radio power intermittent

[stockman1]

My radio seems to power on and off at no regular pattern all by itself, any know why? is it a circuit board issue?

[Meotchh]

What year SVO?
Does it happen with the car in motion, sitting still, or both?

Could be internal, could be the amplifier switch (if you have one), could be as a result of someone working behind the dash at some point in the car's life, or it could also be as a result of someone in the fuse box at some point.

I would start at the easiest thing & make sure you have a properly rated & properly seated fuse in the fuse box. If all looks good ther, move on to checking the connections behind the radio. Look for loose connections, especially grounds. You also want to look for previous hack work behind the radio.

[stockman1]

What year SVO?
Does it happen with the car in motion, sitting still, or both?

Could be internal, could be the amplifier switch (if you have one), could be as a result of someone working behind the dash at some point in the car's life, or it could also be as a result of someone in the fuse box at some point.

I would start at the easiest thing & make sure you have a properly rated & properly seated fuse in the fuse box. If all looks good ther, move on to checking the connections behind the radio. Look for loose connections, especially grounds. You also want to look for previous hack work behind the radio.Its an 86 nothing loose, etc. Cuts out when driving and comes back on? Appears to be random, just wondering if this was common?

[Kendal Coker]

check the ignition switch, not the key part. It is known for causing problems.

[Meotchh]

check the ignition switch, not the key part. It is known for causing problems.
:like2:
Ditto on what Kendal said. But I would still verify the ground is making a solid connection.

[MikeFleming]

The stock radio ground is to a brace inside the dash structure and that brace part bolts to another brace part in the dash that eventually gets to the forward sides of the door jams on the chassis. A high-power (current) radio and/or old age (oxidation) can cause problems with the ground connections.

Does it work longer at lower power (volume) settings then get worse as the power output increases?

I can post pics of the dash brackets and ground spots over the weekend. While I'm watching the Aussie V-8 Supercar race at Abu Dhabi.

[stockman1]

please show the pics when you can? Could be a ground issue? but it comes back on just as irregularly as it goes off.

[MikeFleming]

Some pics of the back of a stock SVO dash. Note all the [stock] rusted braces that support the plastic dash that bolt/screw to each other. There are four bolts that go to other metal brackets along the lower portion of the dash (one near the left side of the center console, one behind the glove, and one each on the dash sides to the a-pillar/door hinge sheet metal. These assorted brackets need to be clean metal-to-metal to each other and to the chassis connections for a good electrical ground.

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[MikeFleming]

Note where the stock radio ground attaches to the center console bracket/brace with a small bolt. Be sure to scrape any rust or paint before attaching that ground.
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It's also a good idea to have a rear radio support brace to help keep the dash from getting cracked from the bending forces. This pis shows an after-market radio and support brace (I do not think that is a valid ground, although it may be on the stock radio).

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[Meotchh]

Note where the stock radio ground attaches to the center console bracket/brace with a small bolt. Be sure to scrape any rust or paint before attaching that ground.
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While checking those rusty points also check the status of the ground wire itself for corrosion, cuts/opens or any other damage. Keep in mind that even if all those grounds are making a poor connection, &/or your radio ground is corroded or brittle, you can still get some grounding through the antenna. The antenna ground may not be enough to supply an effective circuit all the time. If you have gone through the headache of removing the dash, be sure to check to make sure there are no noticable rattles internal to the radio.

[chastee1]

Good thread and responses. My 86 will occasionally do the same exact thing. Both the radio channel display and clock also stopped working some time ago - may just need to check a fuse on that and haven't bothered since car has been back on road.

[stockman1]

To close out this thread I found a ground strap attached to the firewall on the passenger side with the other end flopping in the breeze. With Mike Flemings help it was attached to the bell housing bolt on the passenger side. That ground strap cured the radio and a few other electronic ailments.

[rodster]

Glad to hear you found the fix. Really helpful folks on here! Never good to have a ground wire flopping in the breeze. I will add this to my list of things to check out during my 84 'refresh'. Thanks for updating us.

[Meotchh]

To close out this thread I found a ground strap attached to the firewall on the passenger side with the other end flopping in the breeze. With Mike Flemings help it was attached to the bell housing bolt on the passenger side. That ground strap cured the radio and a few other electronic ailments.

Glad to hear you found your problem Larry! Now sit back & relax, you're banned until your next post for inflating Fleming's ego.

Many electrical problems can be traced back to ground issues or an open (broken connection from end to end for the non electrical types).