Fitted dab radio adapter to CDT now losing or incorrect display

Glen B · 21st April 2024, 12:47

My wife bought me a plug in adapter so I can listen to digital radio stations without losing original radio. The company on the box is Kova Associates, Portsmouth. We followed the instructions, ie, remove passenger side windscreen trim, stick aerial to windscreen, stick earth piece to metal at side of window, put trim back, run cable towards display clipped to air vent, connect display to lighter socket. I ran the aerial cable down the inside of the trim, using an old 45 aerial with end of cable cable tied to it I pushed the aerial down the gap below the trim ( while trim was off) and it came out beside the drop down interior fuse box where I unclipped the aerial cable from the old 45 aerial and pulled the old 45 aerial back out and threaded the aerial cable through the drop down fuse box area and then pushed it between the pieces of trim until only a couple of inches from the display. The dab radio worked fine and we left it as we didn't go out in the car.
This morning I took the car for a short run to warm the engine oil up as I changed it and the filter and noticed the "door open" warning on the dashboard. Despite going round and checking/ closing all doors and bonnet and bootlid, the light is still on. Also reads "err" on heater display.
Changed oil, went for a very short run and noticed that although the lights, indicators actually work, there is no lights on the display to show me they are working or any usual clicking of the indicators or hazard lights. I'm wondering what's coming next!
Could I have caught something down the passenger side when I pushed the aerial down, I didn't go into the fuse area with it, I could see the cable in the gap between that and the side of the body?
It's almost like the dab adapter has given my car a virus. As we didn't mess with any electrics ( powered by lighter socket) while fitting, we didn't disconnect the battery and the instructions didn't suggest we did. Can anyone diagnose what's gone wrong and how to put it right please? I've had the car 15 years and never had such electrical problems before.

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SD1too · 21st April 2024, 16:43

It's a K-bus fault Glen. Which radio do you have and how is the adaptor plugged to it? It sounds as if your radio has lost its K-bus connection. If you return the radio to factory condition and the faults disappear you'll have cracked it.

Simon

Glen B · 22nd April 2024, 09:30

Thanks for replying Simon. It's a Harmony radio which works ok, apart from cd changer. The adapter has a wire which at one end plugs into the adapter control/display and the other end is connected to a small box with a plastic film on the windscreen. It has an earth which sticks to the metal of the windscreen pillar on the passenger side under the trim. The display/control has another cable plugged in that goes to the lighter socket for power. I am going to remove it this morning and see what happens. If it's the same, I was thinking of disconnecting the battery for a short while to see if that resets it.

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SD1too · 22nd April 2024, 10:06

Hi Glen,

Thanks for confirming the Harmony radio. I'm afraid that it's still not clear to me from your reply how the DAB radio adaptor is connected to the Harmony. Did you have to unplug the black rectangular 17 pin connector from the Harmony and insert your adaptor's loom between it and the Harmony?

Did the CD changer stop working when you installed the DAB adaptor?

Simon

Glen B · 22nd April 2024, 10:33

Hi Simon,

Its just plugged in through the cigarette lighter and then connects wirelessly to the radio. The CD changer hasn't worked for a while it says no CD when they are in there.

I have installed the aerial on the windscreen. This is the device.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TKMARS-Blue...s%2C75&sr=8-12

Glen

SD1too · 22nd April 2024, 13:06

Thanks very much for the very helpful link Glen. This is the connection schematic:

So by using the "FM" option for audio output transmission to the Harmony you haven't disturbed the Harmony's connectors at all. Am I right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glen B

The CD changer hasn't worked for a while it says no CD when they are in there.

I've had that. The laser is unable to read the CDs so it thinks there aren't any there. This could be because the loading mechanism is getting stuck or I've experienced it when trying to play a home-burnt CD.

Simon

Glen B · 22nd April 2024, 13:22

No we haven't disturbed any connections at all to the Harmony radio.

Thanks

Glen

Glen B · 22nd April 2024, 13:47

Just to let you know Simon, I've removed everything to do with the adapter, including aerial, out of the car. It made no difference so I've disconnected the car battery and hope it will reset everything. I'm going to reconnect the battery soon. It's been disconnected for a couple of hours now.

