QuestionHelp! I have a 2001 Dodge Neon with a factory-installed stereo of some kind. The cassette locked down in it years ago, but I don't care about that. I also have a 10-disc cd changer I got from radio in 2001 connected to the factory-built radio. It operates by tuning the FM band to 89.1 or .7 (can't remember which). Once you do this, the cd player's sound will come thru the car stereo. This setup has worked perfectly for nearly 8 years with not a single glitch...until recently.
A few weeks ago, I got in the Neon and discovered that the cd changer was not working. It was getting power, just no playback. After awhile I learned that a cord that connects the changer (mounted in the trunk) had become unplugged. Mainly because it runs behind the gas pedal and has some slack on it, so I probably put the pedal to floor and yanked it from it connection. Any, I fixed that just by replugging it where it went. However, when I did, I heard something pop. It happened so fast, I could not isolate the exact location. Immediatley, I checked the inline fuses on the cd changer. There are two, one in a yellow wire and one in a red wire. I had to replace the one in the yellow wire. Well, then I realized that the factory-installed stereo was not getting any power, nor was the changer. I went to the local Dodge dealer, and got told that the most likely problem was that a fuse or fuses had blowed somewhere. I checked all the fuses in the fuse block on the driver's side and the couple that are under the hood up to the right in a small enclosed box. One was blowed; the one that enables the interior lights and the door buzzer to ring when you oopen the door. I replaced it simply enough, but the stereo nor the cd changer seems to be getting nay power. The Dodge people suggested that there might be some fuses blowed somewhere else.
I guess, after all this info, here is my question:
(1) Where are the "Mystery" fuses?
(2) Can they be replaced by the Average Joe who knows little about automobile electronics?
(3) If not, what are my options?
AnswerHi Chad,
The fuses probably popped because you reconnected the loose cable backwards or something touched that shouldn't have in the process. Before fixing or attempting to fix anything in the car, make sure everything you've plugged in is plugged in correctly and there's no possibility for a backwards connection.
Secondly, this is almost certainly something you can fix yourself, but you're going to want to invest in a fuse tester or a multimeter to do this, because you're going to need to properly test all of the fuses (not just eyeball them).
First thing to do is disconnect the negative terminal from the battery in your car altogether so you don't hurt yourself -- ensure that it's well isolated from the negative on the battery and there's no chance of it slipping back and touching while you're working.
Next, get a multimeter, and set it to resistance (ohms). Pull out each fuse one by one in the car, and test the leads on the fuse. It should provide 0 resistance. Regardless of how the fuse looks, if it gives you anything other than 0 (or very close to it), replace it.
The fuse boxes you've found are likely the right ones; it's just a case of going through them. It's tedious, but you can do it. The fuse panel under the hood, the one in the dash, and the inline ones on the changer should be it. And if the changer is an aftermarket install, you might find more fuses for it inline on the extra power cable running off of your battery somewhere under the hood, and there might be a small one running off of one of the wires coming off the deck that would be used to tell the cd changer the stereo is on.
Good luck,
Justin
