Using the white wire off the radio for the Defi Link II control box illumination?

[Joon525]

Does anyone know if the white wire coming out of the radio harness is an OK source for the Defi Link Unit illumination wire to tap into?

After searching I saw that a lot of people used the clock but I already tapped into the radio's constant power, switched power, ground and this white wire for illumination.

Today on the way to work I turned on the parking lights and the display on the radio just seemed extra dim to me. I could just be forgetting how dim it really gets in relation to 7AM morning daylight though. I just want to double check that this is an OK source to be using.
If it makes any difference, I do not have the center vents installed right now since I'm in the middle of the rest of the gauge install. Because the center vents/computer wasn't installed I couldn't test out the bright button (I will when I get home tonight though).

[stinkywinky022]

yes that wire should be able to hand the current of the defi link fine. Should be a 10A or 15A circuit. I would be more trusting of the radio illumination wire than the clock illum. wire.

[Joon525]

I got it all worked out. I'll post my findings later.

[trabbic]

does the bright button work to make the defi gauges become bright with the rest of the illumination? That is the only part I could not get to work like the rest of the illumination...

[Joon525]

does the bright button work to make the defi gauges become bright with the rest of the illumination? That is the only part I could not get to work like the rest of the illumination...
No the bright button doesn't make the Defi gauges brighter. I actually wouldn't expect it to. That would be like the car overriding the Link II in a sense. I believe the illumination wire just sends a signal to the Link II which says to itself "Hey this guy turned on his lights, let me turn down the brightness of my gauges which are powered by my own power source".

[trabbic]

I understand that, however I want my defi to be controlled by that brightness button. If I want the rest of the gauges and lights to be brighter, then I would also want the defi brighter.

I don't think this is possible because I believe that the illumination is controlled by the ground in the car, but not in the defi unit...

[sportwagon]

you're right it can't