I'm trying to see why my stereo doesn't work. When I say that it doesn't work, i mean that the display is blank and no sound comes out of the speakers. It has been broken for quite some time now - even before I owned the car. The first thng that i noticed when i pulled the stereo out was some of the wires on the wiring harness had been cut then re-soldered. There are 2 crossovers chillin hooked to nothing also.

First thang is first, I checked the fuse and it was Ok. Next I pulled out all the wires and tried to see if I got 12 volts out of any of them but nothing. There is a wiring harness, 2 black wires and one gray one but I don't know which one is the juice. What do i check next because I havn't a clue. I feel pretty useless. THanks

Well i would check to see if you have power right at the radio harness. Most radios have 2 power wires, one that is constant power(always on regardless of key position), and one that turns on with the key. Check to be sure you have both power there, and then check to see that you have a good solid ground at the radio. Be sure to double check the car's fuse..Look for any inline fuses in the radio's harness too...This is a good place to start. Use a test light on the wires to confirm power..

Also check the back of the radio, some of them have a fuse back there that might be blown also. If you have power getting to it and all of your fuses are good then I would guess that maybe the radio is shot..

Check all of the fuses, including the ones under the hood.

Sweet sounds! Ah much better. I guess it's no coincidence that the first sounds were the fire and brimstone teachings of God. Anyhow, thanks for everyone's help. I checked all the fuses again but they were okay. I failed to find the fuses behind the stereo. Next I looked for that 2nd wire that only turns on the radio when the key is turned to accessory (thanks xtreme). I cut into it and installed an inline fuse. Toasted that. At first I thought head unit transplant but after further examination of the accessory wire where it was cut previously, I noticed the accessory wire was open and rubbing against another wire. It was not completely insulated and as a result no sounds. Now I can listen to that steaming pile of sweetness, Howard Stern in the morning. Woo hoo.

Glad you got it fixed, sound slike your back in business and betond happy now....:)

:thumbsup