Aftermarket radio on only when lights on

Just because the factory harness has a connection for illumination doesn't mean your replacement stereo has a spot for it to connect to. I looked at your picture, it looks like the harness that connects to the factory harness includes this orange, but that just means it's universal and has the ability should you install a stereo that has a connection for it. Based on what I see coming down from the stereo wiring harness, there's nothing to connect it to, unless there are two stereo harness connections and one is not in the picture. All I see is power, switched power, ground, and +/- for two speakers.

Know what would be helpful? The answer to a few questions:

WHAT STEREO ARE YOU INSTALLING?
WHAT HARNESS KIT ARE YOU USING?

 

OP = Original Poster

 

See below pics. So since orange wire is not at the end where aftermarket radio plugs in then i can use this feature? 3rd pic is factory harness.

 

Also radio has feature to set dim hours so not sure if this info helps?

 

Your going to start a fire and/or blow out your dashboard lighting and cause serious damage.

In your picture above, the black plug that's in your hand is the one that plugs into the pioneer deck. It doesnt have an orange or orange/black wire. This means it does not have an auto dim feature.

It may have an ambient light sensor on the face which auto dims based on cabin lighting, but it wont dim based on headlights .

The orange wire in your picture is the universal car side of the harness. Its there because the car has a dimming wire, but your radio does not. You just essentially connected your dash lights to accessory power.

The result is that the orange wire shows ground when off. This blew the radio fuse causing no power on the red wire. Lucky you didnt fry the dashboard. Disconnect the orange and blue wire. You cant use them. Dont connect then to ANYTHING and DONT leave them uncovered. Best thing to do is rip them out entirely.

Then replace your radio fuse and itll work again. Hopefully

 

The radio you purchased does not have a connection for dimmer. Display brightness is set manually. Disconnect the Orange and Blue wires from the wiring harness and cap them. Then find the fuse that's blown to restore the ACC turn on function if you haven't already.

 

We are trying to help but you keep swearing by YouTube. I'm not trying to be an ass but you need to stop trusting you tube and take our advice. I have been installing over 10 years have my MECP (Mobile Electronics Certified Professional). I know quite a bit about this stuff

 

That's the problem any idiot can make a YouTube video and do it easily and quickly. Even if connect orange to headlight is correct you are much better off searching for a site with instructions(Crutchfield is good) because if someone is putting the time and effort into writing instructions and adding pictures it's way more likely to be correct than YouTube. I know you will have to read but you might only have to do stuff one time with the correct info.

 

Oh wow. Yea lucky i didnt blowout anything. Sorry guys learning experience. Ok i disconnected blue and orange and put heat shrink. Going yo test it now

 

Much better. They rest should all be heat shrinked as well. Reason is that the tape will eventually melt and fall off exposing the raw connections. Even legit 33+ 3M tape wont last forever. Its just a serious fire hazard. Id strongly encourage you to cut all your connections, one at a time, resolder and shrink wrap. If not all then at a very minimum do the yellow and red wires.

Also, your radio probably won't work still. You've almost certainly blown the fuse.

 

I checked all fuses with car on even the 10 fuse behind radio but it wont start. Could it be red wire connection is not good? Only thing that makes sense to do right? Well heat shrink all once problem is fixed.

 

Refer to this page, there's more than one fuse box. If your dome light isn't working, you're looking for that fuse.

https://www.yotatech.com/how-tos/a/toyota-tacoma-fuse-box-diagram-414521

 

Yea i checked both.

 

You need a multimeter.

Turn your key to on.
Meter DCV between the red wire and gound, you should have 12+ volts.
Meter DCV between the yellow wire and gound, you should have 12+ volts.

If you don't have voltage on both wires you have a blown vehicle fuse.
If you have voltage on both, you have a blown stereo fuse.

The only other explanation is your ground isn't connected, or your stereo is nuked.

 

Check the fuse ON the radio, sir. That would be likely to have popped.

I have a Pioneer as well, not the same one..you're going to look on the power wire coming off the back of the radio for a fuseholder. If not, look on the actual unit but pretty sure it's on that wire.

 

@ABA180 nope that’ll have a fuse I’m the head unit itself beside the harness connector. Also @ProjectEric2.0 that radio does not have a dimmer wire. And the fuse that runs the switched power (red wire) I think also runs your cig outlets

 

Oh that makes sense. I dont have power for sockets so its why radio is not working and worked when i had power from lights. I bought alligator cables and will check relays tomorrow. Good idea thanks

 

@ProjectEric2.0 no problem. I’m 99% sure the fuse for that particular circuit is in the interior fuse panel near where your left knee would be if you were driving. Should be either a 10 or 15amp. I’ll look tomorrow. I’m pretty sure when you pull the little door loose it has a diagram and I think it even says radio

 

I was pretty sure it had the fuse in the unit, but it's been a while since I wired one that had that. Old school way, remember the glass fuse in the power wire

And yup that is the same one that runs the outlets. Check that fuse in the inside box first, bet anything you snapped it.

 

The only one i swapped was fuse #2. Still nothing. I get continuity for all others. Hoping its a relay because i dont know what epse to do. Same goes for fuse box under hood. Another thing is im missing relay #15 for kick panel fuse but it says its for power windows and seats. I wonder if this is the problem if not the power outlet under the hood.