio, nor the Ipod function, though it will show that it is playing the track on the Ipod. Anyone have any possible ideas on what could've happened? I have already checked my soldered connections, and they seem solid, so I'm not sure what else it might be. Thanks again!

[ssh 924]

Use a 3.5mm to rca connector, and plug your ipod directly into your amp.

Turn the volume up on the ipod, is there any sound from your speakers? If not then your problem isn't the headunit signal, but rather the amp or speaker connections.

[Ndnkobra 0]

Use a 3.5mm to rca connector, and plug your ipod directly into your amp.

Turn the volume up on the ipod, is there any sound from your speakers? If not then your problem isn't the headunit signal, but rather the amp or speaker connections.

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately, I do not have an amplifier hooked up to any source of power at the moment. Could you suggest another way to test what the problem may be? I'm leaning towards the fact that it may be the head unit itself, because I find it kind of odd that none of the speakers are putting out any sound. I turn the volume up all the way on the unit, but it's all just dead silence.

Edited October 5, 2012 by Ndnkobra

[ssh 924]

Sorry I presumed you were using an amp.

You could use a DMM on the outputs behind the head-unit, and see if they are indeed sending power out. Set the DMM to ac.

[///M5 2,833]

You sure the speakers are connected to it with the appropriate wire going to the appropriate place? Is there a switch on the headunit to only output to RCA's and not speaker outs?

I read your thread wrong first:

Head Unit not giving any head

[Ndnkobra 0]

Sorry I presumed you were using an amp.

You could use a DMM on the outputs behind the head-unit, and see if they are indeed sending power out. Set the DMM to ac.

Ah thanks. So I went out to see if there was any power being put out by the RCA outputs from the headunit, and none of the sets of outputs were putting any reads on the DMM. Would that conclude that something is wrong internally within the radio, or could there be another possible solution? That, or I hooked up the DMM wrong.

[Ndnkobra 0]

You sure the speakers are connected to it with the appropriate wire going to the appropriate place? Is there a switch on the headunit to only output to RCA's and not speaker outs?

I read your thread wrong first:

Head Unit not giving any head

Haha, what a mis-read. But yes, I made sure that the female harness was soldered according to color, and that they matched accordingly to the factory harness. Everything seems to be in check. I can see that my factory OEM ground on the chassis is clean, so it doesn't seem to be a grounding issue. The only thing left could potentially be the fuse, but I don't see how it could be the fuse if the radio still manages to turn on. And no, I do not think there is a switch where I can output strictly to the RCA outputs. I don't think the CDA 9885 has that capability.

[ssh 924]

Okay are you using the speaker wires directly from the head-unit to your speakers? If so, then you need to test those wires, and not the rcas.

I should have been more clear.

[Ndnkobra 0]

Okay are you using the speaker wires directly from the head-unit to your speakers? If so, then you need to test those wires, and not the rcas.

I should have been more clear.

I tried to see if there was any AC going across one speaker, the rear right speaker off the head unit harness, and the DMM didn't pick up anything. I would imagine it would be the same for the other speaker wires as well so I didn't test those.

[Impious 1,476]

I've had this happen in a buddy's car because one of the speaker wires were shorting out against metal in the car.

[Ndnkobra 0]

I've had this happen in a buddy's car because one of the speaker wires were shorting out against metal in the car.

I'll keep looking around in the cavity of the compartment for potential reasons on why there is no sound being produced. I really don't want to assume the worst that I was sold as shoddy deck, considering that everything else works on it.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

I'd unhook all speaker wires at the harness at the radio first. As said if the wire is grounded or a speaker is blown it will put the radio into protect.

You can also just unplug the radio and check each speaker wire (vehicle wires) continuity to ground using ur DMM to find out if you have a grounded speaker wire.

[Ndnkobra 0]

I'd unhook all speaker wires at the harness at the radio first. As said if the wire is grounded or a speaker is blown it will put the radio into protect.

You can also just unplug the radio and check each speaker wire (vehicle wires) continuity to ground using ur DMM to find out if you have a grounded speaker wire.

Ah okay, and I would do that just by putting the red lead of the multimeter within the factory harness of each negative and positive wire of each speaker terminal, and touching the chassis ground to see if a beep will go off. And I'm assuming if I do hear beeping, that's a sign that my speaker wire(s) are grounding out?

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

Yep

[smashedz28 110]

I'm pretty sure alpine has the option to run amp power or hu power. Really dig into the options on the deck for a setting. I had an alpine several years ago that had the option.

I've also somehow blown the RCA outputs on a deck before but never to where it wouldn't work with hu power.

[dbsupra 69]

I used to repair a bunch of these with no sound problems. 9 out of 10 times the "power ic" was set to off in the menu.

It is used to turn off the internal amp so it would decrease noise in the processing if you are using RCA output only. Atleast that is what they told me when I was in alpine school haha.

Very few output ic's actually blow unless you just get completely stupid with it. They were really well designed.

Edited October 6, 2012 by dbsupra

[Ndnkobra 0]

I used to repair a bunch of these with no sound problems. 9 out of 10 times the "power ic" was set to off in the menu.

It is used to turn off the internal amp so it would decrease noise in the processing if you are using RCA output only. Atleast that is what they told me when I was in alpine school haha.

Very few output ic's actually blow unless you just get completely stupid with it. They were really well designed.

Hmm, interesting. I'm going to have to take your word for it and really dig deep within the options, because this is a fairly new deck to me and I'm struggling to navigate it. I guess it takes a while. I will look for the "Ic power" option though. If I cannot find it, someone is gonna have to hold my hand through this process, haha.

[ssh 924]

You do know you can download the instruction manual?

[Ndnkobra 0]

I used to repair a bunch of these with no sound problems. 9 out of 10 times the "power ic" was set to off in the menu.

It is used to turn off the internal amp so it would decrease noise in the processing if you are using RCA output only. Atleast that is what they told me when I was in alpine school haha.

Very few output ic's actually blow unless you just get completely stupid with it. They were really well designed.

Dude, it worked. You deserve ALL the cookies in the world. The IC Power was set to off, as soon as I turned it on, wala magic.

[Ndnkobra 0]

You do know you can download the instruction manual?

Yes sir, I actually have a hard copy of it. Took a look, stepped outside and everything is good to go following dbsupras advice. Sound quality is phenominal in comparison to the stock deck.