Please help me with this D3, 3rd unit not right

[heron]

I've posted before regarding the black screen on startup. I'm on my 3rd unit made in November and it does the same thing. The unit is installed in an 07 GMC Sierra with a Duramax. I also have an Astrostart 2505A. I have the wait to start wire hooked up for the glow plugs so they will work and the truck will start right afterwards. For whatever reason when it's cold and the glow plugs have to light for their full duration when my truck is first started the LCD will be black. Now, once it's started and shutdown and started again(glow plugs don't light and if they do it's not long) it's okay and the LCD comes right up and will do so for the rest of the day. I've been thru 3 head units since October and it's still not right. Pioneer has no clue, the metra harness people have no clue and the Astrostart people have no clue.

I think it has something to do with power being sapped by the glow plugs on startup and it will not allow the head unit to fully boot. It seems like somewhat of a common problem with diesels, Ford's, GM etc...

Do any of you electrical guru's have any idea of where to start?

I was going to run a constant battery source to the yellow wire(acc) on the Metra harness. BTW: this unit also has been bypassed...

[04ctd]

it's nothing to do with your truck

 

 

it's your weather.

 

the backlight doesn't work in cold weather.

 

put a switch in your accessory line.

 

after the interior warms up, cycle the switch, and that resets the unit, and for some reason, the back light will come on.

 

mine has done this twice, but it's got to be below freezing (rare in SC)

[04ctd]

FWIW, mine is a diesel too.

 

but i think the screen is the problem.

 

maybe it sees a low voltage on startup, but HifI said it is common in cold temps, regardless of the vehicle.

[heron]

it's nothing to do with your truck

 

 

it's your weather.

 

the backlight doesn't work in cold weather.

 

put a switch in your accessory line.

 

after the interior warms up, cycle the switch, and that resets the unit, and for some reason, the back light will come on.

 

mine has done this twice, but it's got to be below freezing (rare in SC)

 

No, I don't think it's the weather. These units are supposed to work down to 22f. I've had the same issue at 45f and 30f. This is the third unit and each one has done it. It seems I'm hearing this more often to do with diesel trucks but have not heard from anyone with it installed in a car unless it's really cold... below 22f or so. The vendor I bought it from has been cooperative and has sent me two replacement units since October. He said he sells lots of these units in very cold climates and has only heard of this happening when it's really frigid. I wouldn't say 45f or even 30f is really frigid. Also, if I shut the vehicle off and turn it right back on even within seconds the screen will come right up. If it was primarily a cold issue why would it come up when the cabin temp has not changed one bit...? I think it's some kind of voltage drop or something somewhere between accessory and start.. but I'm no electrical guru.

[heron]

FWIW, mine is a diesel too.

 

but i think the screen is the problem.

 

maybe it sees a low voltage on startup, but HifI said it is common in cold temps, regardless of the vehicle.

 

I agree and think HIFI doesn't know the parameters. It's like 22f and above 185f.

 

What temps is your truck doing it and if so will it do it only that one time in the am and then never again the rest of the day? I agree with the voltage issue. I really think it has something to do with the power zap from the glow plugs or maybe going from acc(glow plugs on) to start it shuts down again when it's booting and it just cannot get the LCD started in time...? I'm reaching but this is getting ridiculous. I'm in the dark and it seems lots of other installers are clueless also and keep blaming it on the cold and are ignoring the facts..

[04ctd]

the new CTD's dont have glow plugs, they have a grid heater.

 

this morning, i did NOT get the "wait to start" light indicating my grid heater hard to cycle before the truck would crank.

 

i had it on a block heater. (the grid heater hardly ever cycles if it is plugged in, its $7 a month to run a block heater for a CTD)

 

 

my screen did not work this morning, 30degrees out.

 

it is annoying, isn't it?

 

i have a remote, so i can do stuff with it (change preset radio stations for the morning drive)

 

[04ctd]

update:

 

mine has done it every day since you posted....

 

so this morning, i watched it.

 

if you turn the key on, the screen will WORK...it shows the boot screen

(starting Pioneer navi....)

 

so the LCD and the backlight are working at low temps.

 

but when i started the truck (heavy current draw) the screen did not come back on.

 

so it looks like you need a stiffening capacitor on the radio itself.

 

 

called Crutchfield (bought my unit from them) they asked me to take a DVM and measure the voltage drop while starting the truck.

 

they said they can swap the unit out if i want.

 

but if you have swapped 3, sounds worthless to me, to swap it & lose my address book.

[heron]

update:

 

mine has done it every day since you posted....

 

so this morning, i watched it.

 

if you turn the key on, the screen will WORK...it shows the boot screen

(starting Pioneer navi....)

 

so the LCD and the backlight are working at low temps.

 

but when i started the truck (heavy current draw) the screen did not come back on.

 

so it looks like you need a stiffening capacitor on the radio itself.

 

 

called Crutchfield (bought my unit from them) they asked me to take a DVM and measure the voltage drop while starting the truck.

 

they said they can swap the unit out if i want.

 

but if you have swapped 3, sounds worthless to me, to swap it & lose my address book.

 

I'm beginning to think it's a bad module on the GMOS harness I used. I'll be getting a new harness from Metra and I'll let you know. The module on the harness is what controls the current delivery etc... so if it is bad or finicky then you end up with functional issues. I spoke with the tech at Metra and he told me to power the module from another source and that actually made it worse so I do believe it has something to do with the harness... saga continues

 

On another subject does that truck ride pretty rough with those low profile tires?

[04ctd]

IIRC,

 

my radio attaches directly to the wire from vehicle for battery power.

 

but the CANBUS adapter (circuit card thingy) does control the accessory (cycles the unit on/off)

 

i can hook my accessory wire to my left cigarette lighter (controller by Acc position of key) and bypass that CANBUS thing.

 

might as well try that, if i am in there taking DVM readings.

 

 

for the tires, i had 100 PSI in the stock tires (rated 80psi normal use) trying to squeek a little extra MPG out of them.

 

and they ride about the same.

 

the wider tires follow ruts pretty bad, but other than that, they are Ok.

 

these have less sidewall sway, so that takes a lot of "body roll" out of the truck in cornering (the body doesn't lean, so the wife don't notice how fast i am going....)

[heron]

IIRC,

 

my radio attaches directly to the wire from vehicle for battery power.

 

but the CANBUS adapter (circuit card thingy) does control the accessory (cycles the unit on/off)

 

i can hook my accessory wire to my left cigarette lighter (controller by Acc position of key) and bypass that CANBUS thing.

 

might as well try that, if i am in there taking DVM readings.

 

 

for the tires, i had 100 PSI in the stock tires (rated 80psi normal use) trying to squeek a little extra MPG out of them.

 

and they ride about the same.

 

the wider tires follow ruts pretty bad, but other than that, they are Ok.

 

these have less sidewall sway, so that takes a lot of "body roll" out of the truck in cornering (the body doesn't lean, so the wife don't notice how fast i am going....)

 

Sound like a good idea on bypassing whatever electronics you can to isolate the issue.

 

Not sure if you can get them for your truck but Frederico Sway bars and Bilstein shocks. My truck doesn't handle like a truck at all but was a joke before I added the shocks and sway bars. Best upgrade I've done.

[04ctd]

here's how to figure it out:

 

open the door, STARE at the face plate

 

put key in, and turn key on.

 

my radio lights up "starting pioneer navi...."

 

if i let it boot all the way up to the start up picture, it works.

 

if i don't let it boot, and just crank the truck, it may not work.

 

 

 

(FWIW, i think it may not be due to the boot function (but could be) i think it may be related to a large capacitor in the D3 being energized long enough to hold a charge while the truck is cranking)

 

i think there is a large Capacitor in the D3, because it doesn't turn off when you crank the truck, like a regular radio,

 

and when you turn the key off, the radio takes a few seconds to go off.

 

they may do that with some fancy delay, but a nice fat capacitor on the Accessory input would do the same.

 

??? hth ???

[heron]

here's how to figure it out:

 

open the door, STARE at the face plate

 

put key in, and turn key on.

 

my radio lights up "starting pioneer navi...."

 

if i let it boot all the way up to the start up picture, it works.

 

if i don't let it boot, and just crank the truck, it may not work.

 

 

 

(FWIW, i think it may not be due to the boot function (but could be) i think it may be related to a large capacitor in the D3 being energized long enough to hold a charge while the truck is cranking)

 

i think there is a large Capacitor in the D3, because it doesn't turn off when you crank the truck, like a regular radio,

 

and when you turn the key off, the radio takes a few seconds to go off.

 

they may do that with some fancy delay, but a nice fat capacitor on the Accessory input would do the same.

 

??? hth ???

 

You must be right because no matter what I've done from different modules to relays it still doesn't work right. I ended up just putting a rocker switch in and just totally shut the radio off at night when I get home and then in the am when I get in the truck after remote starting it I just flip the switch and start it up. I think if we had the ability to totally shut off the D3 we would not need a switch but without that function I think it will always be an issue when it's cold and the voltage is not optimal. Maybe with an Alpine or Kenwood you could completely power them off, therefore I think I'd go with another unit now if I had it to do over.

[04ctd]

turn your switch on, and try watching the face plate as you turn the key on,

 

my LCD & back light do work, no matter the temp,

 

but if i crank the motor while it still says "starting Pioneer navigation"

 

it won't work.

 

 

i have to wait to let the unit boot to the first background picture shows, then crank the truck.

[heron]

turn your switch on, and try watching the face plate as you turn the key on,

 

my LCD & back light do work, no matter the temp,

 

but if i crank the motor while it still says "starting Pioneer navigation"

 

it won't work.

 

 

i have to wait to let the unit boot to the first background picture shows, then crank the truck.

 

Yes, I had the same experience exactly!

[HiFiSi]

I guess the unit just doesn't like having the power interrupted mid-boot.