bradykp Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 I have a 2010 Subaru Legacy GT with navigation. For the past 1.5 weeks, my radio will just decide to cycle off, screen goes black, and turn back on. Happens in less than a minute. Occasionally when this happens, the lights on the dash all go on (flash on and off very fast so i don't know which ones). Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItalianLegacy Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 change your backup fuse. see if it goes away. Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cww516 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Long shot, but do you have the factory-option boost gauge, by any chance? I had the same issue, with the head unit sometimes losing power for days, sometimes staying on for a month or two, no rhyme or reason, and it went away after my gauge died and I ripped it (and the harness) out of the dash. I haven't poked at the harness with a multimeter to see where the issue lies, or if the two were even related, but I could probably do that at some point in the near future if you'd like. I just moved over the weekend, so I'll have to figure out where my multimeter and the harness are first... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ripstik Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 I have a 2010 Subaru Legacy GT with navigation. For the past 1.5 weeks, my radio will just decide to cycle off, screen goes black, and turn back on. Happens in less than a minute. Occasionally when this happens, the lights on the dash all go on (flash on and off very fast so i don't know which ones). Any thoughts? I had (and possibly still have but hopefully not) a similar issue minus the dash lights flashing. the whole system would just turn off, I've had the unit replaced twice with no change. I had a short in my door sill illumination kit (dealer installed option) that they thought was the issue, fixed with no change. mine would sometimes stay off for days without coming back sometimes it was a short as 30 seconds. I have no idea what the issue is and neither does SOA. i do have the factory boost gauge but it was never mentioned to me that might be the issue. either way it has just about stopped doing that and hasn't happened it probably 9 months, though I'm sure the issue is not entirely a thing of the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talespin Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Sounds like it could be a short, a ground problem, or a bad connector. Is there any consistency in what you're doing when it happens (steering wheel full lock, acceleration/deceleration, right turn/left turn, etc.)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cww516 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 When i was chasing this issue, I pretty much ruled out bad grounds (unless it's somewhere in the wire between the head unit and the ground connector), there aren't any that would take out the head unit and not affect anything else. Closest thing I found would also take down the HVAC system, and the only other ground (at least, I think it was only those two) is shared with the BIU, and you'd know if that went out. I'll have to see if I still have my notes on which fuses are relevant and which would only take out the head unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ripstik Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Sounds like it could be a short, a ground problem, or a bad connector. Is there any consistency in what you're doing when it happens (steering wheel full lock, acceleration/deceleration, right turn/left turn, etc.)? no, none. sometimes it will already be off when i start the car. sometime when parked, at speed.... i have seen no pattern at all, and i have always been about pattern recognition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ripstik Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 I'll have to see if I still have my notes on which fuses are relevant and which would only take out the head unit. with how many times my nav unit has gone out i have never had a blown fuse, not once. my suspicion is that the unit has an internal circuit breaker of sorts, i have thought of lowering the amperage of the fuse that feeds the unit but was too fearful i would void the ever living crap out of my warranty. also that, if my assumption is correct, would only cause the fuse to blow each time instead of the internal breaker. also a couple of times the car was at the dealer for this they suspected the grounds but that never got them anywhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cww516 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Same thing with me. You have the SPT boost gauge, by chance? Just wondering if maybe that's the pattern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ripstik Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Same thing with me. You have the SPT boost gauge, by chance? Just wondering if maybe that's the pattern. I do have the SPT boost gauge. but it has never had any issues and works even when the nav is out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cww516 Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Mine did as well (until it didn't...). The reason I bring it up is that the harness plugs in inline with the main head unit harness to pick up power, so it's possible to have a crappy connection there and still have power to the gauge. I'll have to start prodding at my harness once I figure out where it's packed, if only because I'm curious if that was actually my problem, or if I'm still listening to the radio on borrowed time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradykp Posted April 13, 2016 Author Share Posted April 13, 2016 no boost gauge here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cww516 Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Well, there goes that idea, maybe I just got lucky... