What could be wrong? I have a 2003 Toyota Corolla S-model, a while back my battery died so

Question

I have a 2003 Toyota Corolla S-model, a while back my battery died so someone jumpstarted my car. When we were jumping it the other person took the cables off of their car and the cables ended up touching and making the car die again. So we jumped it again and it worked, but when I got ready to turn on the radio there was nothing. So I was wondering if there is like a code to type in or maybe a short in a wire somewhere. I took it to the Toyota place and they said it would be like $400 to send it in to have it looked at, they looked at all the fuses and said they were still good. I decided maybe I should just buy a new stereo and see if it works but I'm not sure if it's something in the memory of the car that is broken or just the radio, I'd hate to buy a new radio and still have the same problem. If anyone has any idea on what to do please help me out. I'm going on my 4th month with NO radio and it's not fun!

Answer 1

if the radio still powers up and all you need is the radio code call up the dealership, they will give it to you

if there was a short check it yourself there are two fuseboxes one under the hood and one in the car look under radio

Answer 2

you shouldnt go to turn on your radio right away if you car wouldnt start,

but if the radio doesnt even turn on check all the wires yourself

Answer 3

I would suggest you take your vehicle to an independent mechanic or to a car stereo shop and have them fix the problem.  

If there is an issue with the security code on the radio, it will usually read "code" or something else like that.  If you are unable to turn it on at all, and nothing ever shows on the display it may have died.

Any mechanic can pull out the radio and test it and tell you what the problem is for at most one hour of labor ($60-100), most in 1/2 that time.

Answer 4

Check the fuses yourself, your manual should tell you where to look. All your electrical accessories should be protected by fuses. "Touching" or "grounding" the cables should not damage the radio but it is possible. If the fuses are still good then the radio has been damaged. $400 is way too much to have it looked at, you can the exact replacement on ebay for under $100. Stock stereos are not very good,  if it is damaged I would just get a new aftermarket stereo. IMO Alpine is the best but any major brand should be an improvement over stock.