TR4/4A Retrosound Radios and troubleshooting

[RobbL42]

Thankful to be here!

My father and I just received our Triumph Tr4a from the shop where we were having it partially restored. Basically, the man got it running semi-solidly. It still needs a bunch of work but I love driving it and so does my father.
The radio I installed over the winter when the car was up on stantions was a Retrosound Model Two. The 12v source is coming off the ignition switch (right above the radio) and there is a small box behind the dash board where the ground came out of. It worked beautifully when I was finished and the engine was not running.
I got it back last week and the radio was not working as great as it once did. I cannot remember if the radio worked well when the engine was turning over in the winter. I do not think we ever tried it. The car was fitted with an electronic ignition when it was in the shop the last time. I was thinking that may have something to do with it. Now keep in mind the radio still works great when the key is in accessory position and the car is not on. When the engine is running, the sound comes in and out and when it is in the lucas amp meter reads about 5 (very briefly). It is not regular but kind of random. You cannot put a metronome to it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Robert

 

[tinman58]

I installed a retro sound radio in my TRT250. Mounted the speakers under the dash. I think I have used it twice. When I took the transmission to replace the throw out bearing i never hooked up the eletricals. I don't miss it or desire a radio in the TR. Just my own 2 cents.

 

[arbs_53]

Hi Rob,

Welcome to the forum. I also installed the Retrosound Model 2 in my TR250 and can appreciate the raw sound of the exhaust while driving top down along a country road but, like many, I have a wife who doesn't appreciate it as much as I do and as every married man knows "a happy wife is a happy life", something you'll come to learn, if you haven't already. I had some problems with mine last week and this is what I did to track down the problem. There needs to be two power sources to the radio, one that is on the ignition switch (red wire) and the other that is direct (but fused) from the battery (yellow wire). If you can remove the radio from the plinth, you can use a volt meter to test how much voltage you have at the two lines where they enter the back of the radio: You should have at least 12V at each connection. If you have less than 12V, the radio will not work. Depending on which circuit is deficient, you can test the connections on that line to see where the voltage drop is occurring. If it's intermittent, it could be a loose connection along one of those lines or a bad ground connection. You could also bench test the radio to make sure the problem is in the wiring and not the radio itself.

 

[Got_All_4]

Try some resistor sparkplugs. Will cut down on engine noise coming through your radio.

 

[RobbL42]

Hello all,

So I tried a wire from from the fusebox. 1A it was. I tried changing the ground to behind the dashboard. I tried running the keyed ignition wire from the fan circuit. Other than getting a constant voltage from the fusebox (which is one of the things I was striving for), I still get the same issue. Have any of you guys ever tried messing with the voltage regulator that is right next to the fusebox? It is safe to say, I am about out of different wiring configurations because I have tried them all.

Robert