Glen B · 22nd April 2024, 14:58

Reconnected battery and first off the only thing different was that the door open warning didn't stay on like before. Err went off but came back on and stayed on display with heater switched off. Tried turning different things on and off with engine running sometimes and sometimes with engine off but ignition on. Err has stopped appearing on heater display but no headlight, main beam, fog lights, etc. Left indicator worked ( flashing light and clicking) for a few seconds then stopped of its own accord, this has also happened with right indicator but at a different time. For a few seconds, the wiper control didn't respond but works again now. Tried to put drivers electric window down but no response but that function has come back. Do I need somebody with a decent scanner to reset it all. I only have one for engine codes. The actual lights all work on the outside as I can see the reflection of them all on the 25 currently in front of it. I'm wondering if it's ok to drive to work in it tomorrow morning (12 miles each way) or leave it on the drive and use our 25 until it's all ok again.

Glen B · 22nd April 2024, 16:17

Been back out to car to see if anything changed but its the same. One thing I did notice though, if I press the heated front window button (which also puts fans on high), the Err message comes on and stays on display even if I turn the heater off. If I then turn ignition off and press the button again to turn the front heated windscreen off, the err message also goes off and stays off. The light for the rear heated window doesn't come on now although it did before the dab adapter was fitted. Still no indicator warning or warning for lights though although I know they work.

21st April 2024, 12:47	#1
Glen B Avid contributor Rover 75 Saloon Club, 2005 Rover 45, 2000 Rover 25, 1963 Rover 110 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Warsop Posts: 101 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Fitted dab radio adapter to CDT now losing or incorrect display My wife bought me a plug in adapter so I can listen to digital radio stations without losing original radio. The company on the box is Kova Associates, Portsmouth. We followed the instructions, ie, remove passenger side windscreen trim, stick aerial to windscreen, stick earth piece to metal at side of window, put trim back, run cable towards display clipped to air vent, connect display to lighter socket. I ran the aerial cable down the inside of the trim, using an old 45 aerial with end of cable cable tied to it I pushed the aerial down the gap below the trim ( while trim was off) and it came out beside the drop down interior fuse box where I unclipped the aerial cable from the old 45 aerial and pulled the old 45 aerial back out and threaded the aerial cable through the drop down fuse box area and then pushed it between the pieces of trim until only a couple of inches from the display. The dab radio worked fine and we left it as we didn't go out in the car. This morning I took the car for a short run to warm the engine oil up as I changed it and the filter and noticed the "door open" warning on the dashboard. Despite going round and checking/ closing all doors and bonnet and bootlid, the light is still on. Also reads "err" on heater display. Changed oil, went for a very short run and noticed that although the lights, indicators actually work, there is no lights on the display to show me they are working or any usual clicking of the indicators or hazard lights. I'm wondering what's coming next! Could I have caught something down the passenger side when I pushed the aerial down, I didn't go into the fuse area with it, I could see the cable in the gap between that and the side of the body? It's almost like the dab adapter has given my car a virus. As we didn't mess with any electrics ( powered by lighter socket) while fitting, we didn't disconnect the battery and the instructions didn't suggest we did. Can anyone diagnose what's gone wrong and how to put it right please? I've had the car 15 years and never had such electrical problems before. Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

21st April 2024, 16:43	#2
SD1too Doesn't do things by halves Rover 75 2.5 Connoisseur Auto (1999) Dealer launch model. Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Former Middlesex Posts: 20,412 Thanks: 1,587 Thanked 3,749 Times in 3,181 Posts	It's a K-bus fault Glen. Which radio do you have and how is the adaptor plugged to it? It sounds as if your radio has lost its K-bus connection. If you return the radio to factory condition and the faults disappear you'll have cracked it. Simon __________________ "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble." Sir Henry Royce.

