Audio Systems: car stereo, cigarette lighter, memory wire

Question
My car stereo recently stopped working, so i purchased a new one. I installed it and it doesn't work either. It won't turn on and shows no sign of power. None of the fuses are blown. The wire running from the battery runs through the cigarette lighter, and that still works. I have done it before, so im almost positive the wiring is correct. I dont think the cd player is defective because the same thing happened with my old one. Any ideas? Thanks!

Answer
Without knowing the year/make/model of the vehicle or the head unit make/model... I can only generally help you.
But these should get you going.

Always use a voltmeter or a 12v testlight to be sure you are hooking it up to actively 'hot' wires when dealing with the constant power source.

Be sure to run the decks' ground wire to the chassis of the car (bypass any groundwires you might think the vehicle has).
Be sure the memory wire for the head unit (if equipped) is wired to a constant 12v source.


If this does not fix it, test it OUT of the vehicle to be sure its ok. Units can arrive DOA..  but it is rare.

Gl and thanks for the question.

J Mael