Empty and Unknown Wires behind the HVAC
 

So I was elbow deep behind my waterfall trying to figure out why my cubby hole light stopped working ages ago (Got a urge to try and fix it) and came across a bundle of wires that were just stuffed behind everything. I still have the stock radio and everything so no one's been back there. Can anyone tell me what these wires go to and if it's really that important? The car still runs and works fine minus that damn cubby hole light! lol.

On another note my Steering Wheel radio controls haven't worked since I bought the car in 2009. Does this rats nest have anything to do with that? Thanks for all the help!

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/pic...ictureid=19851

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/pic...ictureid=19852

And some random connectors.
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/pic...ictureid=19853

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks again!

i think those might be for the optional navigation head unit i honestly have no clue just a guess

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TBurrr (Post 4137808)

i think those might be for the optional navigation head unit i honestly have no clue just a guess

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I thought that too and it is a possibility. I'm really concerned about the open ended wires. The black and white wires were bound together with some electrical tape that was falling off and the red wire feeds into a wire cap/joint and then into the black connector and that's it...

Just curious if anyone with experience behind the waterfall with all this electrical stuff could tell me what these go to and if they have anything to do with my cubby hole light and steering wheel controls not working. It could all be due to a fuse but I've checked all the fuses in both boxes that I know of and none are blown. (Engine compartment and behind the hood latch release inside).

IDK, maybe I'm just trying to fit a square block into a round hole and it doesn't matter what those wires do because the car still runs fine. Steering wheel radio controls are more of a luxury anyways right? lol

Just because you have the stock radio, that doesn't mean that no one has been back there. That does not look like a stock bundle of wire to me. I'd be willing to guess that the previous owner had an aftermarket radio/navigation system installed and then put the stock radio back in before you picked it up.

Your cubby light should be on it's own branch of the stock harness running back in there...not in that rats nest, as you described it.

As far as your steering wheel controls go, there SHOULD be three plugs in the back of the radio:
1) 10 pin connector carries power, ground, and front speaker signals
2) 6 pin connector carries rear speaker signals
3) 20 pin connector carries steering wheel controls, speed sense, and aux input from center console

Check your connections and make sure nothing was cut. Good luck.

I'll post some info for you tomorrow when I get time...I'm too tired to get into the harnesses back there right now. I've figured out how to use the factory iPod harness with aftermarket HUs...just saying :D

Someone had an aftermarket radio in there before... looks like it was a pioneer in-dash from the wire harness. Your steering wheel controls dont work because to put in an aftermarket piece one of the wires needs to be grounded. That white wire you have circled should be soldered back to its original and all will work like normal.

Just want to thank everyone for their input. I got some good info from another site that I need to try out this afternoon. Hopefully, this will fix the steering wheel controls as well as teaching me more about the inards of my TC.