Radio Troubleshooting

[ptmtp26]

Alright everybody, here is a good one. At least to me it is.

My brother bought me a Pyle marine radio and two speakers for my golf cart. Easy enough install I thought.

Well 3 weeks later I have yet to be able to make the radio work properly - it works great when the cart is not running, but shuts off immediately when you step on the gas pedal and most of the time, will not turn back on until you have disconnect power from it.

To try and eliminate whatever this problem is, I have installed a larger battery, a 2 farad capacitor, 2 diodes - one feeding the capacitor which is feeding the radio, to eliminate the motor from drawing off the capacitor, and another to the ground to try and eliminate any funky frequencies coming back on the ground. I have also installed a new voltage regulator/rectifier that is ONLY feeding the radio.

WHAT AM I MISSING!?

I would love some thoughts and opinions on this, I am pulling my hair out. This was supposed to be a simple and fun project - it is now neither.

Thanks,
Kyle


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[Stone]

Not sure if this applies but I had a similar problem with an after-market radio in my truck losing it's mind when I would start the truck. Ultimately found out that these new radios need two separate battery connections because they operate in a very narrow voltage window and starting the vehicle drops the voltage down below tolerance for that instant the that system is cranking.

Try hooking the radio to a small battery like the one below or even 8 AA batteries in series. Anything to create an uninterrupted 12 volt supply.

Edited to add: You could even just try powering it straight form the cart battery if you haven't tried that but that may not work at the voltage drops while starting.

[meimk]

On the other end of the spectrum, most radio's now also have over voltage protection and will shut down if the voltage gets too high. Most golf carts do run at a slightly higher voltage than cars. Check the literature that came with the radio for the voltage range they call for. Then, of course, check your cart for just what voltage it's charging at speed.

[Stone]

That's also a valid point. I bought a small power panel which I fit into a dash board which gives me a voltage readout, two USB ports, and a 12V power socket for spotting deer.

I did it to be able to make sure it was charging but I also see occasions when it is overcharging and it's typically when it is overheated.

But if it's dying right when you start it, it's likely a protection circuit for variation in voltage.

[partyofone]

Maybe related, but not sure.

On my cart, a buddy and I added a relay between the ignition key and the electrical system. I wanted everything to shut down when the key was off. When you turned on the key, everything powered up. Lights, LEDS, switch panel. When you stepped on the gas, everything shut off. We actually had to add another relay to solve the problem.

[Dabble Inn]

Like 'meimk' said above, I also believe it's over voltage. I had the same problem years ago, you didn't say what year your buggy is but my 85 produces up to 15.5v, most stereos won't handle that and will shut down. You might try to find a voltage regulator installed just in the stereo power wire but I really don't know if such a thing exists, I ended up taking my stereo out and went with a BT speaker and phone music