SizzleChest

i just installed an original 8-track in my 78. it works great except it doesn't light up as the gauges above it do. maybe it's not supposed to. does anyone know?

Chris@VetteFinders

Hey Sizzlechest, I don't need to talk to YOU. I said this is Frank Rizzo!!

Anyway, welcome to the forum. SOrry I can't help you with the light question, jerky.

JK78SA

I pulled my original AM-FM 8 track stereo out and replaced it 3 years ago because the volume was very static. There is an amber led light for the FM indicator (signal strength). I just took the face off the radio chassis and I can not see any other light bulbs in this radio. As I vaguely recall, the light that is located at the top of the center bezel gives off the light for the heater/AC controls and the radio.

JK78SA

Ignore the last sentence of my previous post. Upon further dis-assembly, I just found a #1893 bulb located at the top front. You will have to remove the radio from the dash to replace the bulb. The top cover is held on by 5 1/4" hex head screws. 2 are at the top/front, 2 are at the back and 1 is on the left side of the chassis. There should be a rubber/plastic blue cover over the bulb.

78Vette-SA

Sizzle,

That's a sweet and clean looking 78 you got there! :cool:

Sorry I can't answer your question though. My 8-Track is boxed and put away with the original speakers for the next owner.

Matt Gruber

the most important accessory is an 8 track recorder. I still use my Realistic TR-801 to make tapes to play in the house! I can't get new blanks, so i bulk erase the old ones.

SizzleChest

does the power for the light come from the same wire that powers the deck or is there a seperate one?

Pete79L82

It is a seperate wire.
You should have three plug on the back of the radio.(if you have rear speakers otherwise only two plugs) Of those three plugs, one will have three wires in it. Yellow for power, black for ground, grey for display light. With a test light the grey wire should get dimmer and brighter as you dim the dash lights.

SizzleChest

i hope you're right, it was a real pain getting the bezel out and having to put it back and how i have to do it again. i'll let you know...

SizzleChest

took it out, changed the bulb and NOTHIN! it must be a wiring problem then. my power (yellow) wire is connected to a red wire, because when i connect the yellow to the yellow, my radio works without having the key in the ignition, so that only leaves the light (grey) wire to be connected to the yellow.
this is probably hard to read, sorry.

ps: the little amber coloured light for the "stereo" indicator works fine. does this run off the same wire as would the display light?


[Modified by SizzleChest, 3:38 PM 3/17/2002]

Binnie77

The light should only come on when the car lights are on as it is tied into the light circuit.

SizzleChest

the problem is, the light never comes on. lets see if i can better explain my last post.

aside from the speaker wires, there are 3 other wires. one for ground, one for power, one for ? (im assuming that's where the wire for the light connects to). the wire is yellow.

Pete79L82

The yellow wire should only have power when the key is on. This wire supplies power for the radio.
The black wire is the ground.
The grey wire should only have power when the dash lights are on and should dim with the dash lights. This is the wire for the display.
The stereo indicator light is powered by the radio 12v power not the display light so it work independent if the display light.

If these wires don't have power as I described than you have a wiring problem with the car.

You mentioned a red wire? There is no red wire in this curcuit. Is the red wire on the radio or the car harness?

SizzleChest

red on the harness. here's the colouring of the wires
car deck:
yellow +
black -
grey (light)

harness:
yellow
black
red

when i connect yellow to yellow, the radio will work without the key in the ignition, so yellow (car) connects to red (harness). black to black. this leaves grey (car) to connect to red (which is ???)

Pete79L82

Does the back of your radio where the harness plugs in look like this?

SizzleChest

absolutely identical.

Pete79L82

I am assuming at some point someone cut the original plug off of the harness and installed an aftermarket radio? And now you are trying to reconnect the plug to reinstall the factory radio. If this is the case then the yellow/black/grey wires on the plug should match yellow/black/grey on the harness in the car. Because it does not match means that the harness has been further modified. You will need to look further into that harness and find out why the yellow wire has power all the time and where the red wire is coming from.

SizzleChest

yes, as i said. i just put the 8-track in. before it, there was a newer jvc cd deck.

SizzleChest

well, i figured out what the problem is. something inside the radio is faulty. i took in into a radio shop to have it tested and they couldn't get it to work either so i'm shelling out the $50 or so to get it fixed.

SizzleChest

i'm getting the radio back tomorrow all fixed and ready to fly. the repairman said it was just a corroded connection and an easy fix. thanks for the help everyone! :)