head unit = no dash lights

[sherryrose93]

i rescently installed an aftermarket head unit in my 93 tsi and after installing found that
dash lights do not work so i took the illumination power wire and connected it to my stereo
power ignition wire so when i turn the car on the dash lights are always on and i also grounded the illumination ground wire to the center console brace. please help me fix my dash lghts also have cut out problems seems to happpen on decell and around turns car feels like fuel is cutting out wondering if illumination ground is affecting MFI relay on the sid of middle console or if these are seperate problems please help

 

[AWDfrank]

I would check all the fuses first of all.

I am not at all trying to be an a**hole, but proper spelling is important on this site. Everyone read this if you didn't understand the first post.

"I recently installed an aftermarket head unit in my 93 tsi. After installation I found that my
dash lights did not work.

I took the illumination power wire and connected it to my stereo's power ignition wire so when I turn the car on the dash lights are always on. I also grounded the illumination ground wire to the center console brace.

Please help me fix my dash lights! I also have cut out problems that seem to happen on deceleration and around turns. It feels like fuel is cutting out, I'm wondering if illumination ground is affecting the MFI relay on the side of the middle console, or if these are separate problems. Please help!"

 

[luv2rallye]

I took the illumination power wire and connected it to my stereo's power ignition wire so when I turn the car on the dash lights are always on. I also grounded the illumination ground wire to the center console brace.

Don't know which "illumination power wire" or "illumination ground wire" you are talking about - the dash's or stereo's and what do you mean by them?
The dash lights get their power from the taillight relay thru a green/white wire (which also goes to the dimmer rheostat). The other side of the dash lights goes to the dimmer rheostat thru a black/yellow which if connected to a power source will burn out the rheostat and prevent the dash lights from working. The dimmer rheostat also has a black wire to ground.

 

[tom04841]

I have beeen installing stereo's for years, and have never seen a "illumination ground wire"
on an aftermarket head unit.

ALL WIRE COLORS ARE ON AFTERMARKET HEAD UNIT!!!!

First off, i hope you spent the 10-15 for a wiring harness adapter. If you didn't, you deserve problems for being a cheap ass

Disconnect everything besides the constant power (yellow wire), switched power (red), ground (black goes to center console frame)), and speaker leads (white, grey, green, and purple).

Find and replace the fuse you blew from hooking up your "illumination ground", and make sure every thing works as it did before.

The Orange wire is your illumination wire. If you HAVE to have this working, hook it up to the orange wire coming out of the wiring harness adapter.

Now, if there are any left over wires coming from either the aftermarket head unit or wiring adapter, tape or cap them off INDIVIDUALLY to avoid further problems.

Just because wires are there, doesn't mean the have to be used!!!!