# illumination wire or dimmer wire?



## mr.gone (Nov 22, 2009)

Simple install question: My vehicle (Honda) has a factory radio that dims with the rest of the instrument panel. My replacement HU (Clarion) has an illumination wire, no dimmer wire. My harness (Metra for Honda/Acura) has both illumination and dimmer wires. 

Which of the two harness wires do I connect to the Clarion illumination wire?


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## electroman187 (Oct 21, 2009)

I'm gonna guess the dimmer wire. I just installed a HU in my civic and i used the illumination wire and it doesn't dim when I put the lights on. I gotta change it...


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Just connect color for color with your radio and aftermarket harness.


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## ryan s (Dec 19, 2006)

Should be the orange/white. Then again, I have a Pioneer unit and it only has one option...


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## mr.gone (Nov 22, 2009)

Another way of asking the question: would it hurt the Clarion to be connected to the dimmer wire if it doesn't dim?


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## ryan s (Dec 19, 2006)

Looked at a spare Acura/Honda harness...orange is illumination so I had em backwards...

Went out and looked in the car. My Pioneer's harness has an orange/white only (marked ILL :laugh: ) and that's hooked into the orange/white of the Metra harness.

So...go orange/white...dimmer. If it doesn't work, then that's life :laugh:


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## mr.gone (Nov 22, 2009)

Thanks, all. I did look at the Clarion wire and see that it's indeed orange-white, so the problem is that the Clarion manual used the word "illumination" when it should have read "dimmer." Appreciate the help.


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