22nd April 2024, 10:06	#4
SD1too Doesn't do things by halves Rover 75 2.5 Connoisseur Auto (1999) Dealer launch model. Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Former Middlesex Posts: 20,412 Thanks: 1,587 Thanked 3,749 Times in 3,181 Posts	Hi Glen, Thanks for confirming the Harmony radio. I'm afraid that it's still not clear to me from your reply how the DAB radio adaptor is connected to the Harmony. Did you have to unplug the black rectangular 17 pin connector from the Harmony and insert your adaptor's loom between it and the Harmony? Did the CD changer stop working when you installed the DAB adaptor? Simon __________________ "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble." Sir Henry Royce.

22nd April 2024, 13:47	#8
Glen B Avid contributor Rover 75 Saloon Club, 2005 Rover 45, 2000 Rover 25, 1963 Rover 110 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Warsop Posts: 101 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Fitted dab radio adapter now losing or incorrect display Just to let you know Simon, I've removed everything to do with the adapter, including aerial, out of the car. It made no difference so I've disconnected the car battery and hope it will reset everything. I'm going to reconnect the battery soon. It's been disconnected for a couple of hours now.

22nd April 2024, 14:58	#9
Glen B Avid contributor Rover 75 Saloon Club, 2005 Rover 45, 2000 Rover 25, 1963 Rover 110 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Warsop Posts: 101 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Fitted dab radio adapter now losing or incorrect display Reconnected battery and first off the only thing different was that the door open warning didn't stay on like before. Err went off but came back on and stayed on display with heater switched off. Tried turning different things on and off with engine running sometimes and sometimes with engine off but ignition on. Err has stopped appearing on heater display but no headlight, main beam, fog lights, etc. Left indicator worked ( flashing light and clicking) for a few seconds then stopped of its own accord, this has also happened with right indicator but at a different time. For a few seconds, the wiper control didn't respond but works again now. Tried to put drivers electric window down but no response but that function has come back. Do I need somebody with a decent scanner to reset it all. I only have one for engine codes. The actual lights all work on the outside as I can see the reflection of them all on the 25 currently in front of it. I'm wondering if it's ok to drive to work in it tomorrow morning (12 miles each way) or leave it on the drive and use our 25 until it's all ok again.

22nd April 2024, 09:30	#3
Glen B Avid contributor Rover 75 Saloon Club, 2005 Rover 45, 2000 Rover 25, 1963 Rover 110 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Warsop Posts: 101 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Thanks for replying Simon. It's a Harmony radio which works ok, apart from cd changer. The adapter has a wire which at one end plugs into the adapter control/display and the other end is connected to a small box with a plastic film on the windscreen. It has an earth which sticks to the metal of the windscreen pillar on the passenger side under the trim. The display/control has another cable plugged in that goes to the lighter socket for power. I am going to remove it this morning and see what happens. If it's the same, I was thinking of disconnecting the battery for a short while to see if that resets it. Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

22nd April 2024, 10:33	#5
Glen B Avid contributor Rover 75 Saloon Club, 2005 Rover 45, 2000 Rover 25, 1963 Rover 110 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Warsop Posts: 101 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Hi Simon, Its just plugged in through the cigarette lighter and then connects wirelessly to the radio. The CD changer hasn't worked for a while it says no CD when they are in there. I have installed the aerial on the windscreen. This is the device. https://www.amazon.co.uk/TKMARS-Blue...s%2C75&sr=8-12 Glen

22nd April 2024, 13:22	#7
Glen B Avid contributor Rover 75 Saloon Club, 2005 Rover 45, 2000 Rover 25, 1963 Rover 110 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Warsop Posts: 101 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	No we haven't disturbed any connections at all to the Harmony radio. Thanks Glen

22nd April 2024, 16:17	#10
Glen B Avid contributor Rover 75 Saloon Club, 2005 Rover 45, 2000 Rover 25, 1963 Rover 110 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Warsop Posts: 101 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Fitted dab radio adapter now losing or incorrect display Been back out to car to see if anything changed but its the same. One thing I did notice though, if I press the heated front window button (which also puts fans on high), the Err message comes on and stays on display even if I turn the heater off. If I then turn ignition off and press the button again to turn the front heated windscreen off, the err message also goes off and stays off. The light for the rear heated window doesn't come on now although it did before the dab adapter was fitted. Still no indicator warning or warning for lights though although I know they work.