Fried my radio

[Hawkeye Jim]

15 year Ram owner. First time on any forum.

Got a '19 1500 Classic with the basic radio. I installed a Kicker 5 channel Amp and replaced the 4 door speakers, 2 dash speakers, and added a 10" sub. I did all of this using the factory head unit until I could get a new one. I cut the rear speaker wires just before the rear doors, wired the radio side to the amp and then the amp back to the speaker side. worked just fine. Then I did the same thing up front, starting with the drivers door. Got it hooked up and tested it, but my radio started smoking. I disconnected the amp and wired everything back up factory. Everything on the radio worked normally, except no sound output to any speakers.

Can anyone tell me why the radio fried? I assume something in the wiring from the door speakers and the dash speakers has something to do with it. It's driving me crazy no knowing.

Subsequently replaced the head unit. Wired everything correctly this time using the factory wiring behind the head unit. Works great!! Funny how that happens when you do things the right way.

 

[Glenn54]

I'm curious too but I'm not an electronics expert. I wonder if that would have happened if you would have disconnected the battery? What part of Texas are you from?

 

[Hawkeye Jim]

I had the battery disconnected anytime I was wiring. Reconnected it and then turned the radio on.

I wish I knew exactly how the front door and dash speakers were wired. That might help explain it.

I'm front the Fort Hood area.

 

[madtrucker2016]

you can find the wiring on line just google it and look at the wiring maybe you crossed a wire by mistake it happens

 

[troutspinner]

The front door and dash speakers are run off of the same output. It splits behind the dash. When you wired just the door speaker, you still had the dash speaker inline with the factory system and most likely grounded the factory output.

 

[Hawkeye Jim]

Thanks Trout. I'm not an expert but that does kinda make sense. I thought I somehow upset the impedance factor between the 2 speakers and maybe the radio output wasn't compatible.