Why won't my radio work?

Question 1
Why won't my radio work?...  My battery died when the headlights were left on in my 2000 VW Beetle. Now my radio won't work. It doesn't say "safe" or enter code, it says fm 88.3 man. Any idea's? It's driving me crazy!
my radio powers on and just shows 88.3 man. usually if it wants you to enter a code, it would say "safe"mode?

Answers
1)   Reset. The computer chip. I believ you can unplug and replug your battery, but there may be a button to press.



try the bettery first, and if it doesnt work ask a VW mechanic how to reset it. - iR0T

2)   try to unhook it if its not stock if not check the fuses only thing i can think of - Jacob

3)   Hitler is the founder of Volkswagen, and he stated that all his cars, long after his death, will endure unusual glitches which is aimed at creating anger towards the Japanese. Of course today everyone knows anything made in Japan is good quality, anything made in America is poor quality. But Hitler did not like the Japanese which is why America supports VW in its efforts to discredit anything Japanese. But everyone knows that made in USA is the definition of CRAP. - Blasterdee

4)   is ur radio turned on should b the first thing to ask - laila


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Question 2
how much would it cost to hook up 2 alpine type r's?...  just bought 2 alpine type r's 1500 watt each from woofersect.com

thinking about getting a hifonics brutus 2600 amp. my dad is a carpenter and he said making a nice box will be no problem. if i bring a amp and the 2 woofers in a box and give it to some place that installs that stuff what am i going to look at paying???

Answers
1)   Typically amp installs cost around $60-75 at a local audio shop. If you don't have an amp kit you would need to buy that as well. The greatly vary in price so I couldn't really give you an estimate but buying one before you go to a shop and having them use that may be cheaper.



Hifonics isn't horrible but you could do better. Hifonics greatly exaggerates their power values. What is your budget for an amp? We may be able to help you find a better amp.



Building your own enclosure is good as it will be much better then any prefab enclosure. However, an enclosure is a little more complicated then a "box" so make sure to use the correct specifications for optimal performance.



What type of sound are you looking for from your subs? Are you looking for loudness, sound quality, a mix of these? With this information we can let you know what specs would be best for you. For the Type-Rs I would almost always recommend a ported enclosure. An enclosure that is 2 cubic foot and tuned to 32-33Hz is going to be great for a mix of loudness and sound quality.



Good Luck!!! - MDC

2)   For the wiring and the installation, anywhere from 100 to 250. But if I were you, I would use good a** wiring to get the most out of your system. If you use cheap wiring your s**t won't as good. Buy some good wiring off ebay and have them put it in for like 50 bucks. - Chester

3)   Well on some older cars, it's pretty easy to do yourself, but if ya have somethin like '95 or newer or a luxury car with factory amps etc. a shop would charge bout $110-$160 depending if you need line converters etc. My '07 Jetta they charged like $130 but they installed a converter which in the end wasn't even necessary. - jldude


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Question 3
Which Capacitor do i need?...  I have a lanzar vibe286 running 2 lanzar subwoofers at 350 rms each. Can someone tell me which size capacitor i need to buy?

Answers
1)   1 farad ~ http://www.crutchfield.com/p_211PSC401/StreetWires-Power-Station-PSC401.html?search=capacitors&ssi=0 - The Eagle Keeper

2)   Capacitors are totally useless. Do the "Big 3 upgrade" before you choose to buy a cap trust me you wont be disappointed. But if you really want to waste your money a 1 farad will do.



Big 3 upgrade:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82xRzCr-lc - Chino

3)   Like Chino said, don't buy a cap. It will not help make your system louder or help prevent headlight dimming issues. The "big 3" is going to be the most effective way for fixing any power issues such as headlight dimming problems.



Good Luck!!! - MDC


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Question 4
Today, I installed new car stereo. There is power, but no sound. Anyone have ideas why this would happen?...  This is my second stereo that I have put in this car; the first got stolen. The first one worked fine, but now that I have the new one wired up, for some reason there is no sound coming from the speakers. Any help would be appreciated
This is my second stereo that I have put in this car; the first got stolen. The first one worked fine, but now that I have the new one wired up, for some reason there is no sound coming from the speakers. Any help would be appreciated



Okay, adding details. I have 4 x 6 1/2" speakers, no amplifiers. The old stereo was a Sony Xplod, but I can't remember the model that I had, and he new stereo that I just put in is a Kenwood KDC-138. There is a mute function, but I didn't hook that wire up, since my Honda doesn't have one that connects to it. I hooked it up using a schematic that I found online for the stock harness, and matched those wires to my new one, naturally, and double checked everything to make sure that I had done everything correctly...
Okay, adding details. I have 4 x 6 1/2" speakers, no amplifiers. The old stereo was a Sony Xplod, but I can't remember the model that I had, and he new stereo that I just put in is a Kenwood KDC-138. There is a mute function, but I didn't hook that wire up, since my Honda doesn't have one that connects to it. I hooked it up using a schematic that I found online for the stock harness, and matched those wires to my new one, naturally, and double checked everything to make sure that I had done everything correctly...

Answers
1)   Beef and Bean Burritos

1 lb. ground chuck



1 onion chopped



4 large garlic cloves minced



3 T. cumin



2 15 oz. cans pinto beans rinsed and drained



1 14 .5 oz. can beef broth



1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies



4 green onions sliced



Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Add chopped onion and garlic, cook another 5 minutes. Stir in cumin and cook 1 minute. Add beans, broth and chilies and cook until beans are creamy and thickened, crushing beans with the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes Mix in green onions.



Transfer beans and beef mixture to a serving dish. Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream and salsa or Pico de Gallo. - Bobby

2)   check your grounds - JimT

3)   What model stereo did you put in & what did you put it in?

Is the mute function engaged?

Is there a separate function for internal amps bypass or external amps.

Are you using external amps? Are they hook via the patch cables?

Man we don't know. Give us info to work with here. - The Eagle Keeper


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Question 5
How can I hook up an after market horn?...  I ran two wires to the button then one to the battery, the other to the horn,and nothing happened. I even spliced the wire to the battery and button and connected it also to the horn's other prong. Still nothing. Helpppp! I have an inspection coming up.

Answers
1)   If the horn has a metal mounting bracket. Bolt it up. Then hook a Positive lead to both sides of horn. - tomslik

2)   "dude", you just remove the old horn and connect the leads to the same terminals on the new horn. Don't even mess with the button as long as the old one's working. A button is only a contact that completes the circuit, maybe I misunderstood your question.... - jldude


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