QuestionI have a 91 volxwagon jetta gl and my problem concerns my stereo, when i turn my car on the stereo will cut off and sometimes cut-on and off while im driving but when i have the keys in the ignition with the car not running the stereo works fine. i want to know how to get the stereo to work while my car is running. can you help?
Answerwow, hmm.. this one kinda has me a little stumped. The only thing I can really thing of off the top of my head is that you may have an alternator problem. When the car is runing their's other demands for power, which, if your alternator is having a problem, you'll get poor voltage which will give you poor performance from your cd player.
Do a test for me, put in a cd, start the car but leave the lights, wipers, rear defrost, heat, air cond. etc. all power stuff OFF. don't drive though, just sit there parked. one by one, hit the brakes to get your brake lights on, then add to that your headlights, then high beams, then rear defroster, then airconditioing on max etc. so eventually their all on together. all that stuff will add more and more and more power draw. if your alternator is having problems, the voltage will drop as you turn each one on.
so if your cd player cuts out consistently 1/2 way through the test, or near the end of test but comes back as you turn stuff back off, and then the cd player goes out again as you turn stuff back on, etc then I'd say you have an alternator problem.
Also to confirm this, if its cutting out like I'm saying, then when you try the one extra thing that makes it cut out, rev the engine while that stuff is on and I bet the cd player will kick back in at the higher RPMs.
let me know how these tests go and we'll work from there.
GOOD LUCK!
