Dash lights

[emh9009 199]

Alrighty! So after installing a cd player in my girlfriend's car some of the dash lights dont turn on. The door open, brights, blinker, etc. (square lights for some warning or another) all work, but not the lights that light up the speedo, tach, or temp. gauge.

I had the - terminal disconnected while doing all this wiring, BUT i may have effed up when i tied two wires into one. Reason for doing that was the wiring diagram i was looking at said that they both were for illumination, so i figured they both needed to be plugged in to the CD player's illumination light. Would this have caused hell for my wiring?

I've checked the fuses and changed the only one that was blown, which was the cigarette lighter which works now!

I called crutchfield and they had me check some stuff and concluded that a fuse wasn't the problem. They said that it may be my dimmer switch that is out, so here is my next thing to check, but they said i should take it to a dealer to really check it out, but they are a couple hours away and expensive. I can pay if needed, but would like to not do so.

I'm checking here to see if anyone has any idea on what to check/test to figure out anything else.

If you want anymore info. just ask. I don't know what else to add what I have done.

[PT3005 1]

what kind of car are we talking about?

[emh9009 199]

1997 mitsubishi eclipse Rs (see topic description )

[Kanaworm$ 292]

I would go back and disconnect the two wires and check with a DMM.

[PT3005 1]

1997 mitsubishi eclipse Rs (see topic description )

hahah good luck with that, but i was told to never hook up the illumination wire when hardwiring headunits i also forgot the reason why

[emh9009 199]

1997 mitsubishi eclipse Rs (see topic description )

hahah good luck with that, but i was told to never hook up the illumination wire when hardwiring headunits i also forgot the reason why

That doesnt make any sense.

I didnt hook up the "power antenna" wire to the remote turn on, because i dont think the antenna is powered, at all. would this change anything? or hurt anything if i did plug it in to the remote wire?

[xAndrew225x 8]

Alrighty! So after installing a cd player in my girlfriend's car some of the dash lights dont turn on. The door open, brights, blinker, etc. (square lights for some warning or another) all work, but not the lights that light up the speedo, tach, or temp. gauge.

I had the - terminal disconnected while doing all this wiring, BUT i may have effed up when i tied two wires into one. Reason for doing that was the wiring diagram i was looking at said that they both were for illumination, so i figured they both needed to be plugged in to the CD player's illumination light. Would this have caused hell for my wiring?

I've checked the fuses and changed the only one that was blown, which was the cigarette lighter which works now!

I called crutchfield and they had me check some stuff and concluded that a fuse wasn't the problem. They said that it may be my dimmer switch that is out, so here is my next thing to check, but they said i should take it to a dealer to really check it out, but they are a couple hours away and expensive. I can pay if needed, but would like to not do so.

I'm checking here to see if anyone has any idea on what to check/test to figure out anything else.

If you want anymore info. just ask. I don't know what else to add what I have done.

i had the same problem in my corolla when the part of the dash was pulled out. it was bc i was testing the stereo b4 finishing installing it and hadnt finished plugging the dash buttons in (the caution or emergency lights or whatever) when i hooked the emergency button back up it all worked fine

hope this helps, if not good luck!

[emh9009 199]

i didnt take any part of the dash apart for it to be something that i disconnected in there, only the center console.

I have the two wires seperated, and only the white/green is hooked up to the illumination now.

Still curious about the power antenna wire and the remote turn on...

[PT3005 1]

1997 mitsubishi eclipse Rs (see topic description )

hahah good luck with that, but i was told to never hook up the illumination wire when hardwiring headunits i also forgot the reason why

That doesnt make any sense.

I didnt hook up the "power antenna" wire to the remote turn on, because i dont think the antenna is powered, at all. would this change anything? or hurt anything if i did plug it in to the remote wire?

no from my basic knowledge that would not affect the dashlights only the antenna. is the Antenna Fixed on that car? your aftermarket radio harness should have a blue wire thats used for antenna.

Edited August 22, 2010 by PT3005

[emh9009 199]

1997 mitsubishi eclipse Rs (see topic description )

hahah good luck with that, but i was told to never hook up the illumination wire when hardwiring headunits i also forgot the reason why

That doesnt make any sense.

I didnt hook up the "power antenna" wire to the remote turn on, because i dont think the antenna is powered, at all. would this change anything? or hurt anything if i did plug it in to the remote wire?

no from my basic knowledge that would not affect the dashlights only the antenna. is the Antenna Fixed on that car? your aftermarket radio harness should have a blue wire thats used for antenna.

Yeah, it was a long shot, but im out of ideas. im going to have to take it in to a shop so far. i hate the audio shop here...

[emh9009 199]

is there a way to bypass the dimmer switch to see if it is the dimmer itself? the black/yellow wire that i'm not using right now i believe has something to do with it? maybe?

[todd.brust 29]

Probably blew out the dimmer switch. I messed up some wiring on a customers car when I first started on a Toyota camry and fried the dimmer switch. $35 mistake for me. Since then I never use Dimmers or Illumination unless specifically asked to or if its a screen install.

As far as the antenna output goes, it has nothing to do with the interior lighting. What wires did you wire together anyways? I don't remember on those eclipses, but sometimes there is a positive and negative dimmer or illumination. If you wire and orange with black to any orange wire, that's a direct short and definitely blew out the dimmer switch. Check that out and see if that is the issue.

[emh9009 199]

Probably blew out the dimmer switch. I messed up some wiring on a customers car when I first started on a Toyota camry and fried the dimmer switch. $35 mistake for me. Since then I never use Dimmers or Illumination unless specifically asked to or if its a screen install.

As far as the antenna output goes, it has nothing to do with the interior lighting. What wires did you wire together anyways? I don't remember on those eclipses, but sometimes there is a positive and negative dimmer or illumination. If you wire and orange with black to any orange wire, that's a direct short and definitely blew out the dimmer switch. Check that out and see if that is the issue.

it was black w/ yellow stripe and white w/ green stripe to the CD player's orange w/ white wire. You made me pretty sure i blew the switch. I thought that if you didn't hook the illumination up it wouldnt light the deck up? or does that go in with the power? Are those switched easy to replace? Vehicle specific i would assume, but wiring wise, no more difficult than what i just did (minus the mistake i obviously made?)

[emh9009 199]

I can turn the head lights on, brights and everything. Still sound like the dimmer switch? We kinda' need one anyways because it doesn't stay flipped on the right turn signal; it has to be held to keep the blinker on. maybe this will fix 2 birds with one stone?

[raolito1980 2]

Hell I would go to the junk yard and pull the dimmer switch and get it for cheap, hook it up and see if thats it,

[emh9009 199]

Hell I would go to the junk yard and pull the dimmer switch and get it for cheap, hook it up and see if thats it,

good plan. except the junk yard here sucks and is tiny. ill still check if there is one around, for sure!