I just installed a new stereo, but doesn't get constant power. Works great except looses memory ?

Question

supposed to hook up red wire to ignition wire, yellow wire to battery wire, but doesn't work unless all 4 are hooked up together. looses memory when i turn of car ignition. what did i do wrong?

Answer 1

What kind of car are you installing it in?

It actually sounds like you have the constant and the ignition backwards.  

Answer 2

The most likely explanation is a blown fuse in the vehicle fuse box.  The constant power wire and the accessory power wire each has its own fuse.  If the stereo doesn't work unless you combine the constant and accessory wires, that means you're only getting accessory power and no constant power.  Re-wire them the way they're supposed to be, then find the blown fuse and replace it.

The constant power fuse is often shared with other accessories, and may not be labeled as a radio fuse.  If you have another constant-powered circuit in the vehicle that's not working, that may be a clue to the blown fuse: check your dome light, cigarette lighter, and locks.  You may need to check all the fuses in the vehicle, including any fuse box under the hood.

Here's a tutorial on a quick way to find blown fuses, using a multimeter: http://kzcarfi.blogspot.com/2008/08/test...