Dead car radio

Orogogus

The radio in my 92 Honda Accord Ex has died -- when I try to turn it on there's no light, no audio, nada, and there's a cassette stuck in there (normally it would trigger the ejection mechanism it as soon as it was turned off). The antenna motor still triggers, though.

Some Internet research said this was most likely a blown fuse, so the last time I got an oil change I asked the shop to change the radio fuse, but that didn't fix it. I'm not completely comfortable with the directions for changing a car radio, so can I just buy a new radio and ask the shop to swap it for me? Or should I ask the mechanic to diagnose the problem first -- could the problem be elsewhere in the car?

knitdan

I'd ask a mechanic to diagnose the problem. It could just be a blown fuse, or it could be a short somewhere. Have you had any other electrical problems with the car?

If you're looking at a new radio, your best bet is probably a shop that specializes in that kind of thing.

Handgimp

If your stereo's fuse is good and the stereo just died, Crutchfield is really good about letting you know exactly what will fit in your car, and for a small fee will get you an adapter harness so you're not splicing into the car's wiring and detailed instructions, as well as phone assistance. But if you're not comfortable with that, definitely take it to a car audio shop (usually the same places will do window tinting / detailing / etc).

BouwsT

Handgimp wrote: »

If your stereo's fuse is good and the stereo just died, Crutchfield is really good about letting you know exactly what will fit in your car, and for a small fee will get you an adapter harness so you're not splicing into the car's wiring and detailed instructions, as well as phone assistance. But if you're not comfortable with that, definitely take it to a car audio shop (usually the same places will do window tinting / detailing / etc).

I've used Crutchfield harnesses before, they work slick! Plug and play ease.

LoveIsUnity

I did my first stereo installation by myself, and spent a solid hour matching up wires using wire diagrams and all of that nonsense... Buying a plug and play harness is soooooo worth it.