Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

[chrisg]

I had installed a new Pyle radio into my pontoon, using the existing wiring. The radio and CD worked fine when I installed it. But now that it is in the water, I noticed whenever I start the motor; the sound keeps cutting in and out. I even ran the positive directly to the battery, I noticed that when the motor is on, the voltage goes up to 14 V from 12.

I don?t know if it?s a vibration thing, or what. As I said, it works fine when the motor is not running I checked and ensures all the connections are good and there are no shorts. The issue is I bought it last year, and installed it over the winter. It worked, so I figured it was OK. Its now out of warranty. I won?t by their stuff again!

Anyone have ideas what to check?

 

[lowkee]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

I would do the 'wiggle all the wires' approach on that one. With the engine off, wiggle the entire wire cluster. If all is fine, then wiggle the stereo (or tap on it). If still fine then I would be out of ideas without popping the top of the radio.

Is it cutting out in certain speakers or all of them? Maybe speaker connections at the speaker itself?

I bought a Pyle for my boat as well, since the prices can't be beat for the killer features they have.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

Use an accurate voltmeter to measure charging voltage with the engine running. It appears the over voltage feature of the radio is shutting itself down. What motor are we talking about (age and HP).

 

[chrisg]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

the motor I have is a 97 60hp Merc BF (2-cycle) with two deep cycle marine batteries. and I had wiggled all the wires. It did seem to cut out less when I wiggled the ground wire. Its a rats nest in there!

 

[flargin]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

You are finding your problem. if it is a rats mess, then that is likely the problem.

somewhere in there you have a loose connection, you will have to find it, it may mean you have to remove all of the spaghetti, and make it organized.

14V is fine for charging (13.5 - 14.5 is std charging voltage)

I would start by re-tracing your stereo and amp, if you have one, all the way back to the battery, both plus and minus. take every connection you find and wiggle it; if it wiggles, remove it sand it and replace it;

I dont think the radio is just dying, unless you have been soaking it in water, it sounds like something is loose.

 

[lowkee]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

You can also simply run a different ground wire directly back to the battery and try it again. If that solves the issue, clean the connector, test, if fails again, replace the ground wire.

 

[smarston]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

First question would be do the lights go off on the deck when the sound cuts out. Everyone above has addressed the possible power issues. If the lights go off on the deck then that is what you would look at. If the lights stay on on the deck, and just the sound cuts out here are a few things to check. This would be a problem with the speakers or wiring more than likely, or a short to the amplifier from another source.

How old is the boat? On some older boats you may have a common ground wiring issue with the speakers. If you do and you just attached to the standard 2 wires for each speaker, the engine running would cause serious issues for the amplifier and it would cut out regularly.

What you are describing tends to happen when the amplifier in the deck overheats from a short. After you have run the boat for a while pull the deck if you cannot reach it and put your hand on the heatsink. If the heatsink is extremely hot, you have a short in your speaker wiring somewhere which would definately cause this issue.

The other issue can be speakers themselves. Based on everything you have already said this is unlikely. I would still put a meter on the speakers and make sure you are close to 4 ohms. A shorted speaker(blown) will put the deck into protection. Inspecting the wires on the speakers themselves(tinsel leads) also makes sense, sometimes these shift with handling, and then bumps out on the water may make them make contact with each other, again putting the amp into protection and shutting it off.

It may also have to do with the ignition wire(red) for the deck, a lot of newer decks have amplifiers with greater than 200 watts to them, these decks don't like a weak power supply. If you are only using one wire for both your constant and your ignition, make sure it is beefy enough, the standard 18 or 16 gauge primary type wire isn't and can cause the deck to run hotter as well.

These are a few things to check, I have been doing car audio/marine audio installations for 18 years, if you have any further questions PM me.

 

[Ridemywideglide]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

You have a grounding issue with the head unit. There is no "common ground" when you run 2 wires to each speaker. Regardless of how the boat may be wired, the speakers ground each channel through the stereo.
Blown speakers will also not cause this. They will however cause distortion and "splattering" sounds. None if which you say apply here.

Simply crimp a new ground wire and run it direct to the battery.

