My Radio doesn't turn on
 

My car is new to me, so I am not up on what's going on with anything really. The Head Unit is a Kenwood old model, but has a detachable face plate and a cassette deck. Neither the cig lighter (which looks burnt out?) or the stereo turn on or work. When the face plate is off the red LED flashes. I think it was a pro install. Real clean up front and in back. I tried all the fuses. One was burn't but replacing it did nothing. I looked around and found 2 red wires, one 12 gauge and one about 8 gauge both cut off and going down under the passenger floor mat. Also there is a stereo RCA cable laying loose at one end and up into the cabin from the trunk. I don't know what's wrong, and I'd like to have my stereo working. I have a solid level of electronics knowledge , so I thought I'd ask the experts

pull the stereo out and their might be a fuse in the back of it,
check the red wire from the back of the stereo its not getting power.

OK, will do. It will be a couple days. I am looking foe work and my schedule is pretty full.

Thanks 94Civichatchback

Did you check the fuses in the box next to the battery under the hood? I think the "constantly on" power for the radio comes from one of those.

The cut wires are from someone removing an amplifier, probably it had a subwoofer setup at one time. For now, tape up the ends of each wire so they can't short out.

If the radio still doesn't work and all fuses are OK, remove it from the dash (if it was a professional install, there should be an adapter to the car's wiring harness, so you can just unplug it). Connect the yellow (Battery/Power) and red (Ignition) wires together to (+) of a car battery and the black (Ground) wire to (-). Make sure none of the other wires are touching each other. The unit should come on and appear to work, for example you can load a CD and it should spin up and show the track and time. Obviously you won't hear anything because there are no speakers. If the radio doesn't pass this test, it is faulty, replace it.

the theft light blinks so the constant 12v wire has power its the red wire thats not got any power.

mmhmh. I'll check the other fuse panel at the battery like you said mk378. I am hoping that is something like that. (e.g. something that is quick to check but I just didn't know it existed.) If that's not the case I'll check the power feeds right at the back of the HU. I should have time in the afternoon after I fix my friends 88 Aerostar's brakes.

Couldn't wait. I checked the battery post fuses...they were both good.

Those fuses mounted right on the battery are for the automatic seat belts. There are more fuses in the black box on the fender / strut tower with the heavy cable leading to it. But like 94 said, unlikely to be your problem but easy enough to check.

I have been really busy. Mom's house for yard work 3 or for times in a week, Fixing and re-fixing my friends brakes, Job interview and applications, helping my friend prep his other house for rental, sick neighbor needing comfort, and taking care of my home and cat Odo. So anyway, I found time to look at the near battery fuse box and found the smaller blade type 10A fuse on the back of the unit -- all good. So I need to do what 94civichatchback instructed and pull the unit or at least check the power feeds to the unit from behind, there's a lot of room to work back there. Maybe tomorrow late afternoon after a second interview or when a potential work schedule permits.

44 years and a day! So sorry it took me this long. I should start work in retail customer assistance Wednesday. I pulled the HU today. 1 connector into the HU, From the car wiring there was 1 connector each for L and R speakers ,1 connector for all the rest (Blue white, Yellow, Red and Black). With the ign to run position and all connectors hooked up and fuse on back good I got 12v + on the Red and yellow and 0v on the blue white. The black was 0 v too (Blk to gnd). No actctivity on the unit.


Replace the unit?