Melchior

Does anyone know if there is a way to get the rheostat to connect to the "dimmer" on my aftermarket radio. The radio has a wire labeled as "dimmer" but I can't find a wire to connect it to. I bought the car with an aftermarket radio already installed in it and, therefore, don't know if the car is already wired for a dimmer or if I have to find a way to connect it to my instrument cluster rheostat. Has anyone ever done this? <img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" />

Perry 951

I don't think you can dim the head unit like the rest of the lights in the car.

If you take the dimmer wire from the head unit and attach it to a 12V source that turns on a light it the head lights (like the ash tray), then it will dim the head unit as well.

bs

most after market head units use some sort of electroluminescent backlighting which requires its own power supply and cannot easily be gradually dimmed by the application of a reduced voltage (what your dimmer rheostat gives you). before you invest energy in trying to get analog control of your head unit brightness, make sure that it will work. most of the head units i've installed in my day just have two settings: "bright" and "dim" and will toggle between the two as power is applied and removed to the dimmer lead. in this case perry's suggestion is the best bet: just hook it up to the neareast headlight switched power lead you can find.

however if you can vary the brightness continually it is possible to get to the wire that comes from the dimmer dial. i was just checking this out on gabe's car on saturday (he's got the a pillar gauge pod to install). If you want to go this route let me know and i'll try to remember the pin number of that wire on the connector.

Melchior

I think that I will just connect it to my ashtray light (+). I was just getting tired of seeing my bright blue radio face reflected in my windshield at night. Thanks. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />