Need help! Gauge lights not working after stereo install!

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jontroe

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Hello all,
I have recently purchased a 1996 dodge ram 1500. It was doing great until my stereo started coming out of the hole for it, and when i did i heard a pop,(like a fuse blowing) and then i notice my gauge backlighting doesnt work and my air controll backlights dont work, i HAVE checked the fuses a million times, thats not it. I have the dash in a million pieces trying to find a bad ground. Can someone please help me? i can even rig it up if someone can tell me which wires are the power and ground for the gauge backlighting.
 

adamwilkes14

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Did you happen to use an aftermarket harness when you installed the new radio or did you cut and splice?

I ask because I did my radio install a few weekends ago and never touched any of the wires other than the radio harness and I dont understand why your gauge lights would no longer work.
 

0212353

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welcome to RF Jonathan! Hopefully one of the 2nd genner guys here can get you set straight. Pull up a chair, introduce yourself in the intro forum! :D
 

ramthis9501

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What is coming to mind is that there is a dimmer switch wire for the radio that you have to hook up to a wire off the truck. Now I think that wire might control the dimming on the a/c lighting and the gauges. You might have cut the wire going to that and the pop might have been it arching, as it might have hit metal somewhere down there. I'm not sure if this is it, but it would make sense. By the way, welcome to the forum!
 
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jontroe

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Thanks guys. When i put the stereo in, someone had already cut the wires for the stereo and installed a aftermarket stereo. i just put a diff aftermarket in. Idk where to go from here. My truck is a mess behind the dash with wires. and harness that go to nothing. Would a new wiring harness help? and what would the difficulty on a new harness?
 

ramthis9501

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Did it do this right after you put the harness on? If so then your probably right. Might want to try a different harness. Just go to Walmart and get a new one, if it doesn't work you can always take it back
 

NanoCar

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Are you needing the wiring system? There are actually some dodge parts that acts weird.. We'll appreciate to see that 1996 dodge ram you have..
 

wermbang

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did this get this resolved?
 
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