Electrical ground question?? (1 Viewer)

[FJ62sasquatch]

So I have lately been going through and fixing all the small things wrong with my FJ62. I fixed my radio (just need radio mount but its been ordered!) and my dash lights as well my glove box light. Here's the problem. I hopped in the big red bucket after work and cranked it up.. Radio came on.. turned on lights.. radio went off... I came to the conclusion that I have wired the radio ground to the dimmer switch I haven't had time to look for a new ground I will do that in the morning, but here is my question. Does the FJ62 have ground WIRE or do you guys just ground the wire to the chassis? I think the vertical harness for the mount would be an OK spot for a ground. Just wanted to get some input from you guys? How did you all wire the ground to the radio??

 

[Kynot62]

Any new gear that needs a ground can be hooked just about anywhere on the chassis. The bolts that hold the dash on work well. And a few of them are easy to get too, right below the fuse panel and the glovebox. Toyota does a lot of this from the factory too. I have found grounds all over the body.

Hooking up the lights in an aftermarket radio can be a pain as the dimmer for the dash lights in a 62 uses a rheostat on the positive wire if I remember correctly.

Tony

 

[slcfj62]

There are actual ground points way up under the dash on either end. You can easily see the one on the driver side if you get your head up under there and shine a flashlight up in there. I connected a jumper wire between the ground point on the drivers side and the bolt on the bottom of the dash on the end of the drivers side. I now use those bolts at the bottom of the dash on either end for ground points.

The problem with the dash light dimmer is that it is on the ground side of the circuit. Your radio will be designed for the dimmer to be on the + side of the circuit. So, it won't work if you connect the radio dimmer to the dash dimmer. Here is a thread on the subject:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/424707-why-wont-my-stereo-lights-dim-dash-lights.html

 

[FJ62sasquatch]

thanks for your help guys.. I found a grounded point just inside the dash now my lights and my radio work AT THE SAME TIME!!!