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Gauge wiring...

R

Reebs

meester super sleuth
Joined
Feb 14, 2006
Messages
2,727
Location
Southeast Michigan
Hey guys, I have searched and came up with 2 options for wiring my a pillar guages. I just spliced my AEM wideband into a powersource that goes on with the ignition, but I need to decide where to splice the light bulb wiring for my mechanical boost, oil pressure, and EGT. I know most people splice into the wiring for the headlamp switch so that the guage lamps turn on with the running lights, but I think I want to splice them into the stock dimmer. I have heard of some people doing it that way, but the wires running from the wiring harness to the stock dimmer are such a high guage (small wire) that I am afraid they won't be able to handle the voltage needed to run all 3 guages lamps?!?! Anyone have any opinions on that!?!? I just want my guage bulbs to be as bright as possible, but I would also like to have the option of dimming them. I just don't want to sacrifice the total light output of the bulb by splicing off such a small wire. The wires coming out of the headlamp switch on the left of the steering column are much bigger (14 guage?).

Anyways, let me know what you guys have done, and if you think that I will or will not be sacrificing light output by using the stock dimmer.


Thanks,


Jeff
 
I have all 3 of my gauges wired into my light switch for the lighted part..it was on a pretty thick red wire IIRC..They look fine to me at night...
 
I have 3 gauges and my indiglow inverter connected to my radio "illumination" wire. I don't like permanently splicing OEM stuff, so I just added an intermediate wire between the deck wire and the harness wire... then used t-taps on that new wire. Turned out really clean and no damage to OEM wires.

Oh... and wiring that way allows all of those items to dim using the dash dimmer.
 
I don't have any gauges yet.... but I'd probably wire them to the dimmer so they would work like the factory gauges and displays.... I'm sure steeda knows what I mean..
 
I think it depends on what guages you have. Personally the ultra-lites that I have could be a tad brighter. So when i turn on the key bam they come on. Doesn't affect daytime operation and are good at night since i have zero need to adjust them.
 
morbid said:
I have 3 gauges and my indiglow inverter connected to my radio "illumination" wire. I don't like permanently splicing OEM stuff, so I just added an intermediate wire between the deck wire and the harness wire... then used t-taps on that new wire. Turned out really clean and no damage to OEM wires.

Oh... and wiring that way allows all of those items to dim using the dash dimmer.
Click to expand...

I also did it this way but I get a buzzing noise now in the door speakers because of the +wires going to the gauges from the illumination wire and the ignition wire for the stereo....
 
blu_fuz said:
I also did