Hi all,

96 b3500 van.

So everything worked normal before we switched the radio. (Aftermarket to aftermarket.)
With the new radio it works fine until you turn the headlights on. Then it would cut the radio out and then at that point it was blowing the number 3 fuse when it had a 20amp fuse in it. Once the fuse blew the radio would come back on but we would not have dash lights or rear lights. (brake lights still worked)
We put a 30 amp fuse in and turned on the headlights and this time the radio shut off but the fuse did not blow. Dash and taillights worked but the radio would not come back on.

Any suggestions to check out? Or ideas?

Thank you

 

Sounds like you have the illumination wire (usually blue) connected in the wrong place.

 

We were thinking it had something to do with it!

Thanks! will go look into the blue wires tonight. I'll report the findings.

 

Turns out it's the black/yellow vehicle wire that for illumination.

1996-97 Dodge Van (fullsize) Stereo Wiring
Constant 12V+ Pink
Switched 12V+ Red/White
Ground Chassis Black
Illumination Black/Yellow
Front Speakers 3 1/2" Dash
Left Front (+) Dark Green
Left Front (-) Brown/Red
Right Front (+) Purple
Right Front (-) Blue/Red
Rear Speakers 6" x 9" Side Panels
Left Rear (+) Brown/Yellow
Left Rear (-) Brown/Light Blue
Right Rear (+) Blue/White
Right Rear (-) Blue/Orange

 

That's for the info. We don't have an actual black wire coming out of the van. We have black and yellow so we have the ground to that. We found another diagram which doesn't even mention black/yellow wire...

Think if we run the ground right to a solid metal part of the dash it would ground? Then I still don't know what to do with the black/yellow? It doesn't have anything to connect to.

 

The black/yellow wire comes from the dash lights (illumination), that's what the labeling in my last post shows. You need to remove the radio black from that black/yellow wire, and connect the radio black to chassis ground, which could possibly be that black/green wire. The black/yellow wire gets connected to the radio ONLY if the radio has an illumination input wire, otherwise just cap it off.

 

Thanks Alloro! This has solved the issue. Van a ground right to where the battery grounds and capped the illumination wire and we are all good!

Thanks for the help!!