radio hookup trouble...'89 prelude si

I recently bought a 1989 prelude si. So I went out and got some tune-up necessities, as well as brakes, etc. I bought a pioneer head unit for my car and have spent already a couple of days just trying to get it working. My connections are all correct but i have no wires with power. This is because I tried the black, and it wrked, then I saw a spark and its no longer a hotline. then I tried my cigarette lighter wire, it wrked, I saw a spark but it wrked until I put my dash back together and now it doesnt. I checked my fuses, and all of them are fine. Why are my wires that have power one min, losing it the next??? No fuse shortages either. Can anyone tell me how to get power(electric current) back to the wires that went out? Or can someone plz explain how I can myself hook up a new wire with power to just turn on my raio?????? Any help is Greatly acknowledged and appreciated....thank you

Usually black is a ground wire, not hot.

You'll probably get better responses in the Audio section of the Honda forum.