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scotty38

Member Since: 21 May 2011
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 571

2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Aintree Green

Pioneer radio losing settings

I recently bought a Pioneer head unit to give me bluetooth functionality and generally everything is fine.

However, on occasion it doesn't connect the BT and I have to pop the front panel off and on again to get it to connect. Switching the car off and on will do the same thing but I'm generally on the move when I notice so this is the easiest way.

The more annoying issue is that also on occasion I'll turn the key, let the glow plug light go off and then start the car and at this point it will lose all its settings as if it's had a factory reset.

It is cabled correctly as I've checked the permanent live etc but also the standard head unit works perfectly.

I've had the unit replaced once already and the second one was the same. This one has now been sent off for repair but I don't hold out much hope that they're going to find anything.

2011 Puma by the way.....

Any bright ideas?

28th Feb 2012 11:27am

XS Pete

Member Since: 13 Jan 2011
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 632

2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey

Are you sure that the permanent and ignition switched lives aren't swapped. I can't remember which manufacturer it was but one of them had a habit of doing this a while back.

Pete

28th Feb 2012 11:45am

scotty38

Member Since: 21 May 2011
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 571

Pretty sure they're ok and connected the right way. I've tested both with a meter and also swapped them for a test and then as expected the unit loses its settings every time the ignition is turned off.

28th Feb 2012 12:37pm

XS Pete

Member Since: 13 Jan 2011
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 632

That's a bit odd. Pioneer stuff is usually pretty good. I can't see you'd get two dodgy ones in succession (although I suppose it's not beyond the realms of possibility).

Maybe someone has swapped connections in the LR loom to accommodate a previous radio. Someone (DGardel I think) posted a connection diagram for the pin outs for the dash connectors. Have a look in his gallery. Probably worth checking it's as it should be as a starting point.

Pete

29th Feb 2012 1:01pm

warren

Member Since: 14 Oct 2009
Location: East Lancs.
Posts: 903

2009 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Santorini Black

I have a Pioneer stereo that does exactly the same thing... At first I thought it was just because I'd left the ignition on for a couple of hours to listen to it whilst working outside, and it just ran the battery down a bit. But it's done it a few times when I've just been parked up for five minutes.

Chappy at Halfrauds got his testing kit on the wiring and reckoned it was because the voltage on the permanent feed dropped below 12v when starting, and that was causing it to default back to factory settings. Not sure how true this is as the original Land Rover one never lost it's settings.

Is yours like this by any chance?

Click image to enlarge

29th Feb 2012 7:13pm

scotty38

Member Since: 21 May 2011
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 571

XS Pete wrote:
That's a bit odd. Pioneer stuff is usually pretty good. I can't see you'd get two dodgy ones in succession (although I suppose it's not beyond the realms of possibility).

Maybe someone has swapped connections in the LR loom to accommodate a previous radio. Someone (DGardel I think) posted a connection diagram for the pin outs for the dash connectors. Have a look in his gallery. Probably worth checking it's as it should be as a starting point.

Pete

It was a brand new car to me so should be ok but thanks for the thought....

29th Feb 2012 9:55pm

scotty38

Member Since: 21 May 2011
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 571

warren wrote:
I have a Pioneer stereo that does exactly the same thing... At first I thought it was just because I'd left the ignition on for a couple of hours to listen to it whilst working outside, and it just ran the battery down a bit. But it's done it a few times when I've just been parked up for five minutes.

Chappy at Halfrauds got his testing kit on the wiring and reckoned it was because the voltage on the permanent feed dropped below 12v when starting, and that was causing it to default back to factory settings. Not sure how true this is as the original Land Rover one never lost it's settings.

Is yours like this by any chance?

Click image to enlarge

Mine is exactly like that and does happen after the initial ignition and the delay for waiting for the glow plugs so that makes sense although as you say the OE radio copes ok although it does "switch off" momentarily.

Maybe the original radio is just less susceptible to a lower voltage than the Pioneer?

29th Feb 2012 9:58pm

XS Pete

Member Since: 13 Jan 2011
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 632

That's bizarre. It sounds as though the radio doesn't have enough internal 'hold up' or 'ride over' time engineered in to be able to survive during 'brown out' conditions. Most sets usually have some large capacitors (or in some cases a tiny battery) built in to hold enough charge to be able to retain settings during these conditions. Some sets you can actually disconnect for a few minutes before they revert to the factory defaults.

I suppose you could connect a largish electrolytic cap in the loom as close to the back of the set as possible, but this is going to make the install a bit tricky as there isn't much room back there when the radio is in position.

Another alternative theory could be that the OEM permanent live is very small diameter cable (I can't actually remember for sure) which would make the voltage drop issue worse. Fixing that would involve running a replacement permanent live via the shortest route possible in larger diameter cable directly to the battery.

Either method seems a lot of effort to go for something which should have been engineered in. Afterall, most vehicles suffer from these condtions during cranking.

Pete

1st Mar 2012 9:30am

scotty38

Member Since: 21 May 2011
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 571

XS Pete wrote:
That's bizarre. It sounds as though the radio doesn't have enough internal 'hold up' or 'ride over' time engineered in to be able to survive during 'brown out' conditions. Most sets usually have some large capacitors (or in some cases a tiny battery) built in to hold enough charge to be able to retain settings during these conditions. Some sets you can actually disconnect for a few minutes before they revert to the factory defaults.

I suppose you could connect a largish electrolytic cap in the loom as close to the back of the set as possible, but this is going to make the install a bit tricky as there isn't much room back there when the radio is in position.

Another alternative theory could be that the OEM permanent live is very small diameter cable (I can't actually remember for sure) which would make the voltage drop issue worse. Fixing that would involve running a replacement permanent live via the shortest route possible in larger diameter cable directly to the battery.

Either method seems a lot of effort to go for something which should have been engineered in. Afterall, most vehicles suffer from these condtions during cranking.

Pete

Yes, I would have to agree with all of that so it would appear that my only (viable) option is to try and get it swapped out for another make once it's been "repaired" and still doesn't work......

1st Mar 2012 9:39am

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