What's this third plug in the radio harness for?

[ghunt81]

Bought a new head unit, working on installing it today and I find this third plug on the harness plugged into the radio. Every adapter harness I've seen only has the two plugs mine has so what is this one for and what am I supposed to do with it? Only has 2 wires coming out- pink, and white/orange stripe. Car has Shaker 500.

 

[moooosestang]

I can't remember, but i know you don't need it with the aftermarket radio. I just left it hanging.

 

[ghunt81]

Thanks. I figured it must not be needed but wasn't sure what it was for.

Curious, if you know- I hooked up the "Illumination" (orange) wire on the receiver harness to the plain orange wire on the adapter harness, but when I was testing out the head unit today it doesn't dim when I turn on the lights. The adapter harness also had other wires on it that I can't find information for, like orange/black stripe and some brown wires. Did I connect the right one?

 

[Cum Grano Salis]

Darn those 2 wires with that color code is very familiar but can’t place use either? Gotta look up, they’re automotive industry label standard as I remember and different amp fuses are color coded. https://www.omao.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Wiring Color Code.pdf If sailing Mustang out to sea lmao…

Something like that but maybe runs through light sensitive sensor for dimming applications?

 

[Juice]

Is that a twisted pair of wires in that plug? If so, it would be the CAN bus. Some radios use it for things like speed volume.

 

[ghunt81]

View attachment 85617 Darn those 2 wires with that color code is very familiar but can’t place use either? Gotta look up, they’re automotive industry label standard as I remember and different amp fuses are color coded. https://www.omao.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Wiring Color Code.pdf If sailing Mustang out to sea lmao…

Something like that but maybe runs through light sensitive sensor for dimming applications?

Maybe that's my problem. Jensen harness has a wire for Illumination but no dimmer. Hm.

 

[Cum Grano Salis]

Certainly is clean looking upgrade, just wonder if that feature is/was in radio or part of a dash mount photo-eye for general illumination?

 

[86GT351]

Is that a twisted pair of wires in that plug? If so, it would be the CAN bus. Some radios use it for things like speed volume.

That's what I would think also

 

[86GT351]

 

[ghunt81]

Certainly is clean looking upgrade, just wonder if that feature is/was in radio or part of a dash mount photo-eye for general illumination?

Well- I'm a little confused because in the display settings on the head unit, it has Display Mode, and in that you can select Auto, Day, or Night (which is dimmed). But it doesn't dim on Auto with the lights on. What if I connected the orange/white stripe wire on the adapter to the Illumination wire on the Jensen harness? Hm. I'm just not sure if that would work. I know the illumination was for the lights on the factory head unit and the Jensen does have lighting on the physical buttons, but I'm not sure if it all works the same way.

 

[Cum Grano Salis]

Sometimes if fuse avail. for gauge illumination can tie-in right there, then dim with instrumentation lighting levels. Use blade type stakon and push in with fuse tab on the load side of coarse not Buss side. Only what I would try.

 

[VGMStudios]

As far as I know depending on your you car you may may not need it. If you have a 07+ you need to plug it in. If you have a 05-06 you don't need it.
https://www.allfordmustangs.com/attachments/2005-mustang-audio-wiring-pdf.63360/

 

[Whpony96]

You can acquire the dash controlled back light dimming for the new head unit from either the Message Center switch on the left or the Hazzard Flasher switch on the right. The factory radio used the canbus info for dimming. (You can not use those) That's the White with Orange stripe and Pink with Orange stripe wired on the plug of their own. Do not connect ANYTHING to those of you could up ending with a bricked ECU. The wire colors you are looking for are Yellow with White stripe on the message Canter Switch or Light Blue with White stripe on the Hazzard Switch. Just tap into either of those and the dash dimmer switch will control the dimming back light on the radio as well.