D3 Screen does not always turn on but music still plays

[rudge]

So, I have had my D3 for about 3 weeks now, and last week for the first time the screen did not turn on when I turned the truck on, but the music kept playing. it has happened 3 more times since. i can get in my truck several times a day, but when I go to go home, i turn the truck on, hear music, but the screen is off. I have to turn the truck off and back on again to get the screen to work. sometimes, i have to turn the key off and on several times before it will work. I am probably going to exchange it next week, but I wanted to see if this was a common problem first.

[HiFiSi]

I recall reading a topic on this very same problem in someone else's truck. Is yours a diesel? Are you turning the key on, waiting for the glow plugs to heat up, then cranking the starter? IIRC, that guy was having the same problem because he turned the key to the on position, the radio started booting up, then after a couple secs he hit the starter to start the truck, interrupting the D3's boot-up sequence, which it apparently doesn't like. He ended up having to wait for the D3 to finish it's booting sequence before hitting the starter and the problem went away.

 

If that's not the case, I'd say go ahead and return it.

[gowyn]

when you say truck I'm gonna guess a diesel? If not this may still apply.

 

I have a GMC Duramax and when it's cold out my D3 will do the exact thing. It's a common enough thing.

 

Most seem to think it has to do with the florescent bulb for the LCD not having enough voltage to fire up. This I find especially true with the diesel because of the glow plugs drawing so much and then the starter.

 

What I do, which is temporary but seems to work is:

 

I turn the key on but only as far as the acc position. I wait for the D3 to fire up and then another 10-15 seconds. I believe there is some sort of capacitor which holds power while you start your truck (you may find even doing this the screen may go off but then come back on. The longer you wait the more charge the capacitor has to hold power.)

 

After the D3 is up I then turn the key to fire the glow plugs, (ignition), then when the wait to start light goes off I fire up the truck.

 

This usually works!

 

Long term solution will be to install a switch in the ignition wire going to the D3 so that I can just start the truck, once it's running I can then turn "on" the D3.

 

Hope this helps. Usually happens when temp is below freezing.

[rudge]

sorry about the lack of details, no, it is not a diesel. it is an 05 Ford F150 w/ the 5.4L V8. also attached to it is the sirius direct connect, and ipod adaptor

 

now I am having problems with my sirius radio too. it decided to no longer get any signal. i tried unplugging the antenna and plugging it back in, i am gonna try a different antenna later.

 

everything has worked PERFECT for the past 3 weeks. I am confident it is nothing to do with the install because it was pretty basic, and everything did work for 3 weeks.

 

I have a feeling i am gonna have to just exchange it.

[rudge]

 

Hope this helps. Usually happens when temp is below freezing.

 

see, i thought it might be the other way around, a problem when it is hot because I live in SoCal and it has been 80 degrees all week.

 

I have turned the key to on and waited for it to start booting up before starting the truck to get it to work after i have the problem. it seems to need that to snap out of it

[gowyn]

may still be the same issue.

 

Check the manual but there is an upper and lower temp that the LCD has a hard time working in. Yours may be hitting the upper especially if it's 80 plus the inside of the truck is hot from sitting in the sun all day.