In car DVD power supply - something not right?

[2 rocks]

Hi folks
This question is a bit "how long is a piece of string?"

The car came with a NESA dvd player mounted under the passenger seat, but every time I powered it up to use it would load and then shut down. Asking the local car audio place they said it was a bit old and probably on the way out.

So a little while ago I picked up a new no-name brand dvd player and decided to fit it while I had the console out to mess with the CDL.

I discovered that the existing power supply was off the ignition only, so I've run a dedicated 12v line for the "memory" on the player, connected up the exisiting power and earth cables (soldered joints) and...

Hey presto - it does the same thing as the old unit! :mad::mad: Powers up, loads and then shuts down (although now it remembers where on the disc it stopped). Press the button powers up, loads, shuts down, repeat ad infinitum.

When I test fitted the unit using the cigarette lighter adapter it played fine.

Now, excluding the possibility that the new unit's a dud too, does anyone have any ideas what might cause this?

Seems to make no difference if the car is running or not. Bad ignition power supply? Bad earth? Or something in the D2's electronics that's interfering?

Cheers
Mike

[Benz]

so if it works fine on a alternative power source there may be something wrong with the power your getting from the ignition...
and if the new dvd player remembers where it was up to on the dvd you would think the new "always on" power you ran to it is working fine.

properly a bit hard to trace it back to it's origin but if you can you might find your problem.
or you could just run a new power source from the ignition?

[dswatts]

the power supply for the underseat DVD is via the dash radio. does yours have the original stereo?
someone could have wired it wrong.

[Hastykiwi]

without seeing thunit its abit hard to tell, but in general most in car audio/video units have two power wires. One is a permanent 12+ line that, as you say, keeps 12+ to the unit for memory purposes, but is also the power supply for when the unit is running. The second power wire requires a switching 12+ supply, ie the ignition. It sounds like your units are getting 12+ switching power. Is the 12= you have used for permanent, actually permanent. If you teat it and start the car, does it drop power after a short period. Just worth checking.

cheers
Nick

[2 rocks]

Hi guys
It appears that since the site software upgrade the "tahnks" button is currently unavailable - so thanks!! :)

Dylan - no I've got an Alpine head unit, however, when I first bought the car it had the factory CD/tuner and the DVD still misbehaved - but again the DVD was not a factory installed player.

Nick - Yeah I have run a complete dedicated 12v line to the wire tagged "memory" or whatever straight from the battery - so this should really be constant 12v. This along with the "ignition", "earth" and "12v remote" lines all run through a switch/filter box attached to plug for the unit.

I'm thinking the original 12v ignition power supply may be at fault - wherever it goes :rolleyes: so I guess I will test it and try to trace it, or as Benz suggests, run a new ignition switch supply, maybe off the cigar lighter...groan!!

Thanks again
Mike