7 Reasons Why Kenwood Car Stereo Not Turning On [Easy Fix]

Kenwood car stereos are some of the best on the market. But what do you do if yours is not turning on? There could be a number of different reasons why this is happening, but luckily there are also easy fixes that can help fix your problem!

These 7 common issues with Kenwood car stereos will help you find out where to start troubleshooting.

Why is My Kenwood Radio Not Turning on?

There can be multiple reasons while your stereo isn’t turning on, we’ll go through all of the possible reasons with the ways you can fix it-

1. Fuse is Blown Out

The first step in troubleshooting is to see whether the fuse has blown out or not. Many times fuse blows out and people think the system got bad.

So, make sure you see where the stereo fuse is located and then check whether it’s intact or not. If it’s blown out, simply replace the fuse with a new one. If it’s not, head over to the next option.

2. Stereo is in Protect Mode

Modern Kenwood stereos come with anti-theft mode which gets activated as soon as the system detects anything unusual happening. If it’s in protect mode, it should flash Protect on the display.

We’ve discussed the issue in another article, you can check that for troubleshooting protect mode.

However, if the system isn’t powering up or there is no indication that the system has gone into protect mode, it is better to try the next one.

3. Pigtail Connectors Aren’t Connected Properly

Kenwood car stereos have a couple of connectors that provide power and audio signals to the speakers. Sometimes, these connectors get loose or aren’t plugged in properly.

Look at both sides – where you’ve connected the cables to your stereo, as well as where the cables are connected on your speakers. Just ensure that everything is tight and well-connected. To check this, you need to remove Kenwood stereo from the dash housing.

If the connections are loose or not plugged in, simply plug them in. If they are all okay, and you still can’t turn on your Kenwood car stereo then move on to the next option.

4. Dead Car Battery

Many times the Kenwood stereo system works fine, but when you try to turn it on it doesn’t work because of a dead car battery.

So make sure your engine is running and then check whether everything else in your car that needs power is working or not. If all other things are working well, the battery is working fine!

If nothing that requires power is working, concentrate on your battery rather than on the infotainment system.

5. Grounding is Faulty

Although grounding doesn’t usually cause the system to not work, it can cause some problems. If the grounding is faulty, a number of things could be affected including the car stereo not turning on.

In this case, you may want to use an ohmmeter or continuity tester to check whether there are any breaks in the grounding wire and then fix them if necessary.

If everything seems okay with your grounding, move on to the next option.

6. The Power Button is Bad

If you turn on the ignition, but your Kenwood car stereo doesn’t show up on the display then it could be because of a faulty power button.

To check whether this is happening or not, simply try pressing and holding down different buttons to see if any other buttons work! If none do, then most likely it’s time for a new power button.

To double-check this, refer to the stereo user manual and find out a way to access the stereo without pressing the power button. You should find Kenwood stereo reset or other troubleshooting techniques that can be done without powering up the device by pressing the power button.

7. Stereo Has Gone Bad

Finally, if you’ve tried all of the above and nothing is working it’s possible that your Kenwood car stereo has gone bad.

The best way to find out whether this is really happening or not, would be to take it to an authorized service center! Your local dealership will provide diagnostic services for free which can help you find out the issue you’re facing. They will check everything from speakers to wiring and if necessary, they’ll even change your Kenwood car stereo for free if it’s within the warranty period!

Conclusion

While Kenwood is a quite reliable brand in the car infotainment category, any electric device can malfunction due to external, internal, or natural issues.

With a little bit of troubleshooting technique and faulty wire or fuse replacement, your stereo should be up and running again like before. If the troubleshooting techniques provided here didn’t help, you may need to consult an authorized service center to fix your device.