Not sure what pioneer model it is. Got it from circuit city and all it does is skip.. It turns off when i drive and turn back on when i hit it. Got a new one. Does the same thing. Not sure if there is a short in the wiring or the harness or what.. but just pioneer does this. The stock oem radio did not do this

 

you got an issue, pioneers are normaly real good for the cost, i have one that i got in 2002 and it still plays perfect works great, never one issue with it, i will say i really like pioneer .... i also got an eclipse and alpine (all 3 were top of line for the brand that may make a diff) but i think the pioneer was my favorite its now in my ex's truck, but i talked to her the other day and its perfect.....i got a few peeps with pioneers to that love em, id take it back and exchange it.............wait circuit city is closed down aint it and 2 bad ones, maybe you got a wire issue......or really bad luck and 2 bad units

i do think sony explodes are POS, i know of alot of peeps that say they dont last

 

There is a likely hood of an issue. Are the refurbed or brand new? Could be defective or a wiring or both. Pioneers do last, my ex still has the one I bought her. I'm a fan of JVC though, I like red

 

yea i like JVC too

 

JVC, yet another good brand

i still say this is VERY odd of pio, unless they have went down hill in the past 3 years (last time me or a friend got one new)

i had a pio MP3 in my big truck and put plenty of miles (rough roads to) and it never gave out or skiped, i almost forgot about that unit i had

 

sounds like a wiring issue...

 

All I run is pioneer head units. They have always looked great and performed great. Your not going to find another brand in the same price range that offers the same quality and limitless sound adjust ability. Sure there are other brands like alpine and eclipse that offer better features but even their entry models are hard on the wallet. Also it sounds like the OP has a wiring prob or short in the wires or plugs

 

I've been using the same base-model Pioneer head unit since 98. I've had it installed in 4 different vehicles and never once has it skipped due to a bump. I bought my wife a used Pioneer off Ebay 5 years ago, the faceplate has a small crack in it and it has never given her any problems either. If you're having skipping issues with it, its most likely installed incorrectly.

On a side note, how long ago did you get these? Circuit City has been closed for a couple months now.

 

Circuit City closed?

Maybe its a regional thing, because ours (Austin, TX) are still open (last time I drove by) and their website is still up & running.

As for the OP....I'd say check your deck mounting. 2 "broken" Pioneers in the same car, leans towards the car possibly being a problem, not the decks. My Pioneer is like 4+ years old (in the GTA when I bought it 4 yrs ago) And it NEVER skips.

 

I always use Pioneer stereos and have never had any trouble with them, even when they're old. Sounds like something else might be up here...

 

I think Xplods work just fine. I've always had better experiences with sony than pioneer.

But your problem has nothing to do with brand/make. Either you have loose wiring(most likely), or you just got a defective stereo.

 

get this they built a brand new HUGE Circuit City about 14 miles from my home, a nice looking store, put the sign up the shelfs and decorations in..... AND IT NEVER OPENED lol the other 2 within 30 miles of me CLOSED
im C.C. was who i delt with best buy is retarded here

 

I mean this as nicely as possible, but where the hell have you been the last 3 months??

Circuit City closed nationwide. Every store, every location, the website has been down almost as long. They opened a new store near me as well, back in 2004, I helped open it as I worked there part time back then. Some good friends of mine lost decent-paying jobs there when they closed.

 

I can't see a store from my couch right now, but check the web site again.....

Still up, still have sales. Even promotional $1,000/day for 100 days thing going on right now.

 

All American Circuit City stores have closed, I lost my mobile tech job when that happened.

Canada may still have stores open.

Stephen, if you look at the top banner it says how they are under new ownership as an online store only. If you had a previous account its gone, gift cards have no value and they are not honoring returns or anything from when we had physical stores.

To the OP, if Circuit installed it, or if you used our wiring, we had something called Smart(A$$) Harnesses that took the work out of radios. Basically you have your GM side and your Pioneer side and then each harness has a universal connector. At times the quality was good but usually it was garbage, if you just pull the connector out and solder the wires together than you will be fine. The pins had a tendency to get pushed out of the connector causing less than perfect connection.

 

You're right, the website is still there. That I can't explain as I know it was down. Might be a spoofed site, who knows. I know all the retail locations closed. It was all over the web and the news outlets near me.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/16/news.../circuit_city/

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/06...-by-march-8th/

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/s...23&newsLang=en

 

http://www.circuitcity.com/sectors/opt-outv2.asp

 

If you call 2 lines of link letters, 1/2" tall by 2" wide a "banner".....

All I see is:
"CircuitCity.com is under new ownership - Learn more"

Who in the world is even gonna see that? I never have.

 

The Devil is in the Detail.


Honestly I would have missed it too, if I hadn't lived the downfall of circuit.

 

What do i need to take my stereo out and check the wiring

 

I completely missed that as well.

 

You'll need the appropriate size Torx driver and nutdriver to remove the bolts from the cover panel and the bracket that is holding the head unit in. To test, you can use either a DMM or a test light. A DMM would be better as it will allow you to measure the amount of voltage in the wiring, not just if there is voltage there. Connect it to the ignition power wire and to ground wire, and take the car for a drive. Keep an eye on it for any fluctuations in voltage/bulb dimming. If it does fluctuate/dim, then try connecting the ground connection to a good CLEAN ground and repeate the test. If the reading still fluctuates/bulb dims then you have a problem in the ignition power lead. If not, then the problem is a bad ground for the radio. Easiest way to fix the ground is to make a new ground for the radio. If its the ignition power, you'll have to check for grounding/open in the wire between the radio connector and the fuse block.

Its also possible that whoever installed the radio(I'm assuming it wasn't you) didn't make a good connection on the power and/or ground wires when they installed the wiring harness adapter. Test the connections at the factory connector and with the harness adapter installed.

Generally speaking, most electrical problems in a car are related to bad grounds.

 

Check the box, there should be a little bag with a few screws and two "L" shaped peices of metal. Those L's are the radio keys, you can pull of the plastic trim ring, slide the keys in on the side of the radio between the metal cage and the actual radio (right in the center of the left and right side). Make sure you have the little part of the L facing away from the radio. As you slide em in they will make a nice sound that lets you know they have locked in, you then just pull back and your radio is out.

If circuit installed it I can almost guarantee its that damn smartharness, little 20ish pin semi clear connector. They are also used in power supplies in PC's. Just cut that connector out and solder the wires together that used to be connected via that jank connector.

Yes I said jank, those stupid connectors account for 97% of my "come backs" but my manager said it was a company wide policy to use those.

 

A little off subject but my 2 cents on circuit city is that its now probably owned by the same company that owns tigerdirect.com Check it out youll see why

 

Yes, That is correct, Systemax, Inc. is the new owner of the Circuit City Brand and Website, which includes all customer databases as well. the company also owns the old CompUSA brand as well.

I was one of the CCity employees who busted my a$$ for a company that went under due to poor Upper management. R.I.P CC

http://www.systemax.com/techproducts.html