So I put in a Kenwood DNX5120 double din DVD/GPS head unit tonight in my newly purchased used 2003 EX. When I was done, the Element wouldn't start. I've seen that the EX has a system that prevents startup when the stereo is stolen. Is that what I'm running into? That seems absurd to me, a car that requires one to keep the factory head unit. I've seen a lot of people on these forums with similar aftermarket systems to mine. I've searched for hours and I've found info on getting radio codes from dealers and whatnot, a lot of wiring things I don't understand but seem to be more about speakers, but nothing that might help me understand where I'm at. It's 1:40AM now and my wife was going to register it in the morning :(

EDIT: THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED. IT WAS A DRAINED BATTERY. THANKS TO ALL THE EOC THAT HELPED!

So I put in a Kenwood DNX5120 double din DVD/GPS head unit tonight in my newly purchased used 2003 EX. When I was done, the Element wouldn't start. I've seen that the EX has a system that prevents startup when the stereo is stolen. Is that what I'm running into? That seems absurd to me, a car that requires one to keep the factory head unit. I've seen a lot of people on these forums with similar aftermarket systems to mine. I've searched for hours and I've found info on getting radio codes from dealers and whatnot, a lot of wiring things I don't understand but seem to be more about speakers, but nothing that might help me understand where I'm at. It's 1:40AM now and my wife was going to register it in the morning :(

Sorry to be so lame. :sad: Any insight or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

As far as I know the codes are only needed to run the radio, say if you put it back in or the internal battery dies on the factory stereo. Shouldn't effect the car. Did you have to run a wire from the head unit to the battery to power it? Double check that battery, make sure everything is properly hooked up, it is probably something simple like that.

Yeah, looks like I really screwed something up. I just gave up and put the original head unit back in and it doesn't come up with "CODE" Still won't start. *sigh*

Need some more information. Did you use an aftermarket wiring harness, or did you cut and splice the car wiring? Did you try to hook up a speed sense wire? Did you check to see if you blew a fuse? Did you disconnect the battery at any point? Did you check under the dash for an alarm system? Look under the hood for a small black horn shaped device with a wire coming out of it.

When you turn on the key, do you get ANY indication that the car recognizes the fact that you have inserted it? Like a door ajar or lights on the dashboard? Did you verify that the car is in park? Put the car in Neutral and give it another try. Or is yours a manual transmission?

Answer those and I'll probably have more questions. Oh, and where are you generally located? That might help.

Thanks for the replies! :)

I used a wiring harness from Crutchfield that I believe I patiently attached properly with those spinny cap things. There is no speed sensor involved in this system. I don't think I blew a fuse but I'm not an expert with that so I'm not sure.

I disconnected the battery before the stereo install and before I installed the factory keyless entry earlier in the day. However I did not try to start the car after I put in the keyless entry so I don't know at which point things went bad. Lesson learned there.

There is no alarm system that I know and I didn't see a horn type thing anywhere.

This is an automatic transmission system. When I turn on the key I get six or so beeps and the dash lights all seem to work properly. The overhead lights all work normally with the doors and hatch opening and closing. The factory stereo doesn't light up or anything now that it's back in place. I think I hooked it back up properly. The horn works with the key off but once it's on it no longer works.

I verified the car is in park and the parking break is on.

I live on the border of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Go back and check fuse #9 under the hood.This fuse controls the audiounit, keyless enrty and the ignition immobilizer system.

If i was a betting man i would guess you popped a fuse when you hooked up the new deck.

No cranking. There's a light click that sounds like it's coming from below the passenger's dash or the like. But overall it feels like almost nothing happens. The only indicator lights on at that point are a green key, red ABS, and the red one with a guy getting hit with an airbag.

(what I think is...) Fuse #9 is 10A and yellow and it seems to be fine. I don't know how explicit a broken fuse is but it looks like the wire inside is fully intact.

