xgrizzfan

My 2003's radio died while we were on a camping trip just after I got the
truck (maybe 4000 miles). Dodge was pretty good about it, and replaced the
radio at a dealership far from where I bought the truck.

The way it went, it scared the crap out of me though. The LED display
dimmed and then went out. No other lights went. I pulled the radio fuse
out and it looked good, so I put it back in. When I got in the truck and
turned the key, wisps of smoke could be seen escaping the dash. I turned
the key off and the smoke didn't stop. I jumped out and yanked the fuse as
fast as I could. While I was waiting for the new radio (about three
days--there was a hole in my dash while we were camping), I checked out the
wiring and saw nothing to be worried about. The dealership (of course) said
that they didn't see anything wrong with the wiring either. The new radio
works fine and I haven't had a problem with it.

I have a feeling that the problem was vibration caused even though
automotive vibration specs are among the worst in the electronics industry.
I have to drive up I-110 from the LA Harbor every day, and the semis that
drive that interstate have just beat the living crap out of the road.
Cal-Trans, the California Department of Transportation, has shaved a lane or
two flat in the past and those lanes are smooth, but the whole road needs to
be shaved. My truck and I shake pretty bad every day. Makes you wish for a
traffic jam sometimes.

kevin campbell \(e.c.m.s\)

You don't have to tell me about rough roads, I live in northern Ontario,
Canada. We don't have pot holes up here, we have places where the road is
missing. Not uncommon to see potholes 6-10" deep and 12-16" around, and that
is one of the good roads. That's why we all drive 4x4 trucks up here

Kevin


My 2003's radio died while we were on a camping trip just after I got the
truck (maybe 4000 miles). Dodge was pretty good about it, and replaced the
radio at a dealership far from where I bought the truck.

The way it went, it scared the crap out of me though. The LED display
dimmed and then went out. No other lights went. I pulled the radio fuse
out and it looked good, so I put it back in. When I got in the truck and
turned the key, wisps of smoke could be seen escaping the dash. I turned
the key off and the smoke didn't stop. I jumped out and yanked the fuse as
fast as I could. While I was waiting for the new radio (about three
days--there was a hole in my dash while we were camping), I checked out the
wiring and saw nothing to be worried about. The dealership (of course) said
that they didn't see anything wrong with the wiring either. The new radio
works fine and I haven't had a problem with it.

I have a feeling that the problem was vibration caused even though
automotive vibration specs are among the worst in the electronics industry.
I have to drive up I-110 from the LA Harbor every day, and the semis that
drive that interstate have just beat the living crap out of the road.
Cal-Trans, the California Department of Transportation, has shaved a lane or
two flat in the past and those lanes are smooth, but the whole road needs to
be shaved. My truck and I shake pretty bad every day. Makes you wish for a
traffic jam sometimes.