Radio Install Question

[swimbikerun247]

My new to me 86 4runner was without a radio. I went to install one and spliced together the harness, but I am getting no power to the head unit. When I test the harness in the 4runner I'm getting power on 2 wires, the + wire and the dash light/illumination wire but nothing when I hook the radio up. Any suggestions? Fuse is good on my head unit and it worked when it was last removed. I also tested another unit and still nothing. I'm confused.

 

[basketcase]

You need to make sure you have power on the yellow wire and the red wire and ground on the black. Are you using a Metra harness or something similar? The red wire is your switched ignition wire and the yellow is the constant 12volt wire. Without both the radio won't turn on. Does the illumination wire have power always? Just with key on? Just with lights on? That wire should only have 12v when light switch is on.

 

[swimbikerun247]

You need to make sure you have power on the yellow wire and the red wire and ground on the black. Are you using a Metra harness or something similar? The red wire is your switched ignition wire and the yellow is the constant 12volt wire. Without both the radio won't turn on. Does the illumination wire have power always? Just with key on? Just with lights on? That wire should only have 12v when light switch is on.

Looks to me like someone cut the harness off of the original 4runner radio. Thanks for the help basketcase. I've got it hooked up and on now. The yellow wire was seperate from the main harness. Now that it's hooked up the radio is ALWAYS on tho'. If I turn the truck off I have to manually turn off my radio. This concerns me a little bit b/c my radio doesn't completely power down and only has standby mode which still utilizes a full display, kinda afraid it will drain the battery but idk for sure.

 

[laxbro19]

Sounds like you hooked the yellow wire that is providing constant power to the red wire on the HU which is for switched power

 

[basketcase]

It most likely will drain your battery. There should be a wire in that harness that shows 12 volts only when the key is on. That gets hooked to the red wire of the new radio. If you cant find one in that harness, and all fuses are good, run it to the fusebox or ign switch with its own separate fuse.

 

[swimbikerun247]

Sounds like you hooked the yellow wire that is providing constant power to the red wire on the HU which is for switched power

My red wire (radio side) is connected to the gray wire (truck side). The yellow wire (radio side) is connected to the other wire (truck side) that was completely separate from all the other wires and harness. I'm not sure of the color. I do know the previous wire that was there was yellow which I believe to be from the factory radio.

 

[laxbro19]

My red wire (radio side) is connected to the gray wire (truck side). The yellow wire (radio side) is connected to the other wire (truck side) that was completely separate from all the other wires and harness. I'm not sure of the color. I do know the previous wire that was there was yellow which I believe to be from the factory radio.

I'm not really sure I understand what you're saying. A pic of the wiring harness would be very helpful

 

[Cartzo]

Looks to me like someone cut the harness off of the original 4runner radio. Thanks for the help basketcase. I've got it hooked up and on now. The yellow wire was seperate from the main harness. Now that it's hooked up the radio is ALWAYS on tho'. If I turn the truck off I have to manually turn off my radio. This concerns me a little bit b/c my radio doesn't completely power down and only has standby mode which still utilizes a full display, kinda afraid it will drain the battery but idk for sure.

I've ran like this in for over a year. It won't drain the battery as long as you turn it off. I've come to like it that way cause I don't need the key in the ignition to play tunes. I think of it as a mod