Trouble with install. on 95 Carolla

Hey everyone,

I have to say this site is great.  I recently got the wiring color codes off this website which was very helpful.  The problem I'm having is with the illumination wire.  The JVC head unit I'm trying to install does not have a wire designated for this but the factory wire harness has this included.  I've connected the constant +12VDC, the switched +12VDC, Ground, and the speaker wires.  The head unit works great but I don't have any illumination lights in the car.  I figured that the illumination wire would need to be spliced with the switched +12VDC since there is not a wire on the JVC head unit but when I did this the 20Amp car radio fuse kept blowing.  I measured the current and saw 31 Amps at the fuse which is way too high.  I'm at a loss and being stationed in Iceland I don't have the luxury of going to a nearby stereo shop.  Any help would be greatly appreciated 

The head unit works if I leave the illumination wire unconnected but  then I don't have any lights on the odometer, dash, etc.  I tried connecting a resistor between the illumination wire and the switched +12 VDC which doesn't blow the fuse but the illumination lights still don't work.  I started at a 1K ohm resistor all the way down to a 50 ohm resistor with no luck.   

Cory,

       I just got over THE EXACT same problem with my 88 Beretta GT. The way that I fixed it was by running a wire from the fuse block (whichever the illumination wires (mine was with the brake lamp fuse and it was {who would've guessed} a 30A fuse). So what I did was go and spliced into the wire coming from the fuse block and ran it to where the head unit was installed and attached it to the factories illumination wire. So in other words.....the illumination wire runs straight to it's fuse wire.

    I don't know if that's the proper way for it to work.....but my thoughts that it was still fused so it should prevent fire...

      That was the only way that I could figure to install it......when the factory radio was in everything worked great. I just thought that it was another GM pain in the ass.  .......guess not. But try that out.

I only hook the illumination and/or dimmer wires up if the aftermarket deck has corresponding wires.  If it doesn't (and most don't) then we just cap off the unused wire.  I've never had a customer come back to me and complain that the radio doesn't dim or anything like that, but I suppose it might be an important feature for some people.

Regardless, it sounds like there is a fuse blown somewhere in your vehicle.  As long as the unused wires are capped/taped off then that is the only thing I could think of.

95 corolla..hmm gotta think about that for a minute.  Did you use a wiring harness (like the 70-1761)?

i agree with esmith. 

Any time I've encountered a deck not having an illumination wire I have capped it off and had no problems.  I normally cap them anyway.  By hooking it up to 12 volts, I would guess that you blew more then just your radio fuse.  I would check out your other fuses also.