Car radio turns number plate light on!!

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I just fitted a Sony CDX-L450 to my 1996 Vauxhall Vectra.All works nicely, but as soon as its turned on, the rear number plate light comes on- quite dimly, only noticed when I opened car door & "lights on" alarm went off!
Naturally, the wife blames me! Any advice please? (No, I cant get a new wife-too old now!! LOL)
 
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Did you use the origional wiring harness or have you tapped into something you shouldnt have?!
 
Did you use the origional wiring harness or have you tapped into something you shouldnt have?!
I bought an adaptor that converts the Vauxhall connector to a Sony one.I assumed that the third socket on the Vaux connector was just for the steering wheel controls, which mine doesn't have
 
If its like mine then the Vauxhall radio is illuminated when the car lights are on even if the radio is not switched on. Therefore there will be a wire somewhere on the Vauxhall connector that is linked to the dashboard lighting circuit which in turn is probably linked to the number plate light circuit. When you switch you radio on your radio must be sending a current down this wire and it is causing the number plate light to come on.

I hope I've explained that well and that it sort of makes sense as that is what I think is happening.
 
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Thanks. Will look tomorrow. Its not a Vauxhall radio, but I assume the effect is the same.Will try checking all connections. :)
 
Long shot but if there is a problem with the electric aerial send wire further along the circuit i.e. shorting to the lights then this may cause something daft like this to happen. Think this is normally the blue wire?? It may be fitted to your stereo even though you don't need it. If you don't have an electric aerial, what happens if you disconnect this one wire?
 
Thanks, all. It was the wire to dash, orange one. The blue is indeed for the aerial, but nothing happened when I snipped that.
Next prob, the clock doesn't remember the time when I switch off!! The stations stay tuned, but the clock keeps going to 1pm! Tried swopping the red & yellow, to no avail> however, I do have a wrist watch!
thanks for advice, Al
 
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Next prob, the clock doesn't remember the time when I switch off!! The stations stay tuned, but the clock keeps going to 1pm! Tried swopping the red & yellow, to no avail> however, I do have a wrist watch!
thanks for advice, Al

check the settings, my sony had a setting to manually adjust the clock or to use the RDS signal, If i was in a weak RDS area it used to reset the clock, turned it to manual adjustment, problem solved, you just have to do your own BST adjustments
 
No, still wont keep time!!Wish I'd bought a Vauxhall radio!! Still, at least the car goes- so far!
 
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