Dimming Source

[Steviewevie]

I'm planning on installing my new head unit soon. One of the things that I've seen that I need to do is to tap into a dimming illuminated source if I want the head unit to dim too.

Any suggestions for this ? Doesn't the OEM head unit dim already (I can't remember, and mine is out now, but I presume it did), and if so surely it has a connection that already dims ?

If I need to tap into something else, then the heated seat and TRC/Snow buttons are nearby, or is there something even more convenient ? The A/C controls ?

[redz_UK]

if your using the harness it should do this automatically.the dimming lead is already there

[Steviewevie]

if your using the harness it should do this automatically.the dimming lead is already there

The orange wire on the bypass cable comes out of the head unit connectors and terminates in a scotchlock. It's not connected to anything, indicating that it needs tapping into something. This orange wire is labelled "Ill" on the Pioneer loom, so I presume it is for the head unit illumination.

[redz_UK]

if your using the harness it should do this automatically.the dimming lead is already there

The orange wire on the bypass cable comes out of the head unit connectors and terminates in a scotchlock. It's not connected to anything, indicating that it needs tapping into something. This orange wire is labelled "Ill" on the Pioneer loom, so I presume it is for the head unit illumination.

very strange.. every other iso lead is ther as standard..

oh well, (ILL) is illumination and is commonly orange!

[Steviewevie]

I was puzzled by the fact that I couldn't find anything about the lighting on the wiring diagram for the OEM stereo.

I've found it now, on the illumination wiring diagram here. That appears to show a green wire going into pin 2 of the connector for the OEM stereo (for the 8-speaker version, i.e. Sport in my case) for the illumination (and similar green wires going into all the various other illuminated controls). It looks to me like I should be tapping into one of these green wires, can someone confirm please ?

[aido]

Have you got Johnboy's number Steve as didn't he just fit one of these last week?

[johnboy]

Have you got Johnboy's number Steve as didn't he just fit one of these last week?

Steve did ask me, but i didnt connect the dimmer wire. :)

[Steviewevie]

Have you got Johnboy's number Steve as didn't he just fit one of these last week?

Thanks, yeah I've been talking with him, and he's already answered loads of my stooopid questions about installing it.

However, he tells me that he didn't bother with the dimming, so I think his illumination is fixed.

Edit - just beaten to the reply by the man himself !

[aaronabbott]

i havent bothered with my dimming either

[Steviewevie]

I've got Wozza's walkthrough, which talks about splicing the orange lead into an appropriate source for the dimming. I was just wondering what wire was most convenient, and was initially a bit puzzled since I would have thought the OEM unit had a connection for this which would handily be nearby.

Since my original posting I've been looking at the wiring diagrams and it does look like there are various green wires for this in the OEM illumination wiring.

Has no-one wired in the dimming ? I want to do this since it'll really bug me if I everything else dims but my head unit doesn't !

[johnboy]

If i get a chance at the weekend, i might remove it again and have a look, just as a thought, does the orange wire just connect to one of the illumination wires in the dash,( ie ac/heater controls etc.) which then tells the pioneer unit the lights are on and dims it.

There is a setting in the pioneer main menu to switch the dimmer on and off, so that when the wire is connected it does dim.

[Steviewevie]

If i get a chance at the weekend, i might remove it again and have a look, just as a thought, does the orange wire just connect to one of the illumination wires in the dash,( ie ac/heater controls etc.) which then tells the pioneer unit the lights are on and dims it.

There is a setting in the pioneer main menu to switch the dimmer on and off, so that when the wire is connected it does dim.

Not sure if I'm understanding your question directly, but the orange wire in the bypass lead (on my one, at least) goes nowhere, just to a scotchlock, it's not connected to anything.

Interesting to know there's a menu setting for this though, thanks. Sounds like even when I get it connected I will have to check the menu to see whether it's set to dim or not.

[Steviewevie]

Not sure if I'm understanding your question directly, but the orange wire in the bypass lead (on my one, at least) goes nowhere, just to a scotchlock, it's not connected to anything.