While I was there I pulled out and looked at all of the little bright colored fuses like it and they all look fine. I didn't take out any of the big or square ones because I've never seen those before and I don't want to break them. :D

(what I think is...) Fuse #9 is 10A and yellow and it seems to be fine. I don't know how explicit a broken fuse is but it looks like the wire inside is fully intact.

While I was there I pulled out and looked at all of the little bright colored fuses like it and they all look fine. I didn't take out any of the big or square ones because I've never seen those before and I don't want to break them. :D
.

Do you have a test light? Or a multi meter? Some times you cant tell by just looking at a fuse.



I helped someone out a few months ago with the same problem you have now and it was just a blown fuse.

Because the factory radio is not turning on, I am going to assume that you blew a fuseable link under the hood. I'm too far away to drive over and help, so what I want you to do is go to Radio Shack and pick up a multimeter. Private message me when you get this home, with your phone number, and I will walk you through troubleshooting your problem. I suggest getting the digital one, it's about 20 bucks. I will check back as often as I can until 5 pm. We'll get you through this.

Alright thanks guys! I'll head out right after the kids finish lunch.

Alright thanks guys! I'll head out right after the kids finish lunch.


I would grab a few spare fuses while you are at it.

Yep.

My wife just got home and the MINI had a fuse tester in it. The #9 made the thing light up when I took it out and touched it to the tips. A couple of others did too but I didn't check them all yet

Yep.

My wife just got home and the MINI had a fuse tester in it. The #9 made the thing light up when I took it out and touched it to the tips. A couple of others did too but I didn't check them all yet


Silly question time. Was it the fuse under the hood or the dash? IN my first post i mistakenly said to check under the dash. I changed my answer to the under hood fuse box right after.

Yeah, I still think it's under the hood

(what I think is...) Fuse #9 is 10A and yellow and it seems to be fine. I don't know how explicit a broken fuse is but it looks like the wire inside is fully intact.

While I was there I pulled out and looked at all of the little bright colored fuses like it and they all look fine. I didn't take out any of the big or square ones because I've never seen those before and I don't want to break them. :D


You pulled a 10a yellow fuse?

The yellow fuses are 20a.


I tried posting this earlier but was having PC problems.

The 10a fuse is red.

Yeah sorry for all the confusion. It's been a long couple of days =)

It was a RED 10A fuse under the hood in the location from your diagram that I looked at and then tested with the fuse tester. I just noticed that I got the color wrong when I grabbed a spare to bring to the store to match up.

My wife is on her way to Radio Shack now for a digital multi meter and bunch of various fuses.

I'm at work, and trouble just popped up, so I'll check in on you later.

OK I tested all of the ones that look like the 10A one you told me to test. I used the fuse tester / puller and every one worked, under dash and under hood.

I also have this but have no idea what to do with it.
http://www.invasiongames.com/graphics/multimeter.jpg

EDIT: image fixed ;)

OK I tested all of the ones that look like the 10A one you told me to test. I used the fuse tester / puller and every one worked, under dash and under hood.

I also have this but have no idea what to do with it.
http://www.invasiongames.com/graphics/multimeter.jpg

EDIT: image fixed ;)



Turn the dial on the meter too the 20v setting.

Without pulling the fuses from your car look at the top of the fuse for two little slots. Take the two probes from the meter and insert them into one slot each. If the fuse is good you should get a voltage reading.



I am flipping thru the manual when i get a chance to see what else you should be checking for.

Ok so... when I turn the dial to 20v (around 5 o'clock in my horizontal picture) and touch the leads to the fuses nothing happens with any of them. I've tried red and black on each side, I've tried to wiggle them around a bit. They all stay at 0.00 Which would make a novice like me think there's no power there, but then how are the dome lights and dash lights and bells working? Either way, hopefully this is a big clue and not just me being an idiot again.

Ok so... when I turn the dial to 20v (around 5 o'clock in my horizontal picture) and touch the leads to the fuses nothing happens with any of them. I've tried red and black on each side, I've tried to wiggle them around a bit. They all stay at 0.00 Which would make a novice like me think there's no power there, but then how are the dome lights and dash lights and bells working? Either way, hopefully this is a big clue and not just me being an idiot again.



