i bought and tried to install a radio yesterday and it work. i am replacing an existing cd player and im not really starting form scratch. i match each color wire together and connected all the connections. what would be some frequent mistakes i could have made? the radio doesnt even light up when i turn the key.

bad fuse, bad hot, or bad ground. Or the radio is busted.

how would i test the hot wire? could i put a tester on it? if the ground is bad, could i make a new ground on the body or any metal surface (im really bad at electronics).

i used a factory ground clamp behind the gauge cluster on the right side, where the existing ground was for some electrical. Put a test light/volt meter on your contstant hot and your switch hot.. if you have good voltage its your ground, if not its your 2 hot wires... hope that helps

you need the power wire to go to constant power even with the key off you need power for that, that way you can use the memory function (save your radio presets). thats usually a yellow wire. then run the red power wire to the fuse panel in the stock radio location. that gives functioning power on accessory and run. i grounded mine to the dash speaker bracket on the firewall directly behind the head-unit.