[TJ_Babe]

In trying to get the dash off to diagnose my stereo, I noticed that I need to remove the panel on top of the passenger side air bag. Is it ok to remove it, or will taking it off mess up the air bag?

 

[97TJAC]

How much of the dashboard are you removing?

i have only had to take out the ash tray...remove the defrost vent and then there are 2 screws i believe in there and the middle section comes out and that should be enough for you to get to everything

 

[JeepCrawler98]

You mean the cowl-vent/cover that runs almost the entire length of the dash? You can remove it no problem.

 

[97TJAC]

correct
i take mine off all the time cause i have damn problems with my heater controls

 

[TJ_Babe]

How much of the dashboard are you removing?

i have only had to take out the ash tray...remove the defrost vent and then there are 2 screws i believe in there and the middle section comes out and that should be enough for you to get to everything

Oops. I was planning on going in through the sides. Guess you have a point. That will be my next area of attack.

And the part I was talking about was just slightly above the glove box. It's the panel that blows out when the air bags are deployed. I got the top part off where the vents are pretty easily. just popped right off.

 

[bluvikng]

I have to say, you are very tenacious. You will soon know everything about the inner workings of your Jeep. Soon we will be asking you for advise........lol.

 

[97TJAC]

That can be a good thing
i am not that ambitious sometimes
TJ_BABE she gets a problem she is instantly tearing things apart to find out :}

good luck with the stereo
let us know what u find out

 

[TJ_Babe]

Soon we will be asking you for advise........lol.

No no no no... lol... just cuz I can take things apart... means not that I know what to do once it's apart. Got the whole stupid stereo unveiled and I am still no closer to an answer then I was before I broke a FEW nails. Turns out, you can't test a stereo with a continuity meter. because.... if the electronic switch that turns it on it stuck in the on position... aparently it shows a complete curcuit regardless. So, untill I get a test light... I am in the dark... quietly. go figure. Time to start channelling ObiWan

 

[bluvikng]

You are hilarious..........love your attitude. Don't give up.

 

[Tdad]

No no no no... lol... just cuz I can take things apart... means not that I know what to do once it's apart.

What's the problem with the stereo? Maybe we can help diagnose that for you.

 

[TJ_Babe]

What's the problem with the stereo? Maybe we can help diagnose that for you.

Well... lets see.. where do I start. lol. I left the top off completely in a 4 day t-storm. now my Jeep is embarassingly quiet. lol. No power to the stereo. Not the fuse... fuse was fine. Thinking it shorted out and fried maybe when I started the Jeep for the first time after it rained. Would love any ideas.

 

[amerijeep]

You could easily run power to the stereo, even temporarily, to see if it will even power up. You can get power from a known good circuit.

 

[97TJAC]

u could take the stereo out and can't you hook it up to the battery
i am sure i had to do that one time to get a cd out once i had the stereo removed

and that would be a way to see if it is the stereo or a connection

 

[TJ_Babe]

I'm going to have to eventually. "hook it up to the battery"... I really hate to lose my Saliva CD. For now.. I put the dash back on... (sigh) it started to rain. I won't get another chance till next week.

 

[JeepCrawler98]

If you want to extract your CD - what you can do is take a paperclip, straighten it out, and with some needlenose pliers put a small 90* bend at the end, about 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch inwards (so it acts as a hook). Then carefully stick it down the slot, pointing just a bit upwards so it goes on top of the CD, and fish for the hole in the middle of the CD. Be carefull though - as paperclips can have rough edges so if you go in there with too much force you can permanently scratch the foil off of the CD (which is what the label is printed on, and what holds the data)

 

[97TJAC]

well that can be her last resort
the battery trick will allow her to see if the cd player still works :}

 

[Tdad]

Thinking it shorted out and fried maybe when I started the Jeep for the first time after it rained. Would love any ideas.

If it got soaked and water went inside that's entirely possible. Are we talkig about the factory radio/CD? I wouldn't even try to fix it. You can pick one up at Crutchfield.com for a little over a hundred bucks and it will come with all the installation parts as well as directions to take the dash apart the easy way.
It'll sound better too.

When you say the fuse is good are you referring to the fuse in the fusebox for the radio circuit? There could also be an inline fuse on the hot (usually red) wire or even a fuse inside the case.

 

[TJ_Babe]

There could also be an inline fuse on the hot (usually red) wire or even a fuse inside the case.

That's what I was thinking. But where would it most likely be on the power line? Are we talking into the engine compartment? or closer under the dash? Problem is that I have no clue where to start to look. Taking the dash apart is the easy part.

 

[jeeperman]

That's what I was thinking. But where would it most likely be on the power line? Are we talking into the engine compartment? or closer under the dash? Problem is that I have no clue where to start to look. Taking the dash apart is the easy part.

May be a fuse on the back of the unit... Have seen them there before!

 

[TJ_Babe]

May be a fuse on the back of the unit... Have seen them there before!

Already looked. There isn't one. BTW I love your signature. It's wrong, but I like it.