MX-3.com

Hey, i bought a 94 mx-3 to replace my 92, i swapped out the enigne and all the yaddy yadda, i got to the stock radio, cut the harness pluged it all in, long story short, now i have no dash lights and 2 wires left over. red and red stripe. behind my dimmer switch are the same color wires. can anybody tell me how and where to plug these so i dont get shorts and everything works A1 (preferable a wiring schematic) i noticed neither make my test light light, both make dash light up, one smokes and makes a funny buzzing sound elsewhere.
Thanks again for you time
Cheers
Seb

I have no idea what you're telling me.

repeat that, and re read it, and imagine you have no idea what you're talking about, and make sure it makes sense.

http://www.mx-3.com/manuals/showimg.php ... -J-004.gif
there is your pic of the radio wiring, here is the breakdown;
Car Radio Battery Constant 12v+ Wire: Blue/Red
Car Radio Accessory Switched 12v+ Wire: Blue/White
Car Radio Ground Wire: Chassis
Car Radio Illumination Wire: Red/Black
Car Stereo Dimmer Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Antenna Trigger Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Amp Trigger Wire: N/A
Car Stereo Amplifier Location: N/A
Car Audio Front Speakers Size: 5 1/4″
Car Audio Front Speakers Location: Doors
Left Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue
Left Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/White
Right Front Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue/Red
Right Front Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/Yellow
Car Audio Rear Speakers Size: 5 1/4″
Car Audio Rear Speakers Location: Shock Tower
Left Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue/White
Left Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/Green
Right Rear Speaker Positive Wire (+): Blue/Red
Right Rear Speaker Negative Wire (-): Blue/Green

Now you blew a fuse most likely so check the meter fuse inside the vehicle then if thats good progress to the other lighting fuses. If you cut more than 1 wire at a time then thats how you blew the fuse, cutting a live wire while contacting a ground source=fuse pop.

I want to see if you can help me out too! My gauge lights and hvac lights don't come on. I have tail lights and power going to and out of the dimmer switch. All fuses are good. I don't know what else it could be, any ideas?

you are going to need to see if the power from the dimmer is making it to the instrument cluster then check the bulbs themselves, sometimes its just a matter of the bulbs being burnt out, fyi if they are burning out frequently thats an early warning sign of alternator or charging issues.

The bulbs are good I checked it by putting them in place of the low fuel bulb and they lit up. The alternator is brand new as of last week. To test if they are getting power do I need to test where the bulb sits on the guage cluster?

I tested where the bulbs sit and I am getting power but only when I use the door or another soild ground. If one side is postive and the other is gound where the bulbs sit, then I could have a grounding issue. How many grounds are there that only go to the instrument panel? I have read there are 3 but not sure which 3.

I am not sure how many there are check the online manuals you should get proper schematics.

Still cannot find the stupid problem!! I am just going to get the aftermarket gauges and put them in unless anyone else has a idea.

And your going to illuminate them how?

Danny, he said he has power at the dimmer


I have recently done 1.5 dash swaps, and I can tell you there are three chassis grounds back there. One is on the far driver's side, up over the fuse box. You can't see it without removing the lower dash. Then there are two more, one just on the driver's side of the centre console, for the cluster harness, and one just on the passenger side of the console, for the radio.


Did you check your fuses?

Did you check the connections at the back of the cluster?

All the fuses are good, I can power the gauges off the dimmer switch for I am getting power. The connections are good as far as I can tell. Its not only the gauges it is also the A/C. The other lights light up such as check engine, low fuel, abs, the light for the key.

What if you splice the red/black and red in the dimmer? Just cut them and put them together. It may be your dimmer itself. I'm assuming you've tried adjusting the dimmer.


Edit, bad call, just jumper them in the plug.


I'm thinking, just because the only the illumination lights are affected by the dimmer, and those are all that don't work...

Ryan wrote:What if you splice the red/black and red in the dimmer? Just cut them and put them together. It may be your dimmer itself. I'm assuming you've tried adjusting the dimmer.


Edit, bad call, just jumper them in the plug.


I'm thinking, just because the only the illumination lights are affected by the dimmer, and those are all that don't work...

I could care less if I couldnt make my lights dim so splicing wires I will do. I have tried to adjust the the wheel, I know you had to ask just to make sure. I did try however taking a wire and putting one side in the red/black and the other side in the red and nothing happenend.