What's up guys! I just hooked up my JVC head unit i got from xmas yesterday, and i love it! I hooked it up using the wiring diagrams on this forum, except for one wire...I hooked the dimmer ground (i believe orange and black) to the black ground wire....Is this wrong? Will this affect the head unit or is it just a pointless wire?

 

It shouldnt effect it. I dont even have mine hooked up. Its just cut and taped behind the unit.

Does your unit dim with your dimmer control?

 

no, it just dimms when the headlights are turned on

 

Disconnect it and ground it. Dont hook up wires that dont match up, especially dimmers.

 

Why? Wouldn't hooking it up to the ground wire be the same as grounding it?

 

Automotive manufacturers use three different types of lighting in vehicles, illumination which is 12v positive at all times when the lights are on, positive dimmer which is 12v positive when the lights are on, but will reduce voltage as the dimmer is turned down until it reaches ground and negative dimmer which reads 12v negative when the lights are on and will reduce voltage as the dimmer is turned down until it reaches 12v positive.

You may not see issues now, but when you connect wires together that are not meant to be hooked together, issues can happen. Ive seen incorrectly hooked up illumination wires fry decks, pop fuses, etc etc. Match the wires up that match up, and cap the ones that dont (other then obvious circumstances such as parking brake, etc).

 

When I turn down the dimmer on the interior lights, nothing happens to the HU - It does not dim.

My deck has a dimming figure that can be turned to auto, on, or off. When on auto the deck will dim when the headlights are turned on. Will this still work if the ground is disconnected?

Also, i still need to ground the parking brake wire (HU is a dvd player), can i do this off the ground wire or should I find a screw or something?

 

There shouldn't be a danger in running your dimmer- to your solid black wire. The black wire is your ground and isn't connected to anything other than the chasis. I'd only be worried if it's connected to a constant or switched power supply, and even then I don't think there's much (if any at all) harm in hooking up the dimmer- to a positive source. I just still wouldn't do it.

As a habit though, it's best not to connect a wire to somewhere unless it has a designation. Cut the top of the wire so there's no copper exposed, and cap it. I usually crimp a cap on it and tape it if I know I'll never need it (like dimmer+, dimmer-, and power antenna).