What color is what for a 97 geo prism radio wires?

Answer 1

well, if you factory cars original harness is cut off... then you have to use a 'tone generator' cheap little tools that can send a simple beep to any speaker. - and +. connect the tone genarator to random wires where the stereo is (or use to be) and fine each - and + wire for each speaker in ur car. tape them together for now to keep organized. find the rest of the speakers (tape as well of course!!) then get ur electric meter, set it to 10 or 20 volts in DC. with the key off, put the black needle on a good ground (try a good solid peice of the car frame or somthing that's protruding from the car frame (metal of course!!!) ) now touch the red needle on each wire individually, eventually you will find a wire with 12 volts approxamately. that one with 12V is called the constant. it has power running in it at all times, no matter the key being off, or out of the egnition. now to find the 'keyed hot' test the red needle (while black needle is grounded out on metal) on one wire, then turn the egnition on, and see if 12V appears as u turn ur egnition on. do that to each remaining wires and once 12V shows up, that's you KEYED HOT. very important wire that keyed hot is. it turns on your stereo once you turn ur car on. the 12v constant lets the stereo store memory, such as time, date, preset stations. k now u gota find your ground wire. touch the red nedle to the 12V constant. now touch any remaining wires you havnt taped with your black nedle and see when 12v appears. that's you ground wire. there you have it folks, you just identified all the necisary wires to hook up any after market stereo. u got power, and all speakers lined out. by the way if you have a power antene, one that goes up into the air you know... u gota look elsware for help. IT IS RECOMENDED TO DO THESE STEPS BACKWARDS, FIND THE CONSTANT 12v FIRST, KEYED HOT, GROUND, then find the speakers. wouldn't wana send 12V to the tone generator now would we?