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MGB MGB RADIO

adam90009

Jedi Warrior
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I'm having problems with my radio/cd player. When i frist got it it had a tape player and whenever the car hits a bump the radio would cut off then after a while it would come back on. when I replaced that with a cd player i made sure all the wires were connected well, but the same thing happens. i know its not the radio or any wires close to it or the ground. where else should i check?
 
Adam, is the stereo secure in it's brackets? I had the back plug keep wiggling out on a rough road. Drove me crazy because all the power wires where secure, but the vibration of the stereo made the plug jiggle loose causing it to go on and off.
cowboy.gif
 
I think we need more info to make this analysis...I assume it is not the "non switched" power that keeps the clock running that is bad...so that leaves the "switched" power or the ground if the radio shuts off...this would mean that the tape or CD player would stop and reset and the lights would go out!

On the other hand, if the player continues to run and the lights stay on but music stops, it is likely to be somewhere in the speaker wires.

If you have the power hooked up to non-switched source (purple wire) the problem could be in the dash connection in the harness...one reason Lucas is known as the "Prince of Darkness"

If you would like to find an alternative "switched" power source there and don't have fog lights, the fog light wires are "switched" and can be used...they are Green/brown I think (I am at work now and doing this from memory) on my 74B which i am current redoing the console on.

If you have problems or questions, email me this weekend while I am at home and I can fax you a wiring diagram if you need it and/or more closley check my harness...which is currently complety exposed on mine until I get this carpet job done.

Good luck!

Bruce
 
Is the power cutting out, or just the sound?

There could be a speaker wire somewhere that is coming in contact with metal, or the pos. neg. wires hitting each other.
 
I'm assuming your power supply wire (+)has a fuse: be sure it isn't loose. If it's powered from the key switch (or some other "hot" source) be sure the conection is tight and any fuses "upsteam" are good.

The most common problem with this stuff is a bad ground (but I know you've said your OK in this respect).

Push comes to shove.....hook an extra ground to the radio chassis and run a direct fused power wire from the (+) side of the battery and see if the problem goes away.

These kinds of problems can really be annoying!
 
My two cents....

On my 1980 MGB, the stereo would power on/off inexplicably. I'd be driving and all-of-a-sudden my radio would come on. Other times I couldn't turn it on when I tried. I found that it was the ignition switch on the steering wheel. If you wiggle the keys, bang! You're back in business.

If somebody knows an easy fix to my problem, I'm all ears. I'm nervous about having to open up all the complex components inside the steering column (and my solution is easy enough).

Anyway, your problem sounded similar.

Sam
 
The cassette player in my MGB died and I want to upgrade the stereo. However, when I look at a site like Crutchfield, they don't list any CD players that fit an MG!?!

Do you have any suggestions for brands and/or stereo shops that I should look into? I am planning on doing the installation myself, just need a head unit that will fit.

Thanks for the help!
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MtnMGB:
Do you have any suggestions for brands and/or stereo shops that I should look into? I am planning on doing the installation myself, just need a head unit that will fit.

Thanks for the help!
<hr></blockquote>

You didn't say what year B you have... in the later cars (and I'd imagine any of the mid-70s thru 80 cars) any of the single-DIN size radios should fit with very little trouble.

I settled on a Kenwood CD player with a DMASK faceplate. The stock mounting frame fit the MG console almost perfectly, although I had to slightly file one of the corners of the console a little more square than it was (there wasn't a radio there to begin with, maybe that's "normal"). After that it was a slide-in perfect fit, no complaints.

I like the DMASK function too. If you've got the time and ambition you can try to flush-mount the radio (Kenwood provides the gear to flush-mount) so you have a flush black-panel in the car when the radio is off. If you happen to have a wood-trim interior, or are going to add one then you can blend the radio into the trim pieces and it virtually disappears.

Some pictures of the kenwood installation are at https://aerog.com/mgpage/radio.htm
 
Oh yeah....my B is a '79.

It looks to have a standard DIN sized cassette in place right now. That is why I was confused when Crutchfield said nothing would fit....

Thank you for the help. Your install looks great! Is the MG badge on the backside of your faceplate?
 
Thanks --- yup the MG plate is on the back of the faceplate. Once you get the old one out and a wiring harness made up for the new one the rest is a breeze.
 
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