I have a 2003 Grand Caravan, and recently the radio/cd (stock) stopped working. I noticed that it still has power, but acts like its not getting enough. You can push the clock button and the clock will show for a few seconds and then go out. however the radio will not come on, and you can put a cd in it and it will load and eject, but nothing will play. No other lights light up on the radio.

I thought maybe the radio was bad, so I installed an aftermarket radio. Same thing. It gets some power, but not enough to run the radio. I have checked fuses and they all appear to be in working order. Any ideas?

 

Ground wire? Unwanted resistance in the connectors or wire? What you should do is have Best Buy install your system. Someone that installed stereos everyday might have a bit more hands on knowledge.

 

Welcome to DF
Did you check the power wire with either a 12 volt test lite or a DVOM? Also check your ground wires too.

 

I've read about unwanted resistance where the open circuit has full voltage but when you put a load on, voltage drops to the point the component doesn't operate.

 

Then the member needs to build a load tester, which is simple. But the member never said if the radio had an amp going to it.

 

But the member said the stock OEM radio did the same thing as the new aftermarket radio. Does the OEM radio have an amp? Isn't an amp after the radio (output). I don't know that you'd have an amp into the radio. Seems like there is a voltage reduction at the radio for either application.

 

the stock radio does not have an amp, nor does the after market one. And the after market was installed using a wire harness adapter that was fitted to the market one. Like I said, there is power going to both units, but not enough to run them obviously. I have checked the wires as far as I can and there is no problem with wiring that I can find. Can it be an issue dealing with the car battery? Should I disconnect the car battery completely and reconnect and see if the issue still is there?

This isn't something that has happened over time, it just started all of a sudden.

 

An unwanted high resistance (corrosion) would be a great example of how this can occur. If it was me I'd be using a DVOM to measure voltage on the key on power wire and always hot power wire to see if voltage is battery voltage (12.6v approx) with the radio on. I would also use the DVOM in volts DC and measure voltage drop between the radio housing and the negative post of the battery. Any voltage over .2 would show the ground side is the problem. I'm just totally guessing, I have not much electrical skills.