I just picked up a new project "98 Gt wagon". The previous owner did an absolute hack job on the stereo install, and somehow lost the dash/ hvac/ shifter illumination lights in the process. I pulled out his work and now only have a bundle of wires to work from, and with all the stereo wiring open the dash illumination lights do not function. Now here's the problem if i ground out the yellow/blue wire the dash lights come on, but the dimmer does not function. Any ideas. All the fuse are good......possible fried relay?

 

Also according to the FSM the color of the main power wire from "fuse #25" is LR........what color is LR?

 

 

LR is blue with red stripe

Thanks......wonder why they don't call it BR?

Thanks......wonder why they don't call it BR?

 

What then would you use to identify black/red?

true, didn't really think that statement through.

Update: so i changed out the "illumi/tail" relay and nothing changed. So istarted pulling components and checking the bulbs and figured out that if i tap into the yellow/blue wire anywhere (stereo, ashtray light, Hvac) and touch it to ground i get the illumi lights to turn on. They are @ full bright and the dimmer switch has no effect. But they can be turned on and off with the headlight switch......so i'm thinking the dimmer switch may be shot.

...or Just Bypassed.

 

I Kindly Suggest you to Take your Time to Deal with Electrical issues, they could be Dangerous like a Time Bomb if has Improper Wiring and the Damage could take effect with Time (in Example with the Heat of Use)

 

So, I Kindly Suggest you to Take Out the Whole Dash and Follow all the Lines Completely, so you can Freely See where they Comes and Go, Maybe the Main Dashboard's Voltage imput was Cut and you're now Playin' with the Part that comes Before the Dimmer Adjust Switch...

 

Good Luck!

Kind Regards.

...or Just Bypassed.

 

I Kindly Suggest you to Take your Time to Deal with Electrical issues, they could be Dangerous like a Time Bomb if has Improper Wiring and the Damage could take effect with Time (in Example with the Heat of Use)

 

So, I Kindly Suggest you to Take Out the Whole Dash and Follow all the Lines Completely, so you can Freely See where they Comes and Go, Maybe the Main Dashboard's Voltage imput was Cut and you're now Playin' with the Part that comes Before the Dimmer Adjust Switch...

 

Good Luck!

Kind Regards.

 

X2, follow the wire and find out where exactly it comes from, and if anything is spliced into it along the way that isn't supposed to be. (old wiring for an after market alarm, remote starter, tachometer, etc.)

Been there done that.

 

Step one, remove the stero and remove any wiring that controlls the illumination.

 

Step two, replace the Illumination module.

 

 

Step three, pray.

 

You just cant tap into dash wiring anymore, like the old days. Dash illumination is a bit complicated now. SUbaru has two or three branches of dash illumination wiring. They are all balanced and feed back into the magic black box. Not all of them dim all the way down, while others will. Someone has tapped into this harness and shorted out the magic box.

 

I have done this myself, and these things are not cheap.

 

Undo whatever wiring was done for the radio, then get an harness adapter and use that to install the radion properly.

 

 

nipper

I plan on grabbing the missing harness and plug from a scrapyard asap, and wiring it back to stock. Also where is the "illumination module" located? I can always pull out the module, and throw it in the wifes legacy and see if its fubar. Thanks for the info so far.

It is located on the knee panel on the drivers side. it will look like a relay. I think it is to the right of the steering wheel. Smell it, you should smell the magic smoke if this is something that happened in the last few months.

 

 

nipper

It was the "illumi control unit" located on the knee kick panel. Swapped in a known good unit, and the lights function properly. If the PO would have bought a proper harness all this hassle could have been avoided.

 

 

Now i think i'll go smell some magic smoke to celebrate, Thanks for the help nipper.

 

Ian