Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Truck instrument cluster, dash, and parking lights died

From: Brian Kemp <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 20:02:22 -0800

Scott - I have no specific experience here, but I'd start by taking out 
the new radio and harness.  This will reduce the likelihood that they 
are the problem.  Maybe putting in the new radio pulled or squashed a wire.

Look around the opening for any damaged wires.  It is possible something 
got nicked/damaged and over the few days shorted.  Maybe some of it is 
as simple as a broken wire.  Check and see if you find any sharp 
bends/creases or wires stuck together (indicating heating).

Gently pull on the various wires in the area.  Maybe an important one 
came loose from a connector.  Check for a ground - it should connect to 
metal.

Brian

On 1/21/2015 7:32 PM, Scott Hall wrote:
> I'm asking here because you guys probably know more than anyone on an
> enthusiast site (and I searched those sites and got no answers).
>
> I've got a 2004 F-250 Super Duty (diesel).
>
> I just took out the OEM radio and replaced it with an aftermarket Pioneer
> unit. I bought an the Metra harness adapter and wired it up according to
> instructions.
>
> Everything worked fine...for about a day or two. Then the dash lights went
> out, along with the dimming function of the radio (so headlights on the
> radio should dim. It did...then it quit). And the speedometer cluster and
> the HVAC cluster lights are gone.
>
> Then a few days later, the running lights quit working. So when I turn on
> the lights in the truck, the headlights come on, but not the 'driving'
> lights, including the rear lights. The brake lights illuminate when the
> pedal's pushed, but not the running lights when just the lights are on.
>
> Googling suggested replacing the headlight switch. I did, no fix. I checked
> the fuses shown for running lights and they're good.
>
> I for nothing after that, and I'm not sure where to go from there. But I'll
> bet you guys know. Any help?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Scott
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From: Ronnie Day <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 10:17:22 -0600

What Brian said, plus a couple of addition thoughts. If you don't have a
wiring diagram I'd suggest getting one. It's impossible to figure out the
circuit paths, especially on newer vehicles, without one. That said, I've
never seen a car or truck that had the radio display in series with the
rest of the dash lighting. Those have always been a parallel circuit in my
experience. And I doubt the system is configured so that the radio has to
be plugged in for the other lights to work. But without a wiring diagram
it's impossible to be sure.

I'd pull the new radio and harness adapter and see if that "fixes" the
issues. You may have made a mistake when you mated the Metra adapter
harness to the Pioneer radio harness. Those adapters often have wires that
aren't used, plus some color coding may not match. If you pull the new
radio and harness you stand a good chance of things working as they should.
I'd also take a good look to see if a wire in either the radio or factory
dash harness got cut or pinched.

I've bought most of my aftermarket car audio from Crutchfield for a long
time for several reasons. While they're not the cheapest, they usually are
very competitive, and their customer service and tech support are
absolutely the best. The radios usually include both mounting harness
adapters, for free, and their installation instructions are the best. Last
spring I bought an Alpine to replace the OE radio in the '98 F-150 we
bought around Easter. The guy I talked to suggested I use Posi-Twist
(*http://tinyurl.com/nonf7qg
<http://tinyurl.com/nonf7qg>*) connectors to connect the Alpine harness to
the Metra adapter. I definitely suggest these or something similar. So much
easier than soldering and heat shrink, much more reliable than crimp-ons,
which I've grown to hate. Using these a connection can be changed easily.
They are availble from other sources in a variety of sizes and
configurations.

My one Crutchfield disappointment is the Metra dash kit I bought several
years ago for our '05 Accord sedan. And my problem is with the Metra kit,
not Crutchfield. The kit replaces most of the center stack in the dash
including the HVAC controls. These controls never worked consistantly so I
restalled the OE Honda radio with a Spec USA iPod adapter. It looks like
Metra has a new version of this kit out which is getting better reviews so
I may give it a try. I really like to use Bluetooth to connect our phones
to the Accord radio. I can already do that in our Suburban and the F-150
P/U.

Anyway, did I mention get a wiring diagram?

HTH,
Ron

On Thu, Jan 22, 2015 at 8:59 AM, <[email-masked]> wrote:

> Scott,
>
> I'm not sure what it would entail (or even if it's possible) but can you
> put the stock radio back in for a test?
>
> Some of these CAN systems get crazy when everything isn't 100% like it
> wants.  Especially if there are 'tie-ins' from other systems (I think you
> said the radio dims with the headlights).
>
> If it's a matter of removing some dash and changing out a harness, it
> might be worth trying.  If you had to cut and splice wires to do the
> install, it may not be worth it.
>
> Just a suggestion.
>
> Eric P
> "Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational
> being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph
> Waldo Emerson
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From: Trevor Boicey <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 11:36:21 -0500

I hope this isn't your problem, but I have a 2004 Dodge Durango that had
some kind of dash fire at some time.

The vehicle would always run and drive, but the dash had a continuous and
amusing series of failures for a long time. The entire dash would go black,
then come back, over and over like a computer stuck on a reboot loop. The
climate control would randomly go off, then reappear.

I got it cheap because the OBD port wasn't working so the vehicle couldn't
get an e-test.

Eventually I got it all sorted out, give or take.

But I hope that isn't your problem.

On Thu, Jan 22, 2015 at 9:59 AM, <[email-masked]> wrote:

> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]

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From: Todd Walke <[email-masked]> mail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 17:28:56 -0800

Very common in the VW world for someone to buy a wiring adapter to 
install an aftermarket stereo only to have the Check Engine light come on 
and cause other electrical oddities.
         Problem is, some of these adapters try to put 12v on the CAN bus 
wire in the radio connector which the computers do not like at all.

Todd
Seattle,WA
'86 GTI, Red of course. (exciting racey car) 276,000 miles
'01 Golf TDI, silver.   (new work car)       501,000 miles <- Yeah, baby!
'87 Golf, Polar Silver. (retired work car)   654,000 miles <- Gone to a new 
home :(
http://www.pureluckdesign.com <-Ferrari & VW stuff
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