40 radio 6 volt power source connection spot

[L78CHEVELLE]

I have my '40 radio hooked up for the 6 volt power source at the location the Zenith radio manual recommends. I have attached a picture to illustrate this point. Everything works as designed until I turn on the headlights with the radio playing. After about 45 seconds the circuit breaker starts to cut out and the headlights and radio go off for a few seconds and then come back on for a few seconds and then go back off for a few seconds. This continues until I either turn off the radio or the headlights. I could change the location of the radio hook up, but is something wrong with my system that would cause this problem? Has any one else had this situation? If I do need to change the radio power source hook up spot where should I put it to be safe, the radio to play with the switch off, and the radio not pick up the engine noise? Radio does not pick up the engine now for local stations.

 

[Drbrown]

Sounds like your circuit breaker is doing its job, and the electric system and radio should be protected by the breaker. If your headlights and other electric loads didn't trigger the Circuit breaker before (1) I wonder if there's a short inside the radio causing it to draw too much elec, or (2) maybe your condensor is faulty.

I would first use an amp meter to see how much current the radio is drawing and compare it to what the radio is suppose to draw. If no problem there its something else.
If not protected by a circuit breaker you at least need a suitable sized fuse on its power feed.

Those circuit breakers are known to go bad. Mine did and I put a fuse board in. Dan

 

[lenandmy40]

Even though the circuit looks correct I would run a separate fuse for the radio. The radio runs about 7 amps It's to unsafe to have other items on the path causing the lights to go out. You could move the radio wire to the other post of the circuit breaker and add a 10 amp mini fuse there. Sincerely Len

 

[TerryOH]

They want the fuse for the radio on the battery side of the circuit breaker. You have both the lights and the radio on the load side. This adds the radio load and the headlights to the breaker causing the breaker to trip. I believe the Yellow/Black wire is the battery side place the radio fuse with the Y/B wire and not side with the Yellow/Red wire.

 

[L78CHEVELLE]

This car is a stock car with a stock radio, which has an original in line fuse. The fuse does not blow in the radio. Again, everything works as designed when I use it individually, but I have the problem when I have the radio and the headlights on at the same time. Turn one or the other off and the problem goes away. I may try to hook up the radio to the departing side of the circuit breaker and see if the problem goes away. I preferred to follow Ford's instructions and hook up the radio as illustrated. I would think the radio fuse would protect the electrical circuit of the car from damage if a problem came up with the new hook up spot for the radio power source. I do have a condenser for the radio that will attach to the input side of the circuit breaker and I would think it would not be affected by the change in the power source hook up location.

 

[rotorwrench]

Circuit breakers work off heat. As was previously mentioned, if your fused wire is connected to the load end of the circuit breaker, then you should connect it to the battery side of that breaker instead. The radio will then only be protected by the fuse as designed.

The breakers (bi-metalic strip type) do go bad with time and it may be time for a new one as well.