One of the most persistent issues with car radios is them stopping randomly as soon as you hit a snag (read: bump) in the road. You’re minding your own business, and even the slightest ditch or bump in the road somehow manages to put that joyride to a stop.
So, why did the precious $300 (let’s say, it is) car radio shut off after bumping? And how do you fix it?
Apparently, hitting the head unit as hard as you can with frustration doesn’t work (trust me, I tried). But before you start regretting the purchase, let me assure you that the issue is fixable — unless you’re really unlucky, at least.
And given that it’s mostly caused by minor imperfections in the wiring or installation, one could fix this by themselves with a bit of know-how. In this piece, we’ll go through the possible reasons behind this inconvenience and discuss the possible ways to fix this. Let’s d(r)ive in.
Checking Out the Issue
Well, the music just stops. How much more diagnoses do you want?
A bit more than that. While usually part of this problem relates to your radio stopping, the underlying issues may vary. For one, some users find that their radios still retain power when the sound cuts out.
On the other hand, the radio flat out loses the power whenever you hit the bump, which is a different sort of problem. Furthermore, whether you have an aftermarket head unit also makes a huge difference, as the problem areas tend to change slightly.
I’d suggest looking at these seemingly trivial details before you jump in to try and find a solution. These problems arise from different parts of your car, so going for the one size fits all approach would only waste your time. That being said, let’s move on.
Why Your Car Radio Stops After Hitting a Bump
There may be various reasons behind why the sound system decides to take a breather after hitting bumps. The most familiar one among them would be trouble with wiring. Now, wiring refers to a vast area, which we’ll get into.
Another common issue would be the connection with the amp or the antenna of the radio. This is comparatively unusual, so first, we’ll try troubleshooting with the assumption that fixing the wiring problem would suffice (and it usually does).
The last issue may be caused by the head unit itself, which would cost you. Let’s look at them one by one.