 

[smarston]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

I should have been more clear. I have had similar issues in a lot of older boats that have had a common ground deck in them, and then the owners have replaced the deck with a non common ground deck. The wires for a common ground deck wire all of the negatives from the speakers together to one common ground point, if the grounds were not seperated and were wired like this it would cause the amplifier to shut off. If they were wired properly to the + and - of the speakers and kept seperate this is not an issue. The added current of the engine running will cause a deck wired incorrectly like this to heat up, go into protection, and eventually blow its main power diode.

I do believe that it sounds like the ground wire is the issue as well. All of the suggestions I had listed were if the stereo stayed on and the sound died out. This tends to have issues with the speakers or the way the speakers are wired. If the deck shuts off completely, display and all, none of these are ideas to check. The poster had requested things to check, this was a list and nothing more. I gave a list based on a different set of circumstances than the deck shutting down completely.

For the record a severly blown speaker will melt the coil on the speaker and in turn put a dead short back to the amplifier. It doesn't happen all the time, and I don't see it in this case as it is fine when the boat is not running, but it can put the deck's amplifier section into protection, and it can cut out from this. I have seen this probably more than 1000 times, mostly with young kids that have melted speakers in their cars completely from trying very hard to be deaf by the time they are 25.

Again this is a list only if the deck power does NOT shut off when the sound cuts out. If the deck cuts out and shuts off it is definately a grounding, or voltage issue, and none of the above apply.

 

[chrisg]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

Thanks all, I ran a new larger ground wire from the radio straight to the battery. I also found the power plug was not fully engaged into the back of the radio. After that, it seemed to work. This toon needs a serious re-wire! I have not taken it out, only ran the motor to ensure it did not cut out while the motor is running.

Now I noticed that I get popping sounds from the radio when the motor is running. I think that's the motor's issue, not the radio. If it stops raining here, I will try to take it out and see how it works.

I knew I would get good advice here!

 

[chrisg]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

update:

Apparently the improved wiring did not help. I realized that it was not an issue with the motor running, it's that the radio cuts out when the volume is set about 60-70%. It does work if I keep the volume below 60% ( although you can't really hear it with the motor going without putting your ear to the speaker!) The louder I set the volume, the more often it cuts in and out.

The radios display stays on with the 'bars' showing its on. The unit is not getting hot, and I verified the speakers have no shorts and each wire pair goes to its own speaker, with no shorts to ground ( or the boat). Each whire pair measured 3.8 to 4.1 ohms, all the wiring is soldered, and I wired the unit positive and ground directly to the battery. The speakers came with the unit and are only 5 1/2 " ,4 ohms. I though speakers are 8 ohms!

I called Overtons and they said that that model is no longer being made and all they will do is re-fund the price, but I will be out the shipping, which when you add the cost to send back, that adds up to almost half of the radio in the first place. This is the issue with buying something on line! Even if it turns out to be defective! at least at a local store, you can return it.

Now I have holes in my helm and new seats, but no radio! Looks like Pyle's are a pile of .............


I will try buying a regular car radio and just get a splash cover for it.

 

[Ridemywideglide]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

update:

Apparently the improved wiring did not help. I realized that it was not an issue with the motor running, it's that the radio cuts out when the volume is set about 60-70%. It does work if I keep the volume below 60% ( although you can't really hear it with the motor going without putting your ear to the speaker!) The louder I set the volume, the more often it cuts in and out.

The radios display stays on with the 'bars' showing its on. The unit is not getting hot, and I verified the speakers have no shorts and each wire pair goes to its own speaker, with no shorts to ground ( or the boat). Each whire pair measured 3.8 to 4.1 ohms, all the wiring is soldered, and I wired the unit positive and ground directly to the battery. The speakers came with the unit and are only 5 1/2 " ,4 ohms. I though speakers are 8 ohms!

Your radio is taking a crap on you, it's overdriving internally somehow, thus the cutout.

Home speakers are 8ohm, mobile audio is 4ohm default.

I called Overtons and they said that that model is no longer being made and all they will do is re-fund the price, but I will be out the shipping, which when you add the cost to send back, that adds up to almost half of the radio in the first place. This is the issue with buying something on line! Even if it turns out to be defective! at least at a local store, you can return it.

