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Very weird electrical gremlin...


John Burns

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I'm driving the Monte the other day and turn the radio on (aftermarket connected to the stock radio power wire).  The radio turns on, but there is no sound.  I try everything with the settings, CD, etc... no sound.  So I drive back home and pull into the garage.  Mess with everything again... no sound.  I leave the key on and open the door to prepare to crawl under the dash- boom!  Sound!  Scared the crap out of me cause I had the volume turned way up.  Close the door- no sound.  Open the door- sound.  Push the dome light switch in... I still have sound. ????  Close the door, no sound.  Open the door- sound.  The door does not have anything electrical going to it- no power windows, locks, or mirrors.  [censored]??  I do this a couple more times and I'm sure I had a stupid look on my face.  I look at the dome light- it goes off when the door closes (no sound) AND when I push the button in (sound).  For no good reason, I pop the cover off, grab the bulb and give it a twist... and burn the crap out of my fingers.  Owww!  And boom!  Sound with the door closed!!!  [censored]??????  My car is haunted?

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Radio is somehow using the filament of the lamp to complete the circuit to ground? Just a guess. Is your final find so far that the lamp has to be lit to make the radio work? I wasn't sure with your last statement with giving the lamp a twist.

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I see Sam got his answer in before mine...but I agree that you are missing a ground for the radio whether it came loose or what.

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Radio is somehow using the filament of the lamp to complete the circuit to ground? Just a guess. Is your final find so far that the lamp has to be lit to make the radio work? I wasn't sure with your last statement with giving the lamp a twist.

 

Twisting the bulb fixed it somehow, but radio worked with either the button pushed in (bulb off) and the door open, or the button not pushed (bulb on) and door open.  It just wouldn't work with the door closed (bulb off).  Some strange connection between the door, chassis and bulb?  I guess I'll take a closer look at the dome light connections- maybe something is grounding out there.  I'll replace the door switch as a matter of course too.  And check the radio ground!

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