I am unable to get any audio from my stereo unless my key in the ignition is turned to the "crank" position. The position where the fuel pump primes.

any idea on where to start troubleshooting?

 

When you say crank, I think of when you're trying to start your car, and the starter motor is turning over. but you are saying just the fuel pump is priming and the radio comes on, that makes me think your key is in the "on" postition, vs the "crank" or "start" postion. Is this correct? If this is the case, you just need to switch your 12v switched power from igntion, to accessory. I wouldn't be able to tell you how to do this without knowing the year, make and model of your car...

 

Also, when you say "no audio", is your radio coming on, but there is no sound, or is the radio just not turning on? Do you have external amplifiers?

 

Yes i mean the "start position"
yes what your describing is exactly my problem

I have a 95 civic hatch cx

 

Wow, that's really weird. It sounds like someone hardwired power, and accidentally grabbed the starter output for switched power, instead of accessory. When you say I'm describing the exact problem, are you referring to key position, or the radio comes on but no audio? If I had to take a guess, there is prob a wire thats been added for your radio somewhere under your dash. Its either connected at the fuse box, or in the ignition harness. If its at the ignition harness, its prob hooked into a thick black wire with a white stripe, that wire should be hooked up to a thick yellow wire, prob right next to that one. I think these cars actually have a 2nd accessory that my documents don't list, if I remember correctly, its another thick wire, white with a black stripe. I would just use the yellow though, since I know 100% that wire is accessory.

 

If what I'm describing isn't accurate, let me know. This should be an easy problem to fix. If it doesn't look like a wire has been added, let's add our own. Tap a wire off of the thick yellow wire in your ignition harness, put at most, a 10 amp fuse on it, and run it to the back of your radio. If its an aftermarket radio, cut the red wire on the back of the radio, and hook your new wire into the red. make sure to terminate the other end of the red wire so it doesn't ground out when you crank your car! Now, if your radio is lighting up, but you don't get sound until the key is in the start position, they prob just jacked up the remote turn-on wire that goes to an amp. Just run a new wire from the remote turn-on input on the amp, to the thick yellow wire in the ignition harness. Make sure to fuse this one also!

 

Im referring to the key position.
My radio plays fine..
but for instance if im waiting for someone to go get groceries and I don't want to leave my car idle to listeng to music...

in this situation when my car is off and I am waiting in my car listening to music I must have the key turned to the "On" position like you mentioned..

 

Oh, okay, pretty easy fix. Do you know how to take your radio out? All you need to do is run a wire from the thick yellow wire in your ignition harness (put a fuse on it), and hook it to the red wire on the back of your radio (assuming your radio is aftermarket). Make sure to cap off the other side of the red wire!

 

It sounds like the ignition wire is not hooked up correctly or to the right place. Check that. Is it an aftermarket stereo?