Now I have holes in my helm and new seats, but no radio! Looks like Pyle's are a pile of .............


I will try buying a regular car radio and just get a splash cover for it.

If your shipping is going to be half the cost of the radio, then you got what you paid for.
There is a reason they call themselves Pyle.
Hit Crutchfield http://www.crutchfield.com/g_300/Car-Receivers.html?tp=5684
RIght at the top on this page there are JVC, Clarion, Sony and Kenwood receivers for around $80. I'd pick JVC myself as I have a JVC in my truck and been flawless.
Then hit ebay for your speakers. Buy polycarb ot polyprop cones, they are waterproof. I got 6 pair of profile ps6520's for $52 shipped. They sound great, and when someone sticks a ski or fishing pole through them, I won't freak out.

 

[chrisg]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

So, your saying you have to pay big bucks to get a working radio? Gee, I'll live with a portable radio then.

 

[Ridemywideglide]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

So, your saying you have to pay big bucks to get a working radio? Gee, I'll live with a portable radio then.

No, I'm saying when you pay $20 for some piece of crap, you really can't expect it to perform very well.
No matter what, you get what you pay for. If you think $80 for a stereo is big bucks, maybe you should find another hobby.

 

[crispins]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

No, I'm saying when you pay $20 for some piece of crap, you really can't expect it to perform very well.
No matter what, you get what you pay for. If you think $80 for a stereo is big bucks, maybe you should find another hobby.

come on bro --- seriously why would you put a POS "Plye of Sh*t" in your boat. There is nothing on the planet that I hAVE ever seen of lower quality than Plye. That is by far the worst, crappest, worthless POS unit in the world. Why??? I really dont understand how they sell any units at all. Everyone knows that Plye is the worst ever period... For like $40 more you could have had a name brand like Sony or kenwood. Throw that POS away im seriously... :

 

[chrisg]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

Yup! I agree NOW (you never know till you get a pile!) I called them, the guy who answered, I could not understands, and he said to send it to them with $15.00 and they will fix or give me another re-built, not new, one!

I will take the speakers and mounting bracket out, box it up and return it to Overtons. So, what is a OK radio? I see other radios dont have a 'splash cover' is it needed if its a marine radio? (Or can I get away with a car radio with a spash cover?

I'm only interested in around 100.00

 

[Ridemywideglide]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

Yup! I agree NOW (you never know till you get a pile!) I called them, the guy who answered, I could not understands, and he said to send it to them with $15.00 and they will fix or give me another re-built, not new, one!

I will take the speakers and mounting bracket out, box it up and return it to Overtons. So, what is a OK radio? I see other radios dont have a 'splash cover' is it needed if its a marine radio? (Or can I get away with a car radio with a spash cover?

I'm only interested in around 100.00

Ummm... Did you even look at the link I posted above? Or my post itself?

~$70 for a stereo, and ~$52 for 3 sets of speakers.... That's ~$120 total...!!!!

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

Sounds to me that you trying to get more out of the unit than it is capable of. For the price, you will more than likely only get about 10 - 20 watts of CLEAN audio output. Not much in an outdoor noisy environment. Even though you can crank the volume louder, it is noticeably distorted and the amplifier will cut out because it simply can't provide more output.

 

[chrisg]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

Sounds to me that you trying to get more out of the unit than it is capable of. For the price, you will more than likely only get about 10 - 20 watts of CLEAN audio output. Not much in an outdoor noisy environment. Even though you can crank the volume louder, it is noticeably distorted and the amplifier will cut out because it simply can't provide more output.

Actually, I only wanted it to not cut out. ( ya it would not be loud, and it would get distorted, but I would expect it to still work.)

and Ridemywideglide I did read your posting and checked out the site, they indicated most were sold out. (The marine units)

And yes, its starting to look like I have to increase my cost allocation. ( I wonder if a car radio with a spash gard would work. they are alot less money, and you can get more power for the price. and they are names I know about

Thanks all for your advice.

 

[Ridemywideglide]

Re: Audio keeps cutting in and out when motor is on

I didn't link to any marine units.. I did all the work for you and posted the link. Don't make it harder than it is.
Buy a car stereo and put a cover on it if you think you need it. So far mine has survived the rain just fine with no cover.