# Car Audio, Clock, Key Remote Control stopped working!



## Psyberia (Jan 5, 2005)

OK, I could really use some technical help here. My friend was driving me home tonight in my 96 Maxima SE and playing around with the new car audio unit that I had professionally installed two weeks ago. Someone I know also upgraded all 4 speakers for me two weeks ago as well. Everything was working just fine for those two weeks, when all of a sudden my friend turned the volume nob too high and blasted our ears. As he immediately turned down the volume, the entire audio unit stopped working -- my new Alpine audio head unit, and my old Sony CD-changer in the trunk (which has been there for six years), and I also noticed that my LED clock on the instrument panel no longer displayed.

At first I thought it was the just audio, but then I noticed that the factory clock no longer displayed as I mentioned earlier. Further investigation showed me that, for some reason, my keychain remote control to lock/unlock doors stopped working too (it worked just hours earlier!). I checked all the fuses and fuselinks, and everything appears to be just fine. I've read the Haynes Repair Manual and there's nothing in their that talks about key remote controls, or the LED clock on the instrument panel. The only thing I've been able to find is a schematic of the audio controller and how to remove the instrument panel to remove/install a new radio or CD player. Could I have blown the car audio controller chip or something? But then that wouldn't explain why the clock LED no longer works, or why my keychain remote to lock/unlock doors stopped working.

So here's what I know: Things that work on the instrument panel are the hazard button, the rear defog button, all the A/C controls, and the LEDs that illuminate all these sections. Things that DON'T work on the instrument panel are the LED clock, my new audio head unit, and my old CD-changer head unit. 

I'm at a loss as to what happened or what to do next. Please help!

Thanks,
Psy


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## Jeff (Oct 17, 2002)

I might be wrong but check the fuses under the hood as well. I would personally go over every single fuse even if it isn't listed as related and make sure it isn't blown. You never know.

I am pretty positive that it's a fuse.


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## Psyberia (Jan 5, 2005)

You were correct! Turns out I checked all the fuses except for ONE that was hiding in the top-right-hand side labelled "ELEC PARTS". The reason why I didn't see this one was because it was in black text with white background, whereas all the other fuses were white text on black background (why'd they do that?). The 7.5A fuse was blown. The reason was probably because I had recently replaced the factory audio unit with a newer, higher-powered Alpine head unit, and when I went to turn the volume up high, it blew.

After I replaced that particular fuse, everything started working again :thumbup: -- My audio unit, my clock, my cd player, and my keychain remote to lock/unlock the doors!

Good word of advice for future reference -- ALWAYS check EVERY fuse!

Thanks,
Psy


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## Jeff (Oct 17, 2002)

Great to hear...enjoy the tunes!

(just curious...what speakers did you get? Coax's right?)


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## Psyberia (Jan 5, 2005)

My friends surprised me this year by getting me 2 Kenwood front speakers and 2 Sony speakers for the rear (I am not an audiophile, nor will I ever claim to be, I just like to listen to music). I'm guessing they spent somewhere around $100 for all 4 speakers, so they ain't your car-show speakers by any means. Turns out however, we had to return the Sonys because my rear speakers are actually the same size slots as my front speakers, but the Sony were of a different size. So we exchanged the Sonys for another pair of identical Kenwoods. There's no bass to these things at all, but I'm happy that I can still listen to music in my car


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