Help I am a complete moron
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=8807
Printed Date: August 13, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Topic: Help I am a complete moron
Posted By: raneycain
Subject: Help I am a complete moron
Date Posted: January 29, 2003 at 9:40 PM
Me, being a beginner in installing car electronics thought that i could install a new head unit without having any instructions or wiring diagrams. So, i take the old unit out.......no problem right........... and disconnect the harness. Well, since the new head unit's harness didnt match the vehicle's old one i decided to cut off the factory harness..... not knowing that you can by harnesses that do fit. So once i do this i realize im never gonna figure out which speakers wires go with wich on the HU's harness so i get on the internet and find a stereo wiring diagram for my 1994 jimmy. I find it and it tells me which speaker wires go with which and i hook them all up. Next comes the power wires. The black was no problem.... but the red factory wire was wired with a yellow wire. I was assuming that red was the battery and the yellow was ignition. But, then i see htat the harness on the headunit had the red and yellow wires cut and spliced together (because it was used) so i decide to just wire all of them together....... red, yellow from the car and red and yellow from the HU harness.... all together. I reconnect the negative batt terminal and turn the battery on. Everything works fine...... except two things. One is that the HU resets every time a turn the car off......and the other is that none of my gauge lights work. I chack the fuse and it is blown so i replace it. It blows again. I am stuck and have no idea what to do. Will someone please help me and maybe i will have learned a lesson.
Replies:
Posted By: NowYaKnow
Date Posted: January 29, 2003 at 9:58 PM
Ok first off on the head unit seperate the red and yellow wires. You should be running the yellow wire on the head unit to constant 12v in most cases, and the red to the ignition/switched power. The head unit resets everytime because it needs a constant 12v source and it sounds like you have both power wires to the ignition power. So each time you turn the ignition off that head unit has no power going to it and resets..Just hook it up like it should be above and it should fix that. As to why your dash lights fuse is blowing it depends what you have your illumination wires hooked up to. They are usually orange. Just cut them and tape them up and you should be alright. By the way are you using a multimeter or test light or anything or just guessing? If your guessing you need some test equipment before you really screw something up or hurt yourself..Good luck, Mike
Posted By: Big Purds
Date Posted: January 29, 2003 at 10:19 PM
the fuse may be popping because the positive lead and ignition wire are hooked together in the truck itself...if that is the case...
Posted By: raneycain
Date Posted: January 30, 2003 at 4:44 PM
i did cut and tape them..... it still blow .... but i will try separating the positive lead and igniton.... thanks
Posted By: auex
Date Posted: January 30, 2003 at 5:23 PM
What it sounds like is that either you are shorting out your illumination or dimmer wire, or you are grounding your deck to the illumination or dimmer wire. What you should do first is unplug the deck and then replace the blown fuse. If the fuse doesn't blow when you turn the lights on then you know there is something wrong with the way you wired the deck. First thing I would do if this is the case is to cut the ground wire and hook the radio back up, if the fuse is still good then you know it is the ground causing the fuse to blow. If it still blows with the radio unplugged then it is being shorted out somewhere else. Also I don't think it was mentioned specifically but make sure that all the left over wires are taped up/capped individually.
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Posted By: raneycain
Date Posted: January 31, 2003 at 5:03 PM
this is really wierd............after i tried everything possible i looked where my BLACK/ red wire ran and it just ended right at the ashtray...... it is about a 6 inch long red and black wire with a fuse on the end.... i took it out because it was exposed and it does nothing..... maybe it was to an old amp or sumthin...... anyway..................... i get no power from the orange 12v constant........... but i do from the yellow switched ignition...... anyone have any idea what is goin on?
Posted By: DjRDifacs
Date Posted: February 01, 2003 at 7:18 AM
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