I have an 86 pickup which the previous owner had hacker a radio into, constant power and draining the battery. I pulled it out a while ago and now I want to put it back in. Problem is I can't find a switched power. I searched it on here and from other people on here apparently the gray wire is supposed to be switched but mine has constant power, 12v with the key on or off. Any suggestions?

 

It's hard to diagnois a problem like that, It's hard telling what the Previous owner did, even if you had pics we can't tell what is powered or what not behind something, do you have a power checking probe like the ones with a sharp point and a wire with an alagator clip to ground one end and keep key off and check all wires for a constant, then turn key on and recheck wires for power up wire, 1st check all under dash fuses, Good luck, were all pulling for ya!!!!

 

I am using a multi-meter to check for power on all wires, I currently have power on the blue/yellow, gray, and green (when lights are on). Everything is normal except for the gray, I have power all the time.

The previous owner removed the antenna switch and used the power from that for the stereo.

If I have power at everything that needs power it wouldn't be a fuse issue would it?

 

The weird things PO do...For aftermarket stereo's you just need a 12v ignition wire a constant and a ground wire or metal for a ground and then the speaker wires, 2 speaker wires per corner 8 total, vehicle factory stereo's have wire not needed like a wire for the lights on stereo being able to fade with the rest of the dash lights, go get a JVC AM/FM USB stereo and not have to use CD ever again like me, I have a dual USB JVC stereo with the CD slot hidden behind dropping face plate, Here is stereo I have. The wire coming around the back is the other USB plug in I ran into the glovebox so I have 2 memory sticks in at once and you can switch front to back at any time. I got almost 1000 songs total on both sticks. No more lugging around CD case's :}

http://www.amazon.com/JVC-Color-Illu.../dp/B001PLBWUK

 

I have the constant and ground I just cant find a switched/ignition wire. The one that is supposed to be switched has constant power and I do not know why. I checked every other wire behind the stereo and I can't even find another switched one to use.

 

It's for sure gray for acc. Check your fuses.

 

I have never ran into that and I have put an after market stereo in every used vehicle I've ever had, and in vehicles with hacked up and non hacked up wiring, It has to be there, maybe he cut it short againt the wiring harness so it looks like it's not there, I bet it's there somewhere, keep looking you'll find it!!!!

 

There is obviously something that is causing the acc wire to be connected to a constant power source if you are getting constant power at the gray acc wire. Could be a harness melted somewhere that you cant see and these wires welded together, or someone miswired something. Shouldn't be that tough to find in a pickup.

Pull the bottom panel under the column off and look for issues. Pull the radio fuse, stick your meter lead in where the fuse went and see if it only gets power with key at acc like it should. Start tracing it down.

 

X2 dntsdad!!!! Has to be somewhere up the line is where the problem is, I would just run a new wire from the ignition switch and start anew. If he runs a new wire it can be a bigger heaver one, OEM wires are pretty tiny...
There is no excuse for hacked up wiring with the availability now adays of the connectors into the factory wiring, there less than 10 bucks and you can even get them at wally world...I bought my daughters JVC 36 model AM/FM with USB stereo and the connector into the factoy connector at wally world...

 

Thanks for the advice, I will take a look again as soon as I have some time. Does anyone know of where to find a diagram of the fuse box? I do not know which fuse goes to what and the chilton manual I have only shoes two types of fuse boxes and neither match what I have. Not the greatest manual in my opinion.

 

It's been a while and the weather has been cold but yesterday I stripped the dash apart to chase the wiring around.
What I found:
-The blue and red wire on the ignition switch has constant power??? Not sure if it supposed to.

Could someone check there ignition or tell me if they already have whether this is correct or not. I think it is because the clock is powered from here also.

 

I think this is what your looking for.



Looks like your on the right track. I just ran a wire from the fused side on the fuse box to the radio...it may not be the right way but it has worked great since '04.

 

If you need the wiring for your whole Instrument Cluster checkout ALLDATAdiy.com

 

I just need to know if the Blue/Red wire coming off of the ignition that goes to the cig. fuse is supposed to have constant power or not. Right now mine does, which might be the problem.

And if it is supposed to have constant power then what switches the power for the radio as the radio is powered through this fuse (the switched power that is).

I am not an electronics expert but I do have the dash torn apart right now so I would appreciate any advice. Thanks

@BassMastry - What fuse did you run off of????

 

I think the radio ties into the cig lighter. But that's the fuse I pulled the power from for acc and one coming off the batt for constant.. I basically ran new wires to the radio and speakers when I had a system in my truck. I could never figure out why there was two connectors going to the back speakers..internal amps?

 

I think the 4 runners had either a amp or a crossover with each of the rear speakers, they are shown on some of the wiring diagrams that I have been using. Oh well I guess the radio will have to wait for another day.

 

So you're saying your 12v cig lighter is always hot too?

I was going to suggest pulling power from that line to use as the turn on lead for the head unit.

 

The cig lighter get power from the same fuse as the switched power for the radio, they just split off about a foot before the wires exit the loom behind the center part of the dash.

 

if you can't find a wire. run a new one with a toggle switch, mine was so hacked up the wire was way to short to tie into. so i ran a relay and toggle with a 10amp fuse inline.

 

I used something like this to tap into the fuse box. Run the new wire to the acc (red) wire on your radio.