Climate control lights and radio not working

I bought this truck a few weeks ago and have been tackling the many issues it has a little at a time. Today I was trying to figure out why the radio wouldn't turn on. It hasn't worked since I bought it. It's a cheap aftermarket unit that I don't mind replacing, but if it works and it's just a wiring or fuse problem, I'd keep it.

I've pulled every blade fuse in the cab and in the engine fuse boxes and tested them with one of those cheap fuse testers that light up when the fuse is good. All fuses tested fine and visually they look fine too.

The engine fuse box was missing the A/C fuse, so I put that in while I was in there.

When the headlights are on, the only light that works in that area of the dash is the one for the A/C. The rest of the climate control is dark. I'm not sure if that is related to the radio problem or not.

If it's not a fuse, is there a common wire that would power both of these? I don't really know anything about electrical or audio work. I'm just getting tired of singing to myself while driving, and am looking for some tunes!

Since it hasn't worked since I got it, they could certainly have failed at separate times for separate reasons.

 

Those climate control lights are seperate from the radio power wires. You should test for voltage at the bulb sockets to see if the bulbs are just burned out, and test for voltage at the radio power wires too.

 

The Climate Control and Radio both Share the Rheostst.
The Rheostat is on the Ground side. It’s function is to Dim the lights.
Most people (even I) call it a Dimmer.

I think you can bypass it, then the lights should work.
But they will all be full brightness.

I’d first figure out the radio issue.
It’s not correctly wired, I wouldn’t do anything until you address this problem FIRST.

 

If the rheostat had a bad ground how would the instrument cluster be illuminated? Is there a seperate ground on it for the climate control bulbs?

 

I tried my best to find out some info on what wire to look for on the radio.
Best I could find is this one.
https://pdf.crutchfieldonline.com/ImageBank/v20170710174200/Manuals/120/120701761.PDF

I’d pull the radio out and disconnect it.
Then you should be able to by pass the Dimmer to test the bulbs.

 

Most of them are on a separate ground, yes.
The Speedometer, Tachometer, Temp, and Fuel Gauges are on a separate Ground.

 

Actually all bulbs in the cluster and heating panel and are grounded via the same place - dimmer. Even hazard switch is lighted the same way. See the video:

https://youtu.be/RlmLWaBk4QA

Now as radio is concerned believe or not, the stock harness provides power and ground for radio illumination. The stock radio has the feature that will dim the display if you turn on the lights and you can dim it even further together with cluster lights. Clever bugger. I have not seen any aftermarket radio that would support that feature (I am not saying it does not exist, just I have not seen it yet). So if someone screwed up the redio connection it is possible that they used dimmer ground for radio ground (I hope not). Anyway, for the information the 12V illumination wire is green with red stripe, the illumination ground (via dimmer) is white with green stripe.

 

You need to look at the dash diagram.

PM sent with further understand.
Hopefully we can get this figured out for him.
Thanks for helping

 

Thank you. I explained what I meant . Let's keep the ball rolling. I am with guys who bought second hand Tacoma that was hacked by PO. This is tough to figure out what PO did and why some things don't work or behave really weird way.

 

From that picture I see the whole A/C (or heater) panel is not illuminated. The only light working there is the A/C switch. A/C switch has different bulb and different plug for it, separate from A/C panel. Check the power to A/C panel or maybe just that bulb is burned.

 

There is a Heater / Blower switch light.
Second bulb to the RIGHT of the radio in the diagram you posted above?

 

Yes, I think so. Depending on the heater panel type (slides or turning knobs) there may be just one bulb or two (or three) to backlight the panel. The lighted A/C letters are inside the switch that has its own connector and plug completely separate from the panel connector.

 

Taking a look at the diagram, it looks like the Glove Box is powered by the same as the rest.
But it has a separate ground, does the Glove Box light work?
You may need to check the bulb, most people don’t even think about it.

 

Only if he is lucky to have a glove box light . My truck does not have that, nor ash tray nor cigarette lighter lights.
By the way, I might be wrong, but I think the glove box light is combined with the switch that is not shown on the EWD. I am not sure as I don't have that light. I know my 4Runner (5th gen) does not have a switch in glove box, but the light is LED, so it does not make much heat. It would be stupid for Yota to have an incandescent bulb there that is running full blast even the glove box is closed. Buy again, I might be wrong - Toyota did not use relay to control headlights (like in DRL version) and run all 12A via the switch, so the glove box is light might be nothing comparing to that (sorry, ranting )

 

I didn't even know the glove box had a light!

You guys are great coming up with the diagrams to help me out! Unfortunately, I haven't gotten very far as I can't even figure out how to get the dang radio out of the dash. Guys on youtube who don't have the appropriate removal tools are sliding butter knives in there to release it, but I can't get it to come out so that I can check the power.

There is no light coming on for the hazard, all of the climate, and the glove box. I'm currently trying to find the manual for this specific radio to see if there's some special way to get it out.

The dimmer switch does work to dim the lights that are on though. I tried that. There's something missing right next to the dimmer switch, which may have just been a blank that the previous owner had something in at one point?

 

You are right, there isn’t a switch shown for the Glove Box light.
Surely it doesn’t stay on all the time when ever the tail light are On?

 

I think that is where the Diff Lock Switch would be?
I may be wrong, but it seem like it was there best I remember.

 

Well, if the dimmer works for the other lights.
I think we can count that as NOT the problem?

We have a wiring issue somewhere I think?

 

I'd need to dig in manuals or other sources as my truck is very poor man model .

To remove the radio I believe you have to take the bezel out. There are screws on each side of the radio mounting it to the metal frame. 1st gen Tacoma does not have standard slide-in DIN pocket. Unless PO fabricated something there. When I was installing my radio I had to throw out the pocket as it wouldn't fit. I used original angle brackets to bolt on the new DIN radio in place.

 

@dlister70 can you give us a list of what lights do and do not work?
That way we can narrow down the path.
For example these lights circled have different power feed wires.