Installing an Infinity Basslink in my car today...Its a self powered 10" box...After installing it and wiring it up it sounds ok...I decide to reverse the RCA lines and when i go to put them back on i brush against the metal on the amp...Radio dies and so do the interior lights...No big deal...New fuse and still no radio...Check the radio fuse and its blown...OK...Never had that happen before but its there for a reason...Replace it, reconnect the wiring harness and BINK...The fuse blows...OK...Im outta 10 amps so ill move up to a 15 amp...What could it hurt...Well i got the wiring harness back in and in about 3 seconds i had smoking firebomb in my hands...Fried to a crisp...After scratching my head for a hour trying to figure out why this would even happen i figured it has to be the RCA lines...They seem old(where on the car when i got it)...The box is wired correctly(battery, power antenna and ground in the trunk...Any ideas how the RCA's could do this???Im willing to admit i shouldnt have put the 15 amp fuse in...Might still have a radio...But obviosly something aint right...

 

Check to make sure that the turn -on or accessory wire behind the radio didn't get exposed when you took the radio out. If that's the case and one of those touched metal then your fuse would blow. By upping it the ground current caused by the short may not have been more than 15 amps and that would mean no more radio. If it's the turn-on then I would also check the Basslink because you could have damaged that too.

 

this sounds exactly like what happened to me...except a shop wired my front speakers weird so when i switched decks i tried wiring them like the shop did and f'd up royaly frying both the amp inside the new deck and my 4 channel amp. when the rcas hit the metal on the amp where exactly did they hit? cause maybe u shot the power from the amp into the deck frying it like i did long shot but possible

 

I touched right about in the middle of the amp(thats where the RCA's go)...I went to put the RCA back in its hole and wasnt lined up right and slipped outta the hole and onto the amp...I bought a new Kenwood Excelon deck and a new pair of RCA's yesterday...Everything sounds great...Ive never really cared for pioneer(thats what was in the car)but im not sure i can blame the pioneer...Im sure it fried when i touched the RCA but when i put the 15 amp in and tried to hook it up again that was all the deck could take...I always thought you hadda be careful with the power wires but i guess YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU NEVER TOUCH OFF THE RCA's TO THE AMP WHEN THE SYSTEM IS ON...

 

It might be possible that if you ran any wires including power antenna or RCA cables under your carpet, you could have crimped one of them with a screw or something and is causing a short. Or there is a short somewhere else. check every wire.

 

IRF305

For what its worth i can vouch for the quality of Pioneer, I've owned just about every brand of head unit out there. 2 of them were Pioneers, one of which is about 10 years old(DEH-245) and is in my dads Suburban. It still plays like the day I bought it. The other is a newer Premiere, and it is still Flawless. Every other brand i tried, including Sony, Aiwa, Kenwood, either had buttons unusable, or an internal problem within 6 months.

I've heard of CD Players burning up in the Kenwoods prematurely. This happened with two of my friends, not even a year after installing the head unit, so watch out for that.

I would blame the RCA's. I have touched RCA's to my MTX Blue Thunder Pro amp without any problem. Check your old RCA's, and look for insulation separated, or a slice in either of the wires.