Sorry, I read your description wrong. Why does the radio need constant 12v? And are you sure there wasn't one in the harness?

Umm.. What is the main power hookup to your deck wired to? If it'* wired to the battery like it sounds, you're deck is pulling power 24/7. If it'* on, your amp should be powered, pulling all juice away.

Yeah, we tested with a multi-meter and there wasn't one. It needs a constant 12v to 1)Power it and 2)Keep the memory. There was a switched 12v (the ignition lead), but that'* not for powering the whole head unit, just for telling it to turn on. I had no battery lead (the 12v constant).

The amp is connected to the battery, and the head unit is powered through the amp. The amp is only on when a cd is played or the radio is on. So it goes Battery -> Amp -> Head Unit.

Then how does the stock amp keep its memory and get power? Does you rnew head unit have an internal amp?

That'* a good question, and I really have no idea. We tested every wire, and none of them had any power. The only one that had power was the ignition lead, and only while the car was on (as it should).

Hey.

I helped out with the installation, so maybe I can explain the situation a little bit better. When we disconnected the factory harness from the stock (non-premium) headunit we couldn't find a constant (+) power lead. We tested each of the leads, but none of them were hot when the ignition was off. As a temporary stopgap we used the ignition lead for both the head unit'* turn-on and power. In retrospect, this was probably a bad idea. It was a good thing the ignition was fused.

Anyway, since the head unit couldn't retain memory without a constant (+) source we didn't want to leave things this way. We were hooking up a new amp anyway and had to run an 8 ga. wire from the battery for that, so we figured we'd just splice into it to give the head unit its juice.

So, basically, the head unit is able to get power at all times even if the amp is switched off. The power doesn't go "through" the amp at all, it'* just that both the amp and the head unit use the same constant (+) lead.

(bad ascii diagram ahoy)

We've confirmed that the lead is giving at least +12v and is hot with the car off. We also know that the amp doesn't power on until the head unit is playing either the radio or a CD.

Hope this helps a bit, this problem has us stumped.

edit- oh, and yes, the new head unit does have an internal amp. We'd still rather use the external amplifier, though, and just giving up and going back to the head unit'* amp seems kind of like admitting defeat for no reason.

here'* the deal....your 12v ignition switched wire deal is only good for a little power. it'* not okay to power anything with that, since it'* more or a digital "hey I'm on" indicator than it is a power source.

Check ALL of your cars fuses on the inside. Then, check your car'* harness. It should have a yellow and red wire. the red is your ignition/accesory on wire. the yellow will be your 12v constant. I presume we're talking about a bonnie, if not, this could be all wrong.

Check to make sure that your radio'* volume isn't all the way up, and that your amp'* gain isn't all the way up. Check for a really good sounding, no crackle, no distortion volume, like you'd listen to while you're talking to someone in your car. Let me know if that sounds good, and if not, the new symptoms.

-Grant

I left to go visit a friend of mine in Philladelphia this weekend, so I hadn't seen your post until a minute ago. While sitting in the parking lot of where I work (a library) waiting for it to open, I decided to take another look at the wiring diagram in my repair manual. I noticed something that I hadn't before : the +12v constant in the radio harness is fused. I know, to most people this would be obvious (or perhaps not), but it definitely wasn't to me. The next day, I replaced the fuse I discovered to be indeed blown, and had my friend (Paradoxish) come over to help me with removing the trim piece on the dash and changing the power wire away from the way we had it hooked up previously.

We got everything switched around, and voila, it worked. Memory was retained, it started up with the car, and the amp turned on and off when it was supposed to. He switched the little card that is underneath the amp to the highpass filter position, and we tested out the speakers. The right speaker is still distorting, and we still have no idea why. After I got back home on Sunday, I went out to the car to see if it would start. It did, with no problems. So I guess the way we had everything hooked up before was causing some sort of short. How it could do that, I have no idea. As for Gain and such settings on the amp itself, I don't believe there is anything of the sort.

Fuses were my next guess as the harness MUST have 12v constant somewhere.

Good find

Glad to hear you figured that power problem out! There'* nothing more frustrating, because you can't really get professional help (best buy, etc.) without paying, usually, and it'* a pain in the *** if you don't live nearby.

As far as your right speaker goes....it'* sorta funny that it'* still distorting. I know this is pretty obvious, but check your R - L balance to make sure it'* set correctly (50-50). When power is all messed up to your receiver, sometimes you get wierd settings stored into your memory.

I noticed you have a sony, too, and I don't know the exact specs on that model, but if it has MBP (my best position crap) check to make sure that it'* off. it has 3 settings in which it makes the sound "supposedly" sound better for the driver or passenger, by changing speaker volumes (balance).

If all that looks good, check to see exactly what type of distortion you're getting. Is it from rattle within the door, or loosely mounted speaker? Is it the speaker itself, or does it sorta sound like it'* a wiring/receiver power issue?

If you keep having that problem, let me know.