To get the stereo to run you need 3 wires hooked up. So you new harness should look like this, well at least the colors of the wires. One will be located in your vehicle’s main or accessory fuse block, and it will often be labeled in an obvious manner. In order to track down the reason that your car radio won't turn on, you'll want to tackle each of these potential issues one at a time. Connect the red wire to the same location as the yellow wire and turn the key to the run position and see if the stereo turns on. And it also loses preferences (volume, radio stations, etc) Info about the connection from the car: Yellow wire - it is labeled "Battery" (on the car side), voltage is 12 when car is on, 0 when car is off. 9 Answers. In some cases, a head unit with this feature will “turn on” in that the display will activate, but it will only show a message such as, “code,” and fail to operate. Today the dealership did a tuneup, replaced the timing belt, and put in a new battery. You can bench test the unit by connecting the power and ground leads directly to 12V positive and negative, if you like, but if the power and ground both showed good in the vehicle, you are unlikely to find a different result with the unit removed. At this point, you'll want to break out some basic car diagnostic tools, like a multimeter and a test light. Aftermarket radio won't turn off after turning car/key off. So first off, I began checking all my wiring and everything was fine. Sort by. Could just be a timing coincidence or, like another poster said, it could be the new headunit is "too much" for an old battery and killed it. Cars are unforgiving environments for electronics, and vibration, heat and dust can all cause premature failure. Understanding what a remote turn on wire does and installing it correctly will ensure there is no unwanted current draw on the vehicle’s battery when the audio system should be off. I bought the new car radio/stereo unit, installed it, but there is a problem it wont stay on when i turn of my car. Observe the security TELLTALE. I tested my constant, and my ignition wires at every point leading up to the stereo and everything is reading fine. Some head units have built-in fuses, typically located on the back side, and some installations have additional in-line fuses located somewhere on the power wire or wires. 90% Upvoted. red to red, yellow to yellow, thats ign power, and memory constant. Place the negative probe on the … When I attached the new battery, the radio would not turn on and hasn't since. If the display is totally blank when the unit fails to power up, that is a good indication that you’re actually dealing with another problem. A PLANET AUDIO MULTIMEDIA ABOUT THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD) PANEL Do not press on the LCD panel on the unit as doing so can distort the picture or cause a malfunction. Release the power button when the display lights up and the radio turns on. Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day, Bench Test the Head Unit and Replace if Needed, Fixing a Car Radio That Stopped Working After the Battery Died, How to Fix a Car Radio That Won't Turn Off. If there are any doubts about the pigtail, you can remove it and replace it, ensuring that it seats properly. It contains detailed instructions and plans. Remove any surge protector. Although you can check for power at the back of the radio with a test light, you’ll get a more complete picture if you use a multimeter. All fuses are OK, I have swapped radios out with another vehicle to see if the radio itself was dead, but the radio is good and the problem lies within the car itself. Turn off only the car stereo using the POWER On/Off button. Attempt to start the engine, (engine won’t start), and allow the ignition switch to return to the run position so the dash lights are on. 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