HELP: Completely DEAD after installing a new radio

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ArizonaHeat, Jul 27, 2023.

  1. ArizonaHeat

    ArizonaHeat New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2023
    4
    0
    0
    Location:
    85298
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Hello,
    This is really a great forum, I thank you all for your willingness to assist fellow travellers!
    My story is rather simple, but I am seriously out of ideas. What was supposed to be a simple 1-2 hour job turned to be a nightmare.
    I own a well maintained 2007 Prius with the JBL Amp. My kids wanted a new radio so I got a nice Alpine ilx-w650 unit and a matching harness from Amazon (...product/B09L7Q2BH7).
    I disconnected the old head unit, plugged in the harness to the 2 connectors and the other side to the new radio.
    I did that while the car's ACC was on (I know, I shouldn't have done it, it was a genuine mistake). Immediately after doing it I realized that it was on because the VSC light was lit. I switched the car off and disconnected the harness.
    Then... crickets! nothing works, no lights, no remote control, absolutely nothing.
    I opened the hood, tested all the fuses and the fuze link, they are OK. I looked under the steering wheel and found that fuse #20 (ACC) Audio system, touch screen, clock - was blown. OK, I replaced it with a new one. Then went over all the fuses again - all are fine... still nothing. I checked the battery (it is just a few months old and I use the car every day) - 12.8v. I tested it under load with a battery tester - it showed 12.0 - good. I checked the fuses at the back, I also checked the jumpstart connections - there is 12.8 there, I checked all the connections in the fuse bar - all are OK.
    Still nothing... what am I missing?
    Thanks!
     
    #1 ArizonaHeat, Jul 27, 2023
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2023
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    12,035
    2,127
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    So I'm guessing in your adapter harness there is not a fused wire built right to the adapter harness? Does the new radio the Alpine thing which I haven't dealt with since the 7618 head unit in the '80s or '90s. Does the new head unit have a fuse in the back of it I know some pioneers do just a thought I don't know how installed it is and how easy it is to look on the back maybe check your Alpine literature even plugging that in like that live if the wiring was correct it would have just turned on the radio or lit up the radio I'm not sure how to! Or whatever came up on the dash so it seems like maybe the wiring of the adapter harness may be incorrect which is highly possible in today's manufacturing.?
     
    #2 Tombukt2, Jul 28, 2023
  3. ArizonaHeat

    ArizonaHeat New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2023
    4
    0
    0
    Location:
    85298
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Thank you for your reply. My hunch was that maybe the harness's wiring is wrong and was shorting, that's why I immediately disconnected it. There is a fuse at the back of the unit, where the harness connects tot - 15Amps, and it is fine.
     
    #3 ArizonaHeat, Jul 28, 2023
  4. ArizonaHeat

    ArizonaHeat New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2023
    4
    0
    0
    Location:
    85298
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Solved! I attached the old unit back, went over everything again, this time checking if there is 12.8v in all the fuses and found that fuse #17 (Dome) is blown. I know for a fact that it was OK yesterday because I took each of them out and tested them one by one with an Ohm meter...
    So, I don't know if to attribute this to connecting the old unit back to its place, but everything is working now.
     
    #4 ArizonaHeat, Jul 28, 2023
  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    12,035
    2,127
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    So your new stereo is working.? Great
     
    #5 Tombukt2, Jul 28, 2023
  6. ArizonaHeat

    ArizonaHeat New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2023
    4
    0
    0
    Location:
    85298
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Yes! thanks
     
    #6 ArizonaHeat, Jul 30, 2023
  7. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2019
    2,220
    661
    0
    Location:
    Southern California
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    OP. Did you install the rear view camera that comes with that Alphine unit, or did your Prius already have the OEM one?
     
    #7 pasadena_commut, Jul 30, 2023
  8. ColoradoCrow

    ColoradoCrow Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2019
    1,093
    449
    1
    Location:
    Leawood, KS
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    I
    I installed a new HU in my wifes car and used this one.
    $39.00
    the picture is really really good. It wasn't hard to install just took a lot of time. well worth it.
    With a Pioneer head unit.
     
    #8 ColoradoCrow, Jul 30, 2023
  9. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2019
    2,220
    661
    0
    Location:
    Southern California
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Is the blank space in the preceding post an Amazon link? Those usually don't work when I insert them.
     
    #9 pasadena_commut, Jul 31, 2023
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)