my stereo was randomly powering off then powering back on for a short while, then suddenly just stopped entirely. i checked all the fuses and after finding nothing i pulled the stereo and replaced it with another working one....still no power. i thought for sure the issue was the stereo but im glad i didnt buy another one,... i used a test light and checked the harness at the back and as far as i can tell it appears that power is coming from the harness...what could i be missing? does anyone know where i should look?

 

The amp in these vehicles commonly fail. It is located on the underside of the rear package tray between the 6x9 speakers.

 

Regular preventive maintenance is probably the single thing you can do as a car owner to keep your ride happy and save money on repairs in the future. However, not everyone agrees on what preventive maintenance is, what you should do, and when you should do it. Let's clear that up, and give you some tips that'll apply to any vehicle.
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PREVENTATIVE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE

 

if the amp quit would it cut all power to the stereo? i have no lights or clock.

 

In your original post you indicated that you have power. That is why I suggested the (common) problem of the amp failing. If you have no power at all the first thing I would do is go back and check your fuses. Whenever working on anything electrical it is very easy to accidently pop a fuse if the battery is not disconnected.

 

Another issue to consider, you know you have power, are the grounds to the radio also good? Need both power and ground. If the ground is messed up it still won't work.