HELP NEEDED: Car CD Player cuts off and on

[ptreese83]

My old CD player in my car started malfunctioning a while back. It would come on for a while then cut off, and sometimes it wouldn't come on at all for weeks at a time, and then it would come on again play for a while ( a day or so) and then cut off and come on and so forth. I thought it was a bad cd player so i got a new one.
Ok, when I first hooked the new Cd player up it was good it played every time i turned it on for like two days, and then it went back to acting like the old one, it would cut off in the middle of playing and then it would come back on. Then it wouldn't come on for days at a time and then it would come back on randomly. I notice when my antenna brushes up against something that it affects if it comes on or not. And recently it hasn't came on in months, for no more than 10minutes without cutting back off. Could someone tell me what sounds like may be the problem. I would deeply appreciate.

[Jstas]

You have a bad ground.

The antenna lead can also short out the radio's chassis ground.

First, replace the wire that goes to the antenna. You may need to replace the antenna completely. Especially if the base mount is rusted. If the body panel around the base mount is rusted, your either have to fix the body panel, replace the body panel or find a new place to mount your antenna. If you are going to fix the body panel, you have to use metal. Bondo or body filler is not a proper fix nor is it conductive. It will make your ground problem worse.

Secondly, go through the wires in your dash for your radio. Check is any are pinched anywhere and replace pinched wires and ratty looking wires and secure them so they don't get damaged again. If your connections are loose, repair them. This includes replacing loose connectors.

Lastly, if you still have the problem after all of that, get a multimeter and start testing continuity of circuits.

There is no easy way to fix it. Sorry.

[ptreese83]

Thanks!

[exalted512]

It could be grounding through the antenna, so it might just be as simple as grounding the radio better.
-Cody

[ptreese83]

Exactly how would i go about grounding it better?

[exalted512]

take the black wire coming off the back of the radio and extend it to some bare metal (scrape paint if need be) in the car. Then screw it to said metal.
-Cody

[ptreese83]

I kinda figured it had something to do with the ground, I will definitely try that, Thanks!