1996 SL1 Constant 12V Wire For Radio Problem
 

Hi,
I am new to the Forum and I really appreciate any help.
I am pretty handy electrically and am installing a JVC Stereo into my 1996 SL1.

I took my VOM an measured Voltages on the wires that were cut off the Original Radio Connector and the Orange Wire that is supposed to supply a Constant 12v shows no voltage.

I read somewhere that the Orange Wire should be a much heavier gauge wire than the speaker wires but the Orange Wire that was cutoff is the same gauge as the speaker wires.

There is also a Green Wire and a Brown Wire besides the Yellow Wire that is 12v Ignition. The Green Wire Shows No Voltage nor does the Brown Wire and I can't find a Grey Wire that is supposed to be the "Illumination" Wire either.

Can someone clarify for me these wiring issues?

Thanks in advance.

Joe

If you don't get any help here, I'd suggest you call Crutchfield. They have some very good techs there that can most likely tell you what you need to do.

Orange 12V indeed should be battery V (12V) at all times. Check the 5A CHIME fuse in the instrument panel junction box. It's fused for 5A so I don't see the need for huger wiring.

Yes, the CHIME fuse. That's the way I'd design it too...more of a challenge.....

The green wire is the Dimmer wire and is in line with but down circuit of the Dimmer Switch for the entire dash (to the left of steering wheel, on dash). I would only expect this wire to carry V when the dash lights are on (parking lamps and or headlights. Similarly, upcircuit of the brown wire is the Headlamp/parking lamp switch. This feed seems like it should be either 12V in any position of the lighting switch except off.

So it would seem that ORG powers the unit, BRN Turns on the illumination (back lighting, and GRN is connected to the output of the entire dash illumination dimmer circuit, so that the illumination level is adjusted proportionally with the rest of the dash when the dimmer is used.

Oh, check your DIM fuse too (prett sure in IPJB)

For the record, I've been a mod here 10 years and never answered a single radio question. Why? Because I still have the stock head units in my cars. Never had to learn it.

Which means my interpretation of the schematics from the 91-93 Chilton manual (not guaranteed to be right for a 96 by the way) may be correct, close, or well, just plain wrong.

But I thought it was time to try to learn something new about the damn car, so you are the recipient of that effort, as wonderful or lame as it may turn out to be.

Please keep us informed.

And save yourself some hassle and go get a GM radio wiring harness and solder it / shrinkwrap it back on so you can have some nice solid connections. There's an adapter for just about anything to anything else. Pretty sure the Saturns used a standard GM wiring pinout, but double check.

Man, I forgot about the damn chime being connected with the radio. I found that out when I removed it in my 94 SC1. I ended up finally replacing the damn little rubber piece that operates the switch on the door chime. That thing just about drove me crazier than I already am. And I'm pretty frigging crazy!