08 stock radio/stereo dead power after I just pulled trim up

[kirkhings]

Edit: forgot to say I've been searching a lot on this, across Google and other Yaris forums, youtube videos, and threads here at yarisworld. I couldn't find anything that answered the power question I have. Most others involve loss of power to speakers or a "lockout" thing. I did all the homework I could think of before posting this and asking for help.

I've never had a non-stock car audio system in my life so I was going to get one for father's day. Until I priced the install costs from two shops. Hoping I can learn enough to do it myself, one piece at a time as I can afford it. Starting with deck.

I watched some youtube videos how to disassemble center trim and pull the blocky stereo/deck/radio unit out to look at the plugs in back. Looked easy enough, started at bottom trim below air controls, then side trim panels, then trim on dash that surrounds the instrument panel.

Started feeling confident I could handle this. I had trouble unplugging the center spot between air vents, it has hazard button, clock and ODO/trip control buttons. Didn't realize until later I could/should have separated that upper part from the stereo unit below.

While wondering what I was doing wrong not being able to separate that top part, from what the video showed, thought I'd turn on the stereo just to see it play while I held it a bit out of it's home.

No power! No flicker of power, no crackle or anything from speakers, nothing. I've been searching for a couple days now, pissed at myself for screwing up such a simple thing. Wife and kids aren't too happy with me either. I'm really embarrassed about this.

Horrible memory, short attention spans, and reduced problem-solving are a couple of my tumor/radiation gifts. I have a shirt that says "Thinking" with one of those software loading bars at halfway. Yep.

Here's the status:


Air controls below the stereo still powered no problem.
Hazard lights button, clock button, and trip/ODO buttons still work.
I reassembled everything, same situation (power above and below but not to stereo/radio unit)
Took apart, discovered I could separate vents etc from the trim, unplugged it, replugged it in, still powered no problem.
Radio: the 3 block plugs were firmly seated in place. I unplugged them but it was a little tough, they were definetly seated properly.
Replugged in the radio, reassembled everything, same situation (no power to radio but power above and below.
Tried the unplug negative battery terminal and pump brake 10 times, no change.
Tested fuse (above left foot by the hood release latch, 7.5a ACC, next to the 10a cigarrette lighter amp. I don't know how to use my multimeter but searched and tested for continuity (long annoying beeeeeeeeeeeeep).
I don't know which of the plugs (blue block, white rectagle block, white long skinny rectangle block) is power vs. data. I took a klein tool pen voltage tester (nose lights up), pressed it up against all 3 plugs and around them. Beeped once on middle plug but didn't anymore. Thinking power may be cut off?
I don't have an inverter or whatnot to test power is radio unit still works. I'm dreading going back to one of those stereo shops tomorrow for them to test the radio unit. Sheepishly explaining I couldn't afford them so I thought I'd fup my system over the weekend.


Any ideas? Please and thank you!

[David C]

Check if there's a fuse on the head unit itself, usually near the plug.

One of the wire could also be damaged, they're pretty thin.

Pictures of the plugs would help point out which wires to test.

[kirkhings]

I retested my klein pen tool. It detected power in our house on USB cables, but not on the three radio plugs. I also tested it against the bundles of cables behind the radio, and against the plug going into hazard button above (with button depress hazard lights flashing), no electricity beeps. Figured out that the blip I got before is a signal it does every couple minutes to show it's still working. So unknown if any of those 3 radio cables have power or not. And by "test" I snuggled the tip of it everywhere across all wires and across all the pin inputs, pretty sure I was thorough

Check if there's a fuse on the head unit itself, usually near the plug.

One of the wire could also be damaged, they're pretty thin.

Pictures of the plugs would help point out which wires to test.

Here be pics. Doesn't look like any fuses. I have shaky hands post-tumor, let me know if you need me to retake any. I can have my son take them for sharper pics.

Thank you for your help.

[David C]

Forget the NCVT, it's only good for alternative current between 50v-1000v. The beep you got was from interference inductions. Trust me, I use mine daily as an electrician.

You should test the live wire coming off the fuse to see how much voltage you get. If there's a bad connection that induce a loss of tension, your radio won't turn on below 10.8v.

[kirkhings]

Didn't know about AC only with the NCVT, and with limited range, now I do, and now I know the lingo NCVT! Thanks!

I'm confused about which is the live wire to test. Do you mean a wire from the fuses area by hood release latch? Or do you mean one of the wires in those three "wire brackets" I pulled from back of radio (1 blue, 2 white)?

[David C]

Range is written on the side of the pen.

Check the wire at the fuse that power both the lighter plug and radio. It's the ACC one, behind the little glove box on driver side

[kirkhings]

Power is fine. My son drove it to work for a week and found that it worked sometimes. I tested it and discovered if you push on the top middle of the silver trim plate, the power returned and you could use all functions. Let go and the screen and controls lost power, but music still played. Push in, change station or to CD or change volume, let go no more control but it continues playing at whatever settings you set when you had pushed it in.

Closer examination revealed some of the radio face trim brackets holding onto the black stereo unit had broken, probably when I was trying to either wrestle the whole everything out or wresting the air vents from the radio and face trim.

I'll post some pics later. I just need to find a way to keep the trim/interface pushed in, guess there is a little teeny power connection to the interface at that location. I'm relieved I didn't short out the radio.