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Old Jan 21, 2005 | 05:06 PM
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From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
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Well, I think I did something pretty stupid. Went to take the Vette for a ride today, since we're going to get snow and it will be a while before it comes out of the garage again.

Well, the battery was just weak enough not to fire the engine. So, I pull out my super heavy duty mega amp battery charger/car starter. The Radio was on when I did this.

Well, connected the charger, waited about two minutes, fired the car up.

The volume on the stereo was a little loud so I went to turn it down, nothing. Couldn't control the volume at all. Turned off the power, that was it. Nothing.

Can't turn the radio back on.

WHAT DID I DO?! Think it's the head, the amps.

I have one of those STUPID Bose systems with a CD player.


HELP!!
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Old Jan 21, 2005 | 06:33 PM
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have you checked your fuses??? other than that i'm not sure. sounds like you got too much juice somewhere.

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Old Jan 21, 2005 | 06:50 PM
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To charge a battery with high current requires high voltage. Above 16 volts and you start doing damage to your electronics! It is possible to have a battery charger supply cranking current without supplying high voltage across the battery too.
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Old Jan 21, 2005 | 07:31 PM
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It's a 6/12 volt charger.

How many fuses for the radio. I found one, checked it, but it was OK. Is there another fuse, perhaps for the amps that is separate? Is there a fuse on the constant power side?

I've jump started many cars on this charger and had absolutley no problem. At all.

I had the negitive side of the charger clamped to the alternator bracket, and the positive side on the battery terminal.

Is there something unique about Corvetts/
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Old Jan 21, 2005 | 07:36 PM
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you should look up snoopdan or bogus. there probably over in the audio section. they might be able to help you out more

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Old Jan 21, 2005 | 08:15 PM
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bogus should chime in soon
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Old Jan 21, 2005 | 08:23 PM
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we be talkin'!

The basic problem here is something I have observed when jump starting a Vette... I never hook to a ground point, cause ground is so queer in these things! I always jump posts to posts.

Never leave anything on when jumping, and leave the key OFF when connecting jumper cables.

As for the head unit, something is fried, sad to say.
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 12:08 PM
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Originally Posted by bogus
we be talkin'!

The basic problem here is something I have observed when jump starting a Vette... I never hook to a ground point, cause ground is so queer in these things! I always jump posts to posts.

Never leave anything on when jumping, and leave the key OFF when connecting jumper cables.

As for the head unit, something is fried, sad to say.
Yep, post to post. It sounds like a fuse, there could be an inline fuse.
Most after markets units have an inline fuse or a fuse on the back of the unit.

Does the radio light up at all? No light no power.
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 12:31 PM
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You'll need to buy a new alternator soon too. Jumping a vet is bad news, instead of jumping you should use that 12v charger (it's actually more like 15-16 volts, it it were really 12v there wouldn't be enough difference to induce current to flow) to charge the battery back to 100%, the alternator will not be happy running your AC/stereo/car and charging the batter.
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 12:52 PM
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The radio does light up and seem to function, mostly. I was in a rush because I was just moving the car about 7 miles from my garage to my winter storage garage.

My dad called and said a tennet had moved and that we can go up there NOW. So I had to jump in the car and go. The battery wasn't all that dead. It was trying, just was a little short.

The only accessory running from my house to the garage was the heater fan. That's it. No A/C as it was 13 degrees out.

The radio is acting as if the logic chip is fried.

When I got the car in "storage" for the next 90 days or so I disconnected the battery. If it is the logic is what is screwed up, perhaps disconnecting the battery will solve the problem.

We're getting 2-2.5 feet of snow, depending on which forcaster you believe. So it will be a week or so before I can get u p there.
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 01:16 PM
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Originally Posted by JCD
You'll need to buy a new alternator soon too. Jumping a vet is bad news, instead of jumping you should use that 12v charger (it's actually more like 15-16 volts, it it were really 12v there wouldn't be enough difference to induce current to flow) to charge the battery back to 100%, the alternator will not be happy running your AC/stereo/car and charging the batter.
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 03:04 PM
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jsup,

Are you ready for all this snow!!! We're definitely paying for the nice days we had in December. I'm in Denville by the way. Good luck on the radio situation.
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 03:43 PM
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I dont see how the radio could be damaged without blowing the fuse.

Maybe it's not getting good voltage... EVR?
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 04:06 PM
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Originally Posted by 84whitevette
jsup,

Are you ready for all this snow!!! We're definitely paying for the nice days we had in December. I'm in Denville by the way. Good luck on the radio situation.

Yep, fired up the old snowblower this morning. They're calling for 16-30 inches depending on who you believe.

The first one of the season is a big one. The good news in that in 60 days, we're in the clear. So hopefully since it's late, we very well may be done soon.
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 04:38 PM
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Originally Posted by JCD
You'll need to buy a new alternator soon too. Jumping a vet is bad news, instead of jumping you should use that 12v charger (it's actually more like 15-16 volts, it it were really 12v there wouldn't be enough difference to induce current to flow) to charge the battery back to 100%, the alternator will not be happy running your AC/stereo/car and charging the batter.
You think so, the battery was just barely dead. Also, I only drove less than 10 miles, running no accessories other than the heater fan.

Next season I'll pick up a new battery, just so I know.

Higer voltage doesn't charge a battery, higher current does. So the charger can be 12voilts with higher current. The battery will just "take what it needs". If it's 10 amps short, it will take ten amps.

Am I missing something here?
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 06:05 PM
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Originally Posted by CentralCoaster
I dont see how the radio could be damaged without blowing the fuse.

Maybe it's not getting good voltage... EVR?
I can... if it's a voltage surge, it could cascade through without taking out a fuse.

Add in the fact that the head is now 15 years old, a device that has taken 2 or 3 volt surges many times may now just say "**** it" and blow.
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