# Car electronics randomly restarts?



## Lreyes66 (Jan 27, 2015)

Ok so since this past weekend, my car electronics like my pioneer headunit would restart randomly. The head-unit would restart, some lights on the dash would blink, and if headlights are on, they would also flicker/restart with the car. Sometimes the electronics would restart once randomly and be fine. Other times it would restart constantly a few times before being ok for a while.

I installed the pioneer 3600bh touch screen headunit at the end of January using crimp caps, so I thought it might have been a loose connection. So yesterday after work, I decided to recrimp the caps to make them tighter and/or replace any loose caps with new ones. I thought that may have fixed the problem because it didn't happen once on my way to work today, but when I had lunch with my g/f it happened. It happened once before we ate and another time after I dropped her off.

Im kinda stumped on whats causing it. The engine itself doesn't stop but the electronics act like the car is starting from "on using the battery" to actually "on with the engine" because the lights blink and the headlights flicker/restart.


Heres a background of my car that may help:

At the end of January after I installed my headunit, I took my car to a bestbuy so I could have their autotech install a 4 channel JL audio amp to power my after market speakers (kicker and pioneer) since I don't have a garage and didn't feel like running the wires. I already had a kicker mono amp powering a 12" kicker sub and had used 4gauge power wire so I had the guy hook up the 4 channel amp via distribution block. I had 0 problems with my electronics when I picked the car up.

I just ordered new HID 6000k bulbs to replace the ones I have cause the left side light really dim compared to the other. They are powered by plug n play DDM HID ballast... thought id mention it cause they could cause a short somewhere? idk.


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

that sounds like car electrical problem.


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## Lreyes66 (Jan 27, 2015)

Victor_inox said:


> that sounds like car electrical problem.


Facepalm. 


Idk why I didn't consider checking the battery terminals but I went to my car (at work) and checked the battery terminals n the negative cable was real loose! 


Another facepalm. 


I'll retighten that n post up if it ever happens again.


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

no miracles in electricity always bad contact.


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## skippytech (Dec 26, 2014)

In my line of work, automotive techician, most electric, electronic issues can be contributed to starting as a loose connection, corrosion, or poor contact in a terminal at a connector. These types of high resistance issues can cause high amp draws, which lead to damaging other things like sensitive on board electronics. Poor grounds can be a real pita and do some crazy things that would not be expected. Lreyes66 glad your issue was simply a loose battery cable.


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

My new Pioneer 1700s touchscreen would take forever to come on when first powered up after install, and it shut off and came back on for no good reason twice. After replacing my oem lead acid battery with a nice agm battery the guy at Advance wanted to hear my system. Got in and the headunit wouldn't come on at all. I got home and checked the 30a fuse under the hood and it was still good. Shoved it back in and the headunit came right one like it was supposed to. I guess the contacts for the fuse got corroded over the past 4 years and the fancy dd Pioneer is just more sensitive to voltage? Never had that happen with the factory unit or the JVC single din that was in there. I have the headunit grounded at the d block with everything else.


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## skippytech (Dec 26, 2014)

Yes sir that is a good example of how high resistance caused by corrosion prevents the flow of electrons (amperage) and/or a drop in voltage and causes systems that require high amounts of current( aftermarket stereo equipment ) to shut down.


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## skippytech (Dec 26, 2014)

I want to mention one more thing to the o.p. I would suggest that when ever possible to solder all wiring splices and use heat shrink. From my personal experience the use of splice caps is a less than ideal splice that may cause issues. The caps only hold the wires in place. So the connection is only as good as how tightly the wires are twisted together. The other issue with caps is that they can fall off and cause a short that might damage the radio or something else. Soldering creates the best possible connection with minimal resistance and less likely to corrode, when done properly.


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