You might be overreacting just a bit.

First of all, you're assuming that the Empeg has a mounting location for a fan. Those could be just ventilation holes, not specifically a fan mount. OK, I'll grant you, the holes kind of look like they were meant for a fan.

Secondly, Empeg did a lot of testing to confirm that the unit could operate in (within reason) harsh climates. They do have testing and quality control.

Finally, the kind of glitches you're describing make it sound like it might have been faulty unit (as Rob said), although temperature problems could definitely cause that kind of failure.

The photos of your 1/2-DIN EQ mounting looked really nifty, but I'm wondering if the EQ unit was putting off any heat of its own? Also, most dashboards leave some air space around the radio mounting area, and most car stereos count on this air space being present. The EQ may have been blocking the Empeg's ability to radiate its heat naturally.

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Tony Fabris