Retained Accessory Power Help

If you have power windows, are they on the RAP circuit as well? If they are, that would help narrow down your search, since there are only a few wires that go into the door, and one of them should stay powered with the car off until the door is opened.

If not, I'd suggest turning off your car, pulling the stock radio out (leaving the wiring harness connected), and probe all the wires until you find the ones that have power (there should be at least two). Then open the door and re-test the wires that had power previously. One of them should have lost power when you opened the door, and that would be the one to tap into.

Please note that the radio gets the RAP signal over the class 2 serial data line from the Body Control Module. Unless you get inside the radio and somehow tap off its internal power bus I don't think your XM plans are going to come to fruition. See description from the service manual below.

Document ID# 853000

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Retained Accessory Power (RAP) Description

Serial Data Controlled Retained Accessory Power, RAP Retained accessory power, RAP is a vehicle power mode that permits the operation of selected customer convenience items after the ignition switch is turned OFF. These selected items will remain in operation until a passenger compartment door is opened or until the RAP function timer reaches its shut-off limit.

The Audio system on this vehicle is the only device that is controlled by RAP.

i just soldered a wire to the wiper fuse for my 12v acc wire for the new stereo and all works fine this was for a sunfire but same for cavalier