Stereo Install Questions

[odo53]

I'm putting a new stereo in my 94 ES300 and have some basic questions:

1) I checked the resistance of the speakers (using factory service manual wiring diagram) and the rears come in at 4 ohm, as I expect. The fronts measure 2 Mega-ohm. What is going on there???

2) The new stereo has a blue wire for the power antenna. The wiring diagram for the car shows the OEM connector has 2 wires to the antenna, one labelled "To antenna" and one labelled "From antenna". What does the power antenna wire do? Put out 12V when the radio is on?

3) The new stereo has an "Illumination" wire. Same question here, what kind of signal does this take to adjust the illumination level? 12V? Ground? something else?

Thanks!

[blk_on_blk]

1) The rear speakers are clean, so they'll come in at 4 ohms. The front speakers, namely the front right, is tied into the hands free system and gets routed back through the antenna in the rear of the car, so they are a bit squirrely. If you measure resistance at the speaker, it should show 4 ohm, but at the harness will be a different story. If you tap into the speaker wires at the harness, it works fine... don't know what kind of circuitry they've got back there, but it works even though the resistance is misleading.

2)Yes, it puts out 12V at a minimal amperage (the upper amperage limit should be listed on the wire). I read one post somewhere else that instructed one to connect both the factory antenna wires together, and then connect those to the blue stereo wire. I don't know if this works, for my antenna was dead when I purchased the car... I just leave it in the down position. I think the 'to antenna' and 'from antenna' has to do with the handsfree system and telephone. Maybe you can get it to work with just the 'from antenna' wire? ...don't know.

3) If I recall, the illumination wire is for a dimmer... and you can only really use the dimmer line if your original system had a display dimmer on it. I don't know what voltage it pulls, but I imagine if it's 12V, then you can just tap into the parking light circuit, so the display will dim when you turn the parking lights on.

Good luck.