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Topic: ANOTHER issue found with my '79 T-bird (Read 1386 times) previous topic - next topic

ANOTHER issue found with my '79 T-bird

THANKS AGAIN to 88turbo and softtouch for your help in dx'ing my turn signal problem... it was the turn signal flasher as the fuse for the turn signals was good. 

But now I have another issue going on...  it seems that when I first turn on the radio (and don't laugh when I say that its an AM only radio) after a cold start it doesn't seem to work.  But after I've had the car running for a few minutes, it seems to work just fine.

Any ideas or suggestions on where to look first??

ANOTHER issue found with my '79 T-bird

Reply #1
Your vacuum tubes have to warm up.  Just kidding.
Engine running shouldn't have any effect on the radio except to raise the voltage a little with the alternator running.
Try the ignition in ACC to see if it comes on without the delay. This will use a different contact in the switch for the radio power.

ANOTHER issue found with my '79 T-bird

Reply #2
Hey softtouch....

Vacuum Tubes??  That's funny!

Anyways after testing the radio with the ignition in ACC its dead.  And the same problem as before still exists with the radio.

ANOTHER issue found with my '79 T-bird

Reply #3
I have the same AM radio in my 79 cougar, mine doesnt always work either.  I just blamed its age, its still in its place although I never could pick up any stations with it.

ANOTHER issue found with my '79 T-bird

Reply #4
Quote from: DiamondJim65;420050
Hey softtouch....

Vacuum Tubes??  That's funny!

Anyways after testing the radio with the ignition in ACC its dead.  And the same problem as before still exists with the radio.
Does this mean the radio never comes on in ACC ? How about the windshield wipers, power windows, trunk release, any of that stuff work in ACC ?
Trying to determine if you have a power problem related to a bad ignition switch.

ANOTHER issue found with my '79 T-bird

Reply #5
Quote from: softtouch;420140
Does this mean the radio never comes on in ACC ? How about the windshield wipers, power windows, trunk release, any of that stuff work in ACC ?
Trying to determine if you have a power problem related to a bad ignition switch.

Softtouch...

Yes that is correct.  As I stated before, the ONLY WAY that the radio will work is if the car has been running for a few minutes and then its OK.  To answer your question, the wipers work fine in ACC... the car doesn't have power windows or a trunk release.

ANOTHER issue found with my '79 T-bird

Reply #6
there may just be a small amplifier circuit in there that is now needing some time to warm up before it works.
i have  solid state GE radio that does something similar.

 

ANOTHER issue found with my '79 T-bird

Reply #7
Quote from: jcassity;420891
there may just be a small amplifier circuit in there that is now needing some time to warm up before it works.
i have  solid state GE radio that does something similar.

Jcassity,

I have no idea what's going on with it... Since I cannot afford to replace the radio I have just learned to live with it.  If I could afford to do so, I'd be driving something else, but since I've been unemployed for quite some time, that's not gonna happen anytime real soon.

Thanks for your insight!