HU Dimming

[Chris]

Hey guys, I'm looking for a little advice.

I installed my kenwood head unit a couple of weeks ago and all is good, except, should the lights on the head unit dim when i put the headlights on?

When driving at night (which i've been doing more lately) the lights are really quite bright and distracting.

I'm using a slightly butchered factory loom pluged in behind the glovebox. And i've got the 'dimmer' lead from the HU attached to the loom but it may not be correct. Should the dimmer lead get 12v+ when the lights are turned on or should it go to earth?

Any help much appreciated,
Chris

[munky30]

Often wondered this myself... my headunit is wired in with spade connectors as someone had already hacked it up... my dimmer wire is just hanging loose...

Is there any way you can wire it to the dimmer potentiometer for the dash lights so it dims with them?

(sorry for the hijack, but it might be useful for you too)

[Raj_p]

test the light switch with a tester and see which wire sends out a +5v, this is the lead you need to tap into for the system to dim when the lights turn on.

Some head units have an option to change the brightness when the lights are turned on

im sorry i dont know what wire it is, if you guys want ill check in the morning before you try it.

[munky30]

chris... when you find which wire that is... tell me the colour.. me and multimeters dont mix

[Chris]

Cheers for the info RAJ, I've been looking for a 12v wire.

Munky, are you using the factory wiring loom that plugs in behind the dash? i'll let you know the wire colour and the pin it uses

[BadDave]

[quote="munky30"]Often wondered this myself... my headunit is wired in with spade connectors as someone had already hacked it up... my dimmer wire is just hanging loose...

Is there any way you can wire it to the dimmer potentiometer for the dash lights so it dims with them?

(sorry for the hijack, but it might be useful for you too)[/quote

Should work if you tap into the correct wire

Sorry Munky
Don't know which wire though
Will have to investigate this myself at some point

[BadDave]

Often wondered this myself... my headunit is wired in with spade connectors as someone had already hacked it up... my dimmer wire is just hanging loose...

Is there any way you can wire it to the dimmer potentiometer for the dash lights so it dims with them?

(sorry for the hijack, but it might be useful for you too)

Should work if you tap into the correct wire

Sorry Munky
Don't know which wire though
Will have to investigate this myself at some point

[choppa7]

can you not splice the dim wire into the clock light feed, tha dims with the others

[Raj_p]

can you not splice the dim wire into the clock light feed, tha dims with the others

You could but that wouldnt dim the head unit like you do with the lights, it will just do it at a 30% light drop as this is what m,ost heasd units are set to.

[tomtomiS]

the dimmer wire is the orange one on most headunits. cant remember what it is on wiring harness tho. but it supplies 12volts + to the headunit

[choppa7]

can you not splice the dim wire into the clock light feed, tha dims with the others

You could but that wouldnt dim the head unit like you do with the lights, it will just do it at a 30% light drop as this is what m,ost heasd units are set to.

The only experience I've had of HU dimming was on a JVC HU I had in a mazda 323f. When I turned the lights on the HU inverted its colours almost like a tomtom would use night colours so as to not distrract the driver, I thought this was when I turned the lights on 12v was fed into the dimming wire (same as lighting up the console lights) and the HU knew what that was about and switched over

[Raj_p]

Choppa7, on some head units, they invert the colours, but on 90% on the head units they just dim the lights by about 30%.

i have fitted 3 kenwood systems and they all dim rather then fade with the light fader switch, and when tested they only need a +5v feed as they are only leds, this may vary on other headunits.

ill check on my headunit which wire i have tapped into.

[choppa7]

aaaaaaah

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