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandborn Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Mine flickers every once in a while too! Now, sound is not affected - meaning if a song is going on, there is no interruption. Just the light on the unit flashes (resets). I thought I was seeing things when I first noticed it - I have yet to catch it full on, but out of my peripheral is the only way I have picked up on it. And yes, no connection with speed or what not. I do not have the SPT boost gauge - mine (Defi) was installed later on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Maybe the issue is with the illumation circuit...or the BIU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradykp Posted April 14, 2016 Author Share Posted April 14, 2016 mine is a fully power cycle. nav screen goes black, anything playing stops. i'm most commonly connected via bluetooth. it's been fine for a few days now, so i'm wondering. the other days it was rainy, would moisture matter? i'll start paying attention to what's going on next time it happens. seems random so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAILBOT Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Do you lose anything programmed like your preset stations? What lights on the dash? Lights not related to the nav? If so, could be a contact in your ignition switch going bad. Maybe happens when you hit bumps. Do you have a lot of keys on your key chain. If so, that's bad for your ignition switch and can cause premature failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ripstik Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Do you lose anything programmed like your preset stations? What lights on the dash? Lights not related to the nav? If so, could be a contact in your ignition switch going bad. Maybe happens when you hit bumps. Do you have a lot of keys on your key chain. If so, that's bad for your ignition switch and can cause premature failure. mine most of the time has lost the preset radio stations, and most of the time i retain things in my address book but a couple of times it has been wiped completely clean. the clock always reverts to non daylight savings and the destination search is always changed to DC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandborn Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Oh wow... I don't lose anything. Just the light flickers I guess for me. Losing all the preset stuff would piss me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ripstik Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Oh wow... I don't lose anything. Just the light flickers I guess for me. Losing all the preset stuff would piss me off. I was really pissed the first time it happened because i had been mapping out all of my favorite swimming holes and fishing spots that my friend who worked for the state parks service showed me. there are so many of those places i will never find again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAILBOT Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 mine most of the time has lost the preset radio stations, and most of the time i retain things in my address book but a couple of times it has been wiped completely clean. the clock always reverts to non daylight savings and the destination search is always changed to DC. If you have had yours replaced and still have the same problem, then it's in your wiring. If you are losing presets, then it is on either the constant batt+ side which serves as memory retention or on the ground side, which I doubt since even with a bad ground wire it will usually get ground through mounting screws. I would be looking at the fuse for the memory on the radio to make sure the pinch points inside are not spread apart too far and losing contact. Also look at where they tapped in for power for your aftermarket accessories. That is usually where your problem will be found. Often it is the result of an aftermarket install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ripstik Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 yea the wiring has been checked checked and rechecked. i tried looking myself but I'm not an electrical wiz by any means, other than that its be subaru tech's which i honestly have no faith in anymore they have chased different things but the car is a bit of a electrical lemon... i've been through 3 ambient light sensors as well and had a massive short in my door sill illumination kit that actually caused a bunch of rust that SOA had to pay to fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAILBOT Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 What!?!? A short that caused rust? I don't understand how that's even possible unless they shot a ground screw in an exposed body panel. If the positive shorted, a fuse would've blown immediately and would've caused no damage. If you are having multiple other electrical failures, then I would be looking at power connections that are source points for multiple components. Like main grounding to the chassis and main batt+ to the fuse box's. Sounds like you need to take it to a different shop and explain in detail what has already happened. Unfortunately these kind of problems take someone that really knows how to troubleshoot electrical and that can be hard come by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ripstik Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 What!?!? A short that caused rust? I don't understand how that's even possible unless they shot a ground screw in an exposed body panel. If the positive shorted, a fuse would've blown immediately and would've caused no damage. If you are having multiple other electrical failures, then I would be looking at power connections that are source points for multiple components. Like main grounding to the chassis and main batt+ to the fuse box's. Sounds like you need to take it to a different shop and explain in detail what has already happened. Unfortunately these kind of problems take someone that really knows how to troubleshoot electrical and that can be hard come by. I've had it looked at plenty of times noone seems to have the answer. the sorht was in the illumination kit itself. it rusted from the inside out really quickly since the reaction was being driven by electricty than all the rust dust coming off of that cause my sill to start rusting, it was bad (YET) but i certainly wasn't going to let it fly on a car with 20k on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAILBOT Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I wrote a paragraph explaining some stuff and accidentally wiped it out lol. So here is a short version. If you are still having electrical demons and nobody can find them, take it upon yourself to do a few things. Take off and clean both your battery terminals and make sure they are tight. Take off and clean your alternator terminals and make sure they are tight. Look for all the big ground connections. You know, the bigger ring terminals that are under the hood and in the car. Usually in the drivers kick area. Take them off, clean them and make sure they are tight. These steps can eliminate a lot of those types of issues. If you need any step by step advice on how to do or where to find stuff like that. Just PM me. I'll help anywhere I can. It may take a bit to reply since I get busy but, I like doing it and I used to work on automotive electrical for years. Edit: Also make sure you leave the battery disconnected while doing this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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