no dash lights or tail lights

[UTEGQ]

Yea after putting a head unit in my gq, now i have. No dash lights or tail lights. I only used a spare plug thing that was doing nothing hanging in behind factory radio. it had 3 wires power, earth, power for memory. has this happen to any one else and why?

[jemmos]

yeah, happened to my brother in law in a gu, kept blowing the fuse. find another power source. thats what we did, fixed

[scott86]

as an auto elec this is very common, your earth is actualy a tail light power feed for the original radio, change your earth and change the blown fuse

[UTEGQ]

as an auto elec this is very common, your earth is actualy a tail light power feed for the original radio, change your earth and change the blown fuse

i cut the earth from head unit. it still works but, hmmm. changed the fuse too. but why would head unit still work with no earth. did get lights back but.

[brendo4b]

Hey bud i think they can earth through the the ariel

[cooki_monsta]

that is true, and also through the casing

[rumpig89]

the wire u cut and call the 'earth' would have actually been the 'lights' signal (think it is black/purple stripe from memory) which gets 12V+ when lights are turned on (to dim your radio...mostly on stock units). As the auto leccy said connect another earth to the unit and you will have no dramas... as opposed to relying on earth connection through unit casing and antenna.

also prob best to tape the end of that wire to make sure it doesnt short out down the line...