Lighting System is Screwed UP! Possible culprits? Its a Mystery. come play!
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Joined: Apr 2008
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From: Wisconsin
95 Eclipse GST, 93 MB 300e
Lighting System is Screwed UP! Possible culprits? Its a Mystery. come play!
Ever since ive done a radio install as well as a headlight install (not oem euros) My lighting system has been screwed up.
Here is what i did:
With the installation the new headlights, the wiper motors were removed. I let the wiper moter plugs stay tucked away behind the headlight on both headlights.
I installed an aftermarket pioneer head unit and the illumination wire was not functional with the dash lights so i had to wire the lights into the headlight fuse. This now makes my dash lights blink with the turn signals when my lights are off.
I then found left over wires, one of which was this:
Someone suggested that this was a turn signal ground (a possible suspect). But where does it go?
The symptoms of the car is as follows:
1. When the lights are off the turn signals work, but the dash lights blink (im obviously tripping the lights over the fuse.
2. When the lights are on, only the driver side marker illuminates and neither turn signal will activate. Also the cluster arrow indicators are both on.
3. All of the rear interior lights remain illuminated at all times. This includes the rear driver side door courtesy light, the rear passenger side courtesy light, and the rear roof light.
Anyone ever heard of any of these problems?
EDIT: So i tried removing my directly wired illumination wire, and it does not change anything. The lights are still severely screwed up. Now when i use the turn signals when lights are off, the fronts work but ALL rear lights blink. tail lights and turn signals.
I have no clue!
Here is what i did:
With the installation the new headlights, the wiper motors were removed. I let the wiper moter plugs stay tucked away behind the headlight on both headlights.
I installed an aftermarket pioneer head unit and the illumination wire was not functional with the dash lights so i had to wire the lights into the headlight fuse. This now makes my dash lights blink with the turn signals when my lights are off.
I then found left over wires, one of which was this:
Someone suggested that this was a turn signal ground (a possible suspect). But where does it go?
The symptoms of the car is as follows:
1. When the lights are off the turn signals work, but the dash lights blink (im obviously tripping the lights over the fuse.
2. When the lights are on, only the driver side marker illuminates and neither turn signal will activate. Also the cluster arrow indicators are both on.
3. All of the rear interior lights remain illuminated at all times. This includes the rear driver side door courtesy light, the rear passenger side courtesy light, and the rear roof light.
Anyone ever heard of any of these problems?
EDIT: So i tried removing my directly wired illumination wire, and it does not change anything. The lights are still severely screwed up. Now when i use the turn signals when lights are off, the fronts work but ALL rear lights blink. tail lights and turn signals.
I have no clue!
Last edited by odelay17; Jul 24, 2008 at 07:25 PM.
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1994 E320 Dragon Wagon
At what point what failed - the wiper discon./headlamp install or the stereo install. Did you perform both at once?
The headlight swap shouldn't have created this. First remove the head-unit to lighting fuse connection. Did anything change? Please post result.
Meter the mystery wiring connectors to ground. That will verify it is a ground or hot. You may need to test with the lights on and off.
Where do these mystery wires live? Behind the head-unit? Photo all you see with the connectors.
The headlight swap shouldn't have created this. First remove the head-unit to lighting fuse connection. Did anything change? Please post result.
Meter the mystery wiring connectors to ground. That will verify it is a ground or hot. You may need to test with the lights on and off.
Where do these mystery wires live? Behind the head-unit? Photo all you see with the connectors.
Last edited by White_Knuckles; Jul 23, 2008 at 11:19 PM.
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Youngtimer
do what knuckles said and disconnect that wire...
that pic you posted, i'm 95% sure that i left that wire disconnected when i just installed my head unit, infact i'm 99% sure i left it disconnected, so i don't think that would be your problem.
the illumination thing is weird, when i had a dvd player in the car, i hooked up the illum wire to the wrong wire in the harness, so when i turned on my headlights the screen would go into aux mode or something. undo that wire, and just leave the speakers, power, ground, connected, and see if the car is still acting funny.
that pic you posted, i'm 95% sure that i left that wire disconnected when i just installed my head unit, infact i'm 99% sure i left it disconnected, so i don't think that would be your problem.
the illumination thing is weird, when i had a dvd player in the car, i hooked up the illum wire to the wrong wire in the harness, so when i turned on my headlights the screen would go into aux mode or something. undo that wire, and just leave the speakers, power, ground, connected, and see if the car is still acting funny.
Thread Starter
Almost a Member!
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 31
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From: Wisconsin
95 Eclipse GST, 93 MB 300e
I did the installs close to the same time frame. The car was down some time as i was waiting for the replacement wiring harness to come in. I noticed the illumination was out as soon as i installed my pioneer 6900ub. I wired the factory illumination wire to the corresponding illumination wire on the radio harness. To resolve this, i wired directly to the headlight fuse. But i do not know if the other exterior lights going whack occured at this point.
After all was installed, i started to notice all the funky things happening.
I will snap a picture of what the stereo wiring looks like now.
After all was installed, i started to notice all the funky things happening.
I will snap a picture of what the stereo wiring looks like now.
Thread Starter
Almost a Member!
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
95 Eclipse GST, 93 MB 300e
So i tried removing my directly wired illumination wire, and it does not change anything. The lights are still severely screwed up. Now when i use the turn signals when lights are off, the fronts work but ALL rear lights blink. tail lights and turn signals.
I have no clue!
I have no clue!
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 151
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta, Ga
'16 E350 ‘07 S550 ‘21 GLE580
I'm 99% positive that the mystery wire is for the anti theft alarm system. It is normally plugged in to a little stub that comes off the back of the factory radio and completes a ground circuit. If someone attempted to steal the radio with the alarm armed when that wire disconnected it would trigger the alarm. That is why the wire has that clip, it will catch on something as the radio is being removed and disengage from the stud on the radio.
