# Audio Fuse Blowing!



## xxVERITASxx (Sep 13, 2009)

Hey guys, I picked up a new Alpine head unit and am trying to install it. I don't need a wiring harness as it hooks up to the one that is already there. However, whenever I turn on the power to the car, the audio fuse blows. I haven't changed a thing from the original radio's wiring. Any help please.


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## Faja (Aug 31, 2009)

xxVERITASxx said:


> Hey guys, I picked up a new Alpine head unit and am trying to install it. I don't need a wiring harness as it hooks up to the one that is already there. However, whenever I turn on the power to the car, the audio fuse blows. I haven't changed a thing from the original radio's wiring. Any help please.


Disconnect the wiring harness to the new unit, put a new fuse in and start the car. If the fuse is still good then the wiring scheme on the Alpine is different from your original headunit and causing a short which is blowing the fuse. Even though the harness fits, the actual wiring schematic might be different so you might have to move around some of the plugs to match the stock harness


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## xxVERITASxx (Sep 13, 2009)

That was it Faja... however, now that I rewired it to the proper schematic, the new head unit will not turn on. The fuse does not blow anymore which is good. I connected the red & yellow wires to the positive battery terminal and the black wire to the negative terminal the the head unit turned on. But it won't work after wiring the harness. 

I figure if the old unit worked then the previous installer must have been correct when connecting red to red (which is actually yellow on the factory wire) and yellow to yellow and grounding the black. Why will it not work when I do it?


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## Faja (Aug 31, 2009)

xxVERITASxx said:


> That was it Faja... however, now that I rewired it to the proper schematic, the new head unit will not turn on. The fuse does not blow anymore which is good. I connected the red & yellow wires to the positive battery terminal and the black wire to the negative terminal the the head unit turned on. But it won't work after wiring the harness.
> 
> I figure if the old unit worked then the previous installer must have been correct when connecting red to red (which is actually yellow on the factory wire) and yellow to yellow and grounding the black. Why will it not work when I do it?


Try this. Disconnect the wiring harness altogether. Get 2 small strips of wire about 2-3' long each, plug one in the ground (black) of the radio and ground it somewhere on the chassis. Take the other wire, attach it to the red on the radio (power), turn your key to the "ON" position and touch each wire on the stock harness until the radio or at least the light comes on - then you'll be sure which one is power on the factory side. Is the yellow for switched power or lights on radio?


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

xxVERITASxx said:


> That was it Faja... however, now that I rewired it to the proper schematic, the new head unit will not turn on. The fuse does not blow anymore which is good. I connected the red & yellow wires to the positive battery terminal and the black wire to the negative terminal the the head unit turned on. But it won't work after wiring the harness.
> 
> I figure if the old unit worked then the previous installer must have been correct when connecting red to red (which is actually yellow on the factory wire) and yellow to yellow and grounding the black. Why will it not work when I do it?


You have it hooked up wrong if it won't turn on then.

Learn to read. Open Haynes manual or get out a volt meter. Do NOT connect red to red or yellow to yellow. I don't know what colors Alpine uses for their power, ground, and ignition. So you're going to have to figure out where they go.

ZBUM's Nissan Z31 300ZX Aftermarket Stereo Installation Guide


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