I am not the best at explaining things when i have to type them out.

I have to ask another silly question. Are you checking them with the ignition turned to the on position?

Haha no. BRB

Went out, check #9 and a few others with the key in the on position and got the same result.

You need to take the black lead from the voltmeter and touch it to a ground on the car. You then take the red lead from the voltmeter and you touch the little slots in the fuses looking for 12.00v on the meter's display. Most likely you blew a fuse some where.

John

You need to take the black lead from the voltmeter and touch it to a ground on the car. You then take the red lead from the voltmeter and you touch the little slots in the fuses looking for 12.00v on the meter's display. Most likely you blew a fuse some where.

John


Thanks John, I remembered that working with a test light. But it slipped my mind that it also works with a meter.

Is the car in Park? If its in Neutral by accident I dont think it will crank either.

Yes, it's an automatic in park.

I checked every fuse that's in the same shape as the #9 one. I don't know how to check the big square ones without any exposed metal.

All of the fuses showed numbers this time when I touched the black to bare metal. However they almost all read around 5.72 except the headlights which were like -1 or something but were the same when I put in new fuses and they actually still turn on.

I cleaned both battery terminals and reattached them.

You can check the large fuses by touching the red lead to the screw head on either side of the fuse.

John

Those all show some numbers. Still haven't tested the ones that are like big black plastic boxes and the one big goldish one, can't find anything to touch on those.

Anything besides a blown fuse I might have done? Are there any other immobilization things I could've screwed up? Any important wires that may have been pulled when I was in the dash?

I'm getting scared now.

Did you unplug anything under the drivers side dash? Or just the radio?

No just the radio. On the drivers side I installed the keyless entry where the directions said to and I ran the XM receiver wire up to the head unit.

Yes, it's an automatic in park.

I checked every fuse that's in the same shape as the #9 one. I don't know how to check the big square ones without any exposed metal.

All of the fuses showed numbers this time when I touched the black to bare metal. However they almost all read around 5.72 except the headlights which were like -1 or something but were the same when I put in new fuses and they actually still turn on.

I cleaned both battery terminals and reattached them.
Anything under 12 volts is too low. Check the voltage of the car battery. It should be at least 12V...red to +, black to -.

I figured. BUT, the car was perfect the whole rest of the week. We just bought it on Monday. Then I do these two things and it completely stops working. It's gotta be something I did.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Typing that gave me the thought... to try to jump the car. It's now running. I want to cry both in joy and pain.

The confirmation that it should read 12v really did it. I know it was said before, but I assumed that either I had the machine set wrong or that I was doing something wrong with the leads. The reason I thought this, was because when I touched different parts of metal I would get different readings. So with the last post I went out and check the voltages on the MINI. When it read 12 I knew that the E battery was wrong for sure.

Now I'm going to buy a new battery and put my new super-stereo-nav unit back in! :)

THANK YOU SO MUCH for everyone that helped with their precious time. It's great to have found this site!!

Glad we could help out.




I knew Al would have the answer.............

I'm glad it worked out...it was really a stab-in-the-dark. You said that you disconnected the battery, but it must have been after the dome light and everything else had already run it down. :cool:

Now fill in your profile and post picks ;-)

Hahahaha... I put in the update CD and now the system is frozen, it stays in the startup screen, and the CD won't come out. The instructions say a it'd take no more than two minutes and I left it in for about half an hour. HAHA

I'm going to go try to find a way to run myself over with the E

Profile updated
Pics after I have time to breath a bit :)

I would first like to apologize for leaving in the middle. The extreme heat change had equipment all over the field dropping out of alignment, and I was under a great deal of pressure to keep it all working.

As for the update disk, call Kenwood either in the morning, or on Monday, and you will get that sorted out fairly quickly.

Found this in the Subaru forums...

If none of the buttons work and it's really frozen up, then I would contact Kenwood. There was a recall of the units right as they were being released to update the firmware or something - if yours got it, there should be an "updated by Kenwood" (or something like that) sticker on the side of the box