Sorry, I think I've just realised I did misunderstand your question. Yes, I think I just need to splice the orange wire into one of those connectors. That was my question, i.e. whether anyone could recommend a handy wire near the stereo, what colour is it, etc.

From my research I think the relevant wires are all green. I will have a look tomorrow at what wires I can see in the big hole in my dash, to see if there are any obvious candidates.

[redz_UK]

mine dims.. will find out which wire it is..

its listed on the wiring diagrams..

EDIT - cant find it!! will have to look at tmy HU to find out which one it is but it def works!!

[Steviewevie]

mine dims.. will find out which wire it is..

its listed on the wiring diagrams..

EDIT - cant find it!! will have to look at tmy HU to find out which one it is but it def works!!

The illumination wiring diagram here shows the illuminated switches and the dimmer itself, and also the OEM head unit illumination.

[redz_UK]

thats the one,i just found the print out when i installed my HU and i have green written as illumination..

[Steviewevie]

thats the one,i just found the print out when i installed my HU and i have green written as illumination..

So do you know which green wire you tapped into ? I realise that probably any one will do though.

[redz_UK]

thats the one,i just found the print out when i installed my HU and i have green written as illumination..

So do you know which green wire you tapped into ? I realise that probably any one will do though.

it was in the radio loom. sorry thats all i remember..

[Steviewevie]

I've found it now, on the illumination wiring diagram here. That appears to show a green wire going into pin 2 of the connector for the OEM stereo (for the 8-speaker version, i.e. Sport in my case) for the illumination (and similar green wires going into all the various other illuminated controls). It looks to me like I should be tapping into one of these green wires, can someone confirm please ?

ok, just had a look at the OEM wiring in my car, and I can indeed see a green wire going into pin 2 of the connector for the OEM stereo. So I'm going to tap into that one.

EDIT - for the benefit of others who might be trying this, I've noticed that there's a second green wire going into pin 16 of the OEM connector. But that's for something else entirely, as I said above, pin 2 is the one for the OEM stereo illumination.

[Cous3]

Steve do us a favour and take a few pics of that connection when you do it.......I'm sure mine doesn't dim and would like it to.

Keith

[Steviewevie]

Steve do us a favour and take a few pics of that connection when you do it.......I'm sure mine doesn't dim and would like it to.

Good idea. Sure, will do.

[Steviewevie]

Just for info, I've made the connections that I think to be correct, and taken photos. I'm still finishing off the fascia. When I get that done I'll be in a position to install the new head unit and try it out.

If I've installed it all correctly and it works, then I'll post up my photos.

[Cous3]

Cheers Steve.......I know this is going to look good mate!

Keith

[Steviewevie]

Yay the dimming works ! Pictures to follow.

[Steviewevie]

My new head unit has a dimming feature. To use this, it needs switching on in the head unit menus (default is off). With the dimming function active and connected up, when I turn the lights on, the head unit illumination automatically dims.

On the picture below, you can see the amp bypass lead already connected in my car (with two connectors, a black one and a brown one). The OEM connector that used to plug into the OEM head unit is the white one with lots of wires going into it. You should be able to see an orange wire coming off the black bypass lead connector. This orange wire is the illumination wire, and the bypass lead that I bought had a scotchlock connector on the end already :

You can check out the wiring diagrams in the online manual to see which wire you need to tap into for illumination (look under "Electrical Wiring Diagram", then "System Circuits", then "Illumination". My car is a 1999 Sport model (with amp, 8-speaker system), and on mine it's a green wire that goes into pin 2 of the white OEM connector. Beware though, there is more than one green wire (on mine at least), so make sure you pick the right one ! In the picture below is it the green wire second from left, next to the red one :

Now you need to connect the orange wire from the bypass lead into this green OEM wire. I used the scotchlock that came with my bypass lead, and here it is connected :

To finish off the wire, and unconnected with the dimming, here's another picture, showing where I've connected power for the aerial amplifier (blue lead on the amp bypass cable, connecting to the black wire that runs alongside the main aerial wire), after cutting off the OEM white connector on this black wire :