Stereo Illumination Dim
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 499
Likes: 3
Stereo Illumination Dim
Hey guys. I'm wiring in a new stereo & I can't seem to find what wire is for the illumination. Anybody know? My car is a 1997 & it had the bose system. Let me know, I'm looking in the FSM & can't find it. Thanks!
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,773
Likes: 66
From: SoCal
-with automatic dual zone controls HVAC unit the dimmer / illumination wire is the yellow one at C16 of the big plug
-with manual single zone control it's the yellow wire at pin J of the 12-pin plug
from user markcz
Just checked the service manual. For a 97 it says the wires are GREY not yellow. Auto HVAC at PIN 16 at the far end of the connector,
On manual HVAC its Pin J Middle top of connector also a GREY wire.
1997 and 1998 those wires are GREY, 1999-on they are YELLOW
Last edited by RedRiderZR1; May 4, 2018 at 05:40 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 365
From: SF Bay Area
I hooked mine into the parking lights on the steering wheel harness. The C5 dimmer is ground controlled rather than positive controlled. The Joying unit is going to be looking for a 12v source to tell it to dim. Not sure if the wires listed above will do the job.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 499
Likes: 3
Oh, I did not know that. Do you happen to remember which wires you specifically hooked into? Does it adjust with the factory ****? Or is just a simple dim on or off type thing?
VETERAN
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 592
Likes: 57
From: Dayton OH
2025 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Brown Wire
I connected to the brown wire and don't really see the illumination changing.....The Head Unit is supposed to have a dimmer option but can't tell if that works....
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
10 Things C8 Corvette Owners Hate (But Won't Tell You)
Joe Kucinski
10 Best Corvettes Coming to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2026!
Brett Foote
Every Corvette Grand Sport Explained! (C2, C4, C6, C7, & C8)
Joe Kucinski
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 499
Likes: 3
Heres my current issue. Sometimes the unit will come on no problem. Other times it powers up & the screen is completely black. I thought it was broken. Turned headlights on which turned the button lights on, but still black screen. Messed with dash dimmer, screen came up. So I think I'm going to disconnect that wire on the hvac. Its clearly not a clean signal.
Tsumi there isnt an option I have found for dimming with time or signal. Theres a setting for "brightness area" which has an adjustment for minimum, default, & maximum. Then you can save it. I have no idea what this is used for. I will get a pic of it.
Tsumi there isnt an option I have found for dimming with time or signal. Theres a setting for "brightness area" which has an adjustment for minimum, default, & maximum. Then you can save it. I have no idea what this is used for. I will get a pic of it.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 365
From: SF Bay Area
Which brown wire did you connect to? I had it connected to one on the steering wheel harness. There is another brown wire in the HVAC area that does something completely different. It should be the only brown wire on the steering wheel harness.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,275
Likes: 739
From: Miami FL
Since C5 doesn't have a dimmer wire in the radio harness
-with automatic dual zone controls HVAC unit the dimmer / illumination wire is the yellow one at C16 of the big plug
-with manual single zone control it's the yellow wire at pin J of the 12-pin plug
from user markcz
Just checked the service manual. For a 97 it says the wires are GREY not yellow. Auto HVAC at PIN 16 at the far end of the connector,
On manual HVAC its Pin J Middle top of connector also a GREY wire.
1997 and 1998 those wires are GREY, 1999-on they are YELLOW
-with automatic dual zone controls HVAC unit the dimmer / illumination wire is the yellow one at C16 of the big plug
-with manual single zone control it's the yellow wire at pin J of the 12-pin plug
from user markcz
Just checked the service manual. For a 97 it says the wires are GREY not yellow. Auto HVAC at PIN 16 at the far end of the connector,
On manual HVAC its Pin J Middle top of connector also a GREY wire.
1997 and 1998 those wires are GREY, 1999-on they are YELLOW
From this writeup:
To connect the dimmer wire we spliced in the hvac control harness.
The orange white wire from the radio harness was extended using a left over piece of green and then connected to the cream/yellow colored wire on the far right of the blue side on the hvac connector
The orange white wire from the radio harness was extended using a left over piece of green and then connected to the cream/yellow colored wire on the far right of the blue side on the hvac connector
Last edited by GCG; May 5, 2018 at 02:08 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 499
Likes: 3
Heres my current issue. Sometimes the unit will come on no problem. Other times it powers up & the screen is completely black. I thought it was broken. Turned headlights on which turned the button lights on, but still black screen. Messed with dash dimmer, screen came up. So I think I'm going to disconnect that wire on the hvac. Its clearly not a clean signal.
So recently the unit wouldn't let the screen come on @ night. Turn the lights on, & the screen would go black. I've since disconnected the illumination wire from that hvac wire. Everything works now. So I will find another way to wire that in. I will look for that brown wire on the steering column harness.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,275
Likes: 739
From: Miami FL
Last edited by GCG; May 6, 2018 at 11:05 AM.