Hey guys ! First post here. I have to warn you, I have no idea what i'm talking about, but i need help and i thought i'd give Honda-Tech a shot.

My grandma just gave me her '98 Civic EX. I couldn't say no to a free car, but when I actually went to pick up the car a few weeks ago, it wouldn't start. My grandma is super old and probably left the lights on for 3-4 weeks. Battery was dead. My dad tried to boost the battery but we screwed up and ended up destroying the battery and whatever connects the battery to the rest of the car. I was finally able to drive the car back home and drop it at the garage, and they were able to fix everything, except for the stupid radio, that will NOT turn on.

I changed both fuses ( the one next to the battery and the one under the wheel ) and still nothing.

Nothing happens when i try to turn it on, and the cig lighter doesn't work either.

So basically, I don't have a radio ( its sad, cause it has a cassette reader, which im totally ok with ) or power to plug my phone, so I basically have to ride in silence, which is pretty damn sad.

Any tips on what's going on, or how i can fix the stupid radio ?

Thanks
Mags

 

um.. check the fuses for the radio.. probably blew those as well when you reversed the polarity of the system, when jumpstarting.

 

Pull each fuse out and visually inspect them. Don't just glance, hold it up to the light and look for breakage.

 

Is it a different fuse for the radio ( changed both radio fuses ) and the cig lighter? Also how easy is it to see that a fuse is blown? I could google that, but mighy as well ask.

 

Uh, not hard to see if the fuse is blown. Hold it up to the light. The internal wire will be burnt or split in two. Hence, blown fuse.. Check every single fuse in both fuse box. All the big and small one.

 

Thanks, i'll give it a try. If the fuses are fine, could it be a wire issue or smt? I don't rly mind playing with wires if i have to.

 

Pretty sure its one of the fuse. Check, also the tail light 10amp fuse.

 

Im thinking the 98 is just like my 96. There is also a radio fuse in the engine bay fuse box. I think you were checking the ones by the steering column. According to my info the cig lighter is separate from the radio fuse (on the inside fuse box by the steering column), but they are next to each other

 

Thanks guys !