hatchback

just been replacing the stereo in my 92 civic with a new cd player - the problem: no power. checked all fuses, replaced a blown one (backup 7.5 amp) under the hood to solve, but no luck. there seems to be no charge/power at all in the 12v + acc/ignition wire coming to the harness (the 12v + constant is fine). i tried following this through the bulkhead and checked it there, still no power. where's the problem!!??? it's pissing me off, any ideas?
cheers.

Endurance

This is a shot in the dark from a rookie...but..could it be a ground problem?

cooliojones

Also, check to make sure the ignition wire from the factory harness is connected to the HU harness. My Alpine did the same thing and I forgot to hook it up!

hatchback

thanks for the thoughts, still no luck. def not a grounding problem (i think) as the 12v + constant is fine off the same grounding point (and others). what is the HU harness - the factory wiring harness? everything looks secure in there. finally got my hands on the chilton manual so should come in handy...

cooliojones

The HU stands for head unit - in other words, the deck that you are putting in.

hatchback

eh, yeah... feeling slightly embarressed now, thanks coolio for clarifying head unit!! well, i wish it was that easy but the problem starts way before that in the original car wiring. i was wondering if instead of following that 12v + acc/ignition wire all the way through the bulk head and towards the battery, i could somehow tap into the ignition wiring in the dash. anyone know if this is possible/dumb/worth it??

rcurley55

Everything should trace back to the factory fuseblock under the dashboard on the driver's side.

How did you handle the wiring for this head unit? Did you use an aftermarket harness to interface with teh factory head unit harness, or did you cut all the wires?

Step one is to throw the factory head back in there...just plug it in and see if it works - if it does, then you know that it's down stream of the harness, and there's a problem with either your aftermarket headunit, or your wiring job.

If the factory head doesn't work, now you can start by using a multimeter or a test light to check that accessory line. I would also replace the fuse if it looks good or not. sometimes they go bad, but still look ok....

There are a few other options on what to do, but those are the first two steps in trouble shooting this.

If the line is dead as it comes into the factory fuseblock, then you have another problem...

hatchback

never trust a fuse!!
with the birth of my new baby, the car has been on the back burner... thankfully i did find the problem - in the fuse box fuse!! ever checked something a million times and still be wrong? well, the simple stuff is easy to fix. stereo in, i'm a happy man. thanks for your help guys.

cheers.