www.iFourWinns.com

Hey guys, took my boat out last Saturday on Lake Mead and my radio is screwed up. It comes on with the clock showing, but when you turn it on it plays for 3-5 seconds and turns off. No matter how many times you turn it back on or at any volume it turns back off in a few seconds. Does the same thing whether your on CD, AM, FM or XM. Clock stays on, so it is not shutting down completely. Also, just noticed my remote at the swim step still works, but the face is blank.

I've got brand new batteries and have checked all of the wires and connections and can find nothing wrong. I'm wondering if it's a bad radio, or maybe something is wrong with the Kicker 700.5 amp. Never had any problems in the past....until now.

Model is the Sony CDX H901UI.

Would almost like to hear it's a common problem and bad radio!

...Thanks

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2011 Four Winns H260 Frenzy $ea Note
VP 8.1GXi/DP EVC 420HP
2007 Silverado 1500 CrewCab 4x4
Previous:
2002 Four Winns H200
5.0GXI 270HP

Disconnect all your remotes. They have been known to go bad, more so the EOM ones. Let us know if that worked.

Could be a short in the speaker wires.

Paul, Capt, thanks for your advice. Will be able to unplug the remote tomorrow and will get back as soon as I find out if it does the trick. As for the speaker wires, that ran across my mind, too, however I just changed the speakers out to infinity's about a year ago and they have been fine until this last outing. When I reconnect things, I usually go above and beyond. I'll still give them a second look.

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2011 Four Winns H260 Frenzy $ea Note
VP 8.1GXi/DP EVC 420HP
2007 Silverado 1500 CrewCab 4x4
Previous:
2002 Four Winns H200
5.0GXI 270HP

Some models (Kenwood for example) will go into "protect mode", and will behave like you said yours is, if there is a short in any speaker wiring.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

Thanks Niagra. I'm going to go over my speaker wire connects again, but after hearing about the remotes affecting the radio, I'm really hoping it's the remote since the display suddenly went out. It will be an easy check since there are two wires connecting it and you get to my remote by raising the rear transom speaker lids which have storage beneath them.

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2011 Four Winns H260 Frenzy $ea Note
VP 8.1GXi/DP EVC 420HP
2007 Silverado 1500 CrewCab 4x4
Previous:
2002 Four Winns H200
5.0GXI 270HP

Hey everyone, just a quick update to let you know where I'm at. It's been kinda tough getting everything checked out as I'm in Huntington Beach and my boat is stored at my best friends house in Nevada. When I posted the problem a couple days ago I had just returned home. However, my buddy is probably more qualified than I am at trouble shooting and repairs!

Well, he unplugged the remote at the transom and no dice. Radio still shuts off after 5 secs. He checked all 6 speaker connections and they were all fine with no corrosion or crossing. After talking about it with him, the next thing he'll do is unplug all of the speakers and plug them in one by one to see if any will let the radio play normally. Also, we never checked the subwoofer. On the 260 it is under the seat between the engine and refreshment center. Water or moisture could have gotten to it as I store my life vests just behind it in the stern locker beneath the remote on the transom.

He may not get to it for a few days, but as soon as I find out the results I will post to let you know. It's frustrating to have a boat that is only a few years old and have problems with the radio. After hearing your suggestions I'm really thinking it is a short or bad connection somewhere and not a bad radio.

One last thing...... On my dual batteries, there are a smaller gauge red and black cable connected to the batteries that come out of a small black junction that changes to red and white wires. I've got no clue what they power. Any ideas?

****UPDATE 4 HOURS LATER....

Well, re-checked all speakers and plugged/unplugged individually and no dice. Beginning to think it's a bad radio. Going to make a call to a stereo shop that's about 10 miles away and see what they'll charge to diagnose and confirm my suspicions. Hate to buy a new radio when it's not the problem. However, if it is the radio, what does everyone suggest to replace it with that will fit where the Sony is without a lot of fabrication. Also, the display on my transom remote is still out and we've checked/unplugged wires and it still won't come back on. Sooooooo, if I change radios and transom remotes, do the wires back to the transom need changed out too, or are they universal. AND, I have XM Direct 2 that powers my sony and what am I looking at to keep that operating. If its the radio, am I better off just sticking with Sony so I can plug and play? As stated earlier, I have a Kicker amp, and 6 Infinity speakers along with the Sub that came with the boat.

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2011 Four Winns H260 Frenzy $ea Note
VP 8.1GXi/DP EVC 420HP
2007 Silverado 1500 CrewCab 4x4
Previous:
2002 Four Winns H200
5.0GXI 270HP

Well, after speaking with the owner of DC Sound in Henderson (next to Vegas) and telling him the symptoms and my troubleshooting, he's pretty convinced it's my Kicker amp. He's says after 3 years or so he see's problems with a lot of them. Either way, he can diagnose the exact trouble and was very reasonable for his labor rates and amp prices. If it is in fact the amp, I'm going to have it replaced with a Phoenix Gold SX 1200.5. It's a brand new model that was just shown at the 2014 CES in Las Vegas and got great reviews. It has ultra-efficient Class D Topology which operates at 80% efficiency which results in less heat generated, much less current, and less stress on the electrical system. It also has a new type of circuitry which adjusts the amplifier’s output in extreme temperatures so music will continue to play without the possibility of thermal shutdown or amplifier damage, which is exactly what I need for the hot summers at Lake Mead when temps reach the high 100's.

So.....my appointment is for next Weds when I'll be back out there for two weeks. Kinda surprisingly, he didn't have any bad things to say about the Sony HU I have, only that his first choice is always Kenwood.....

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2011 Four Winns H260 Frenzy $ea Note
VP 8.1GXi/DP EVC 420HP
2007 Silverado 1500 CrewCab 4x4
Previous:
2002 Four Winns H200
5.0GXI 270HP

Any way you can disconnect the amp and just run stereo direct to speakers to see if that is the prob?

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

I can, in fact he told me how to do it, but for the little he is charging for the prognosis I'm just going to take it there and get 'r done. Chances are it's most likely the amp anyway and he's only about 15 minutes from my house. Now if I was "Ric", I'd be listening to music by now! But..... I readily know my weaknesses.

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2011 Four Winns H260 Frenzy $ea Note
VP 8.1GXi/DP EVC 420HP
2007 Silverado 1500 CrewCab 4x4
Previous:
2002 Four Winns H200
5.0GXI 270HP

Haa, yeah, sometimes its easier to let a pro do the work. Stereo's and "involved" electrical work are my weakness too...

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X