radio turns off with headlights?

billison

I like tinted tail
15 Year Member
Feb 27, 2006
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Sooooo slowly getting to know my new 92 mustang, and while trying to figure out what this odd ball switch that's connected to the head lights does, i decided to listen to the radio.


I started messing with the dimmer to see if it was connected with the switch and when i turn off the inside lights the radio turns off, and when I turn off the head lights it turns off and then back on, I figure the power is connected to the original dimmer instead of a power wire, but though i'd post.
 
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Sooooo slowly getting to know my new 92 mustang, and while trying to figure out what this odd ball switch that's connected to the head lights does, i decided to listen to the radio.


I started messing with the dimmer to see if it was connected with the switch and when i turn off the inside lights the radio turns off, and when I turn off the head lights it turns off and then back on, I figure the power is connected to the original dimmer instead of a power wire, but though i'd post.
Whoa bro! Where is this SWITCH? Is the original stereo still in it or did someone totally screw up your wiring when putting in an aftermarket stereo? If the radio is tied into the dimmer switch you have problems. The dimmer is only protected with a 5 amp fuse for the dash lights. The wire will read GROUND until you turn on the lights. I think someone has messed with something they shouldn't have.
 
I've not gotten in there and looked at it yet. I've honestly barly ran the radio. I'm guessing it was not a pro install, I'll check the fuse in the morning, he may have ran it to the dimmer and poped in a bigger fuse, that or who knows what it could be, I don't remember installing a radio being hard at all, just speaker wires a group, a power and a accessoreis.

The switch is (as far as I know) unrelated to the radio, it has some kind of halo lights, there is a second bulp inside the headlight, it has a wire set, relay, and switch that turns red/green but don't seem to turn anything on or off, I was messing with this when I found the radio issue.

Did the original radio connect to the dimmer? cuz I wondering if that wire was used some how. I'm about to do my "to do list" for the winter, this is on the list.
 
\Yup! I just turned on the headlights with the car off and the radio came on, I wonder if the guy was using a test light and had the lights on., should be a easy fix.
 
\Yup! I just turned on the headlights with the car off and the radio came on, I wonder if the guy was using a test light and had the lights on., should be a easy fix.
I hope so bro! Hopefully it doesn't burn your car down in the meantime! I hate it when someone does wiring on something and has no clue what they are doing!
 
Alright, I started messing with it and got somewhere.

as far as the switch, it goes to the extra set of lights it was just disconnected, missing the fuse and had a bad relay... so... yeah


Now on to the main thing, I pulled the radio and found the two wires that would give power, one was always on ( the constant) and one that would only turn on with the key.... but it would also turn on with the lights... and it would loose power when you would cycle though the lights or honk the horn ( my 2 year old found this for me) I'll mess with it some more later, figure I can just run new wires for the whole thing if needed.

anyone got a list of the wire colors for a 92? i'd like to at least figure what the dude before me did. I checked the fuse block and all seemed fine.
 
Click on the pic to enlarge...

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I'm gonna just take a shot In the dark as I had a similar problem on my 89 if the radio is after market the Switched power (red wire) and constant are backwards as to where they should be and also the illum -orange wire for the radio is tied into the switched power