I've searched and I've searched...found a thread on the subject but no answer..here's my question my gauge dimmer doesn't turn red anymore after an aftermarket stereo install using the metra kit..can anyone shed some light on this?

 

nobody??? really???

 

Working on this one too. Metra says try original head unit but thats not illuminating for me either

 

hmmm..just wondering if everyone who installed a Metra kit is having the same issue

 

Did you ever get this fixed?

Is it just the gauge cluster lights that don't turn red anymore, or are the other red lights on your steering wheel and console also off? If they are (or even if they're not), check all your fuses. I blew the Illumination fuse (I believe that was the one) while installing the Metra kit, which affected the red lights.

 

My cluster lights will stay white but don't shift to red with the lights on. The steering wheel button lights and red lights above the door switches are also out. I am not sure if the METRA unit caused this directly or caused a short (failure) in the dimmer circuit or controls. All cabin fuses checked were good.

 

I really think it's a fuse - I have the Metra Kit installed on my 8 and have had 0 problems with any of my lights. The Metra Kit doesn't really tap into those lights anyways?

 

Check the Illumi fuse in the fuse box under the hood. That's the one that's probably blown.

 

I had checked the fuse in the box inside the car. I didn't know there was a "illumination" fuse under the hood. I will check those first thing.

 

The 10A fuse under the hood was blown. It must be a short because it blew a new fuse as soon as it was replaced. Does anyone have a schematic showing what this feeds? I must have a short.

 

I install stereos at work and deal with electrical issues. I recently had the same issue where I thought it was something I had done with bad wiring. I found that all I had really done was blew the fuse. I would make sure that you do not have any of the orange wires within the metra kit to anything but their mates from the factory harness. Ex: Orange/White to Orange/White, Orange to Orange. Do not mix them, you will blow a fuse. Besides that the fuse shouldn't have an issue blowing, but I do not have a schematic for you sorry!

 

The second 10A Illumi fuse installed this weekend did not blow, so either the "short" burned open or the first replacement fuse was bad. Either way, the lights are now working correctly. My son had installed a Pioneer FH-X700BT radio using a Metra kit, and the first fuse was blown trying to hook up the dimmer control. It never did work, so now I drive at night with a "too bright radio" creating a rolling disco in the car. I will take care of that shortly. Thanks for everyone's help.

 

Nice car cheap stereo

 

Old thread it this may be useful for a yone that reads this in the future.

I just installed a Pioneer Appradio 4 with the metro kit on my 06. I ran into similar issue but resolved it.

The oem harness has a illum + and illum - wire. They are the same color wires that run into the accessory light bulbs in the ash tray. The metro kit has a orange white connected to the - off the main harness and a solid orange + off the 10 pin adapter that plugs into the metra box.

My head unit wire is orange white so I connected it to orange white on the harness and blew the fuse. The fix was leaving the orange white from the metra harness alone, just taped it up and connecting the illum wire from the head unit to the solid orange from the 10 pin. No more blown fuse and radio dimms correctly.