Illumination & Dimmer wires
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=23331
Printed Date: July 21, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Topic: Illumination & Dimmer wires
Posted By: dagnabbitt
Subject: Illumination & Dimmer wires
Date Posted: December 25, 2003 at 1:58 PM
Where are illumination and dimmer wires routed from? I have them coming off of my stereo, with nowhere to hook them up to in my car. Are they just standard power wires?
Replies:
Posted By: Durwood
Date Posted: December 25, 2003 at 5:06 PM
The illumination wire is usually tapped off of the wire that powers your parking lights. This way, when you turn on your lights, the backlighting on your deck will illuminate. The dimmer wire is only usuable if your factory wiring harness has a wire to support it. You've seen stereos where the display dims when you turn on the headlamps? The signal from the dimmer wire controls that. Scott Gardner
Posted By: dagnabbitt
Date Posted: December 25, 2003 at 8:39 PM
So would a power wire accomplish that, or do I HAVE to find the parking wire? Thx!
Posted By: Durwood
Date Posted: December 25, 2003 at 9:44 PM
Well, for the illumination wire, you could probably used ANY switched 12V line, as long as you don't mind the illumination being on whenever the ignition's on. As for the dimmer wire, I think it varies from brand to brand, you could probably just leave it unattached and your illumination would be at full brightness whenever it's on. Scott
Posted By: auex
Date Posted: December 25, 2003 at 11:16 PM
Just so you are aware, you don't have to hook these wires up if you don't want to. All that they do is dim the lights on the head unit when your turn on your lights. Personally I like my head unit bright so I never hooked mine up.
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Posted By: pfitz
Date Posted: December 25, 2003 at 11:26 PM
Most of the new quality decks give you the option to have the dimmer active or not. Hook it up if you want, but it's not going to reduce the performance.
Posted By: boomer_106
Date Posted: December 25, 2003 at 11:31 PM
Also If you just buy a wiring harness for your vehicle it will make it simple to hook up and the harness is cheap. You can get them at walmart, order online, or probably a great deal of other stores as well.
Posted By: LAUR
Date Posted: December 27, 2003 at 6:15 PM
Try hook the ilumination and dimmer wire togheter to parking lights or switched 12v .
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