Problem with dashboard lights in 96 starlet. Please help

[Willy]

Hi Guys,

I put a stereo head unit in for my sister in her 96 starlet, I've done a ton of them and never had a problem with the wiring.

When I pulled out the original stereo I tested the wiring into the back of the original plug.

Other than the speaker wires i had;

12V + connected to ignition.
Ground wire
2 x 1V continuous power which didnt turn out to be high enough voltage to start the stereo, one was Blue with Yellow trace, the second was brown.

Because the 1V wires werent high enough voltage to start the unit up, I instead spliced into a continuous 12V + wire that was connected to the hazard light switch.

Unit started up no problems, but now no dashboard lights. I have all of the warning lights or "reds" and the blinker arrows still light up, but the lights behind the dials, and the interior light are not working.

I checked all of the fuses, including the "gauge" fuse which was fine, tested for power at the light dimmer switch but there was not any power there.

Any ideas or help would be appreciated.

I did try to connect those Blue and brown wires that I wasnt using, but still nothing.

[wa5]

do you have tail lights?

[TRD-12A]

sounds like youve blow a fuse because you have tapped the earth wire into the tail light circuit i see it all the time cause when the taillights are off there is an earth and everyone sees this and thinks its an earth common mistake

[Willy]

No tail lights, will check the fuse and my wiring this afternoon. So the tail light circuit runs into the stereo loom, thats just odd.

[Willy]

Ok so the fuse is blown, put in a new one, turned the lights on and it blew again. So I'll have to pull the stereo out and try to identify which one is for the tail lights.

[TRD-12A]

itll be the wire you used for earth guaranteed all genuine headdecks have a taillight feed to it to dim the headunit down when the lights are on