I just installed a new head unit in my vehicle and once i finished the installation, the instrument panel no longer lit up when i turned on my headlights. I checked all the fuses to make sure they weren't blown and they were all fine. During installation I didn't adjust any wires except for attaching my wiring harness to the one that came with my unit. I can't imagine what could cause this.

It has happened once before, with some wiring I did for a sub, but I have since removed all of that and don't see how that could be connected.

thanks

 

Check your wiring to the head unit and make sure that you didn't connect the radio's ground to the dash lamp circuit, not 100% on colour, maybe black/yellow tracer or orange wire.

 

my ground is connected to a black wire that comes out of the same cluster of cables as the rest of the stock wire harness pieces. I forgot to mention this but when i completely disconnect the wires from my head unit and everything, the instrument panel lights still dont turn on.

 

did you check the 5amp fuse in the box for panel lights? (check with a test light!)

 

Did some checking, the wire that powers the dash lights comes from the headlamp switch (tan wire) to junction box 5a fuse and then on to cluster radio etc. it is the orange wire at the radio harness

 

yeah I checked them all, the 5 is good

 

so then what does that mean i need to do?

 

do you have power at the 5a fuse? do you have power at the orange wire @ the radio harness? If not you will have to backtrack to the H/L switch and check for power coming from the switch on the tan wire.

 

ill check at the 5a fuse, the problem is that on the end on my wire harness that comes connects to the stock plugs and whatnot there is no wire for me to connect the dimmer from the head unit, could this by part of the problem, should i skip the plug and do a cut of the orange wire and connect it directly to my dimmer from the head unit? thanks for bearing with me i really appreciate it

 

If your head unit has a dimmer wire, yes cut the harness and attach this to the orange wire, that should work fine.

 

much appreciated ill let you know how it worked

 

my previous statement was misleading, the orange wire with nothing to connect to comes out of the wire harness, not the head unit. It is labeled as dimmer, there is another one labeled as illumination, i ran them together in the hopes it would close the circuit and light up my panel, nothing happened. I don't have the tools to test where i have power and whatnot right now but if you have any other suggestions that would be much appreciated

 

I started doing some more searching on forum and found out that the rear tail lights, and the license plate light are also on the same circuit and that if one of them is out the dimmer also no longer functions. My passenger side tail light is out, what I don't understand is that the dimmer worked before I messed with the stereo, but after the tail light was out. Any thoughts?