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    No Radio Illumination

    One thing I’ve noticed with all my radio swapping I’ve done is that none of them had working illumination. In the sunlight you can see the numbers but that’s the only time. Last time I pulled the radio I tested for 12v at the illumination wire and get nothing. Has anyone else had this issue before? Everything else works.

    Also what does this connector go to?

    It’s next to the hvac panel.


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    #2
    Usually the radio illumination works with the headlights on, right? Guess it might depend on the radio.
    ..

    Comment


      #3
      right, illumination is for the lights around the knobs when headlights are on. The backlight bulb is something else. Prob the bulb is burned out. It lives behind the faceplate. Per the service manual

      "remove the top cover. Rotate the lamp assembly CCW and pull from the light shield. This will expose the LCD backlight lamp. Then, simply pull the lamp from the assembly and install a new lamp". No idea what bulb it takes, you're on your own for that.

      The other connector I think is for the warning chime module for headlights on or key in the ignition. If yours never dings, thats why.
      86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
      5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

      91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

      1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

      Originally posted by phayzer5
      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

      Comment


        #4
        Hmm I find it hard to believe all radios I’ve installed have bad bulbs. I thought that was the issue at first but I changed the bulb in 2 of them and it didn’t make a difference. It took a bulb with a 194 base but a weird globe. Perhaps I checked the switched 12v source. I’m bummed if it really is the radio. I thought about getting one of mine refurbished because aftermarket ones look out of place in our cars. I guess that’ll move to the front of the to do list as it bothers me.

        The harness isn’t for the chime as mine works like it should. Maybe it’s for the digital clock or tripminder? Just curious, not really important.




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        Comment


          #5
          I have the same radio in my 88. Had to put a bulb for the display. They are famous for that. You sure you got the display bulb and not the backlight bulb? I got mine from a 90’s Ranger Instrument Cluster (I chose the 4WD indicator light when the donor was a 2WD truck).

          If your car came with a tripminder, then that could be the harness. Colors look right from memory. The digital clock was smaller, just four wires. The pictured harness will plug into the four wire clock connector if you trace the wires back a little in the dash.
          1990 Country Squire - weekend cruiser, next project
          1988 Crown Vic LTD Wagon - waiting in the wings

          GMN Box Panther History
          Box Panther Horsepower and Torque Ratings
          Box Panther Production Numbers

          Comment


            #6
            I replaced the only bulb I saw, I don’t think I missed one.

            And no my car didn’t come with trip minder, it’s a gs trim. It has an analog clock too.


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              #7
              https://youtu.be/h5Sp2MoTfl0

              apparently there is a pin that has to get power in order for it to work. If this isn't the original type radio in the car its possible yours doesn't have the connection. Looking in the book, it appears to be 3 up from the bottom on the one that has power and ground. not sure if that is meant to be powered off the key-on power or what. I'd expect it to be internally powered so its live only when the radio is on.
              Last edited by gadget73; 09-10-2020, 05:44 PM.
              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

              Originally posted by phayzer5
              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

              Comment


                #8
                There are two 12v pins, one is constant, one is switched. That was something I tested and didn’t get power at the switched 12v pin. I have to get up early tomorrow so I can’t do any more testing today but I will Sunday. I’ll test again but I’m pretty sure I’m not getting power. I really didn’t want to pull the dash apart.


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                  #9
                  just pull the radio out, don't need to go further.

                  and confirm what should be on that pin. If your car did not come with this style radio, the wiring to that pin is probably not going to be correct. No matter what radio there will be a constant hot, a key-on hot, and a dash light hot. I've never had a car that used the 6 button radio so I don't have an EVTM that shows what ought to be there. My fleet of junk all came with either the square plug 4 button radio or the 90s style that has no knobs.
                  86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                  5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                  91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                  1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                  Originally posted by phayzer5
                  I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I guess it could be that I’m using the wrong radio. I got the car with no radio so I don’t know what it originally had. It’s a gs trim. Did Ford still use analog radios in 87? Maybe the 4 button radio has a different pinout, or perhaps it is the radios themselves. I’ll look into it tomorrow.


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                    Comment


                      #11
                      analog radios existed in 87 but it seems to not have been an option on the cars.

                      My 87 radio service manual lists the 4 button radio with and without tape, the electronic AM radio, and the 6 button radio without cassette as options on the 87 Ford and Mercury (Vic/GM). For whatever reason the full size cars don't actually show as a model in the master parts manual or the radio service manual, its just "Ford". There is no Town Car listing either, you get "Lincoln".

                      I have never seen one of those electronic AM radios. They look like the 6 button radio, but just presets and a volume control.


                      What you need is an EVTM that shows what the connections ought to be. Maybe one from an 88 that has the 6 button radio. Fair bet if you feed power to the LCD pin it will fix it if the bulb is not the issue. I don't know where Ford fed that from.
                      86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                      5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                      91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                      1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                      Originally posted by phayzer5
                      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I actually do have a manual and it seems to be pretty useless for the radio. I had to wire in new connectors because the po cut the harnesses for whatever reason. Following that “diagram” there should be a second 12v feed but I don’t have 12v at that pin for whatever reason. I thought about jumping it, maybe I’ll do it temporarily to see if that makes a difference. Kind of stupid that the lcd bulb is on its own circuit of that’s the case.


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                        Comment


                          #13
                          it is stupid. why that wouldn't be internally connected I don't know.
                          86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                          5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                          91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                          1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                          Originally posted by phayzer5
                          I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I am going to take a guess: I think the non-switched lead to the LCD illumination was so that if the radio had a clock, the LCD could always be illuminated. However, if the car had a separate clock, it could be tied to radio power, so the clock wouldn't be visible (and the frequency would be displayed when the radio was on); this would require the missing lead to be either connected to the AMPLIFIER power source (from the radio), or the IGNITION power source (to the radio); either case would have it as a jumper on the back of the connector, which has been lopped off by the PO.

                            That way, the radio wouldn't need to be different between cars with separate clocks, and cars without clocks.

                            This is purely speculation, my EVTM is far away and I'm thinking out loud, maybe it will help.
                            Last edited by bgreywolf; 09-16-2020, 03:47 AM.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Hmm that would make sense. The radio that’s in it right now was out of a thunderbird to it’s possible. The other radios I’ve tried may not have been from panther cars so it’s possible all of them are wired differently. I’ll call up a junkyard and get a new one if possible to try again.

                              Also after looking over my manual it looks like that harness I posted on the op looks to be for the lock lamps or whatever it’s called so when the handle is pulled the lights will come on for 25 senconds. If you look at the pic you can see two holes in that bracket. That’s where the module is supposed to go.


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