The stereo head unit is Kenwood and said 'Protect' when we turned it on. I understand that could mean there's a short somewhere in the system. The 3 batteries were pretty low on voltage, so could that be it? Is that a can of worms I don't want to open? It also needs all the speakers incl. tower speakers replaced...
Stereo condition would not be a deal breaker IMO. Its not needed, but nice to have, so it can be built later, or a little at a time. The one thing I would want to know NOW, is the alternator functioning or not. Still not a deal breaker for me, as its replaceable, but you NEED it to function properly and would want to account for it in an offer, prior to buying.
So yes, voltage could put a head unit into protect mode. So could a shorted speaker. Both scenarios are easy to determine. Could just be a bad head unit.
Given this is the likely the winter time layup, id go ahead and budget for at least 2 new batteries. Low batteries typically do not survive the winter. You may not need 3.
Michael
Mikes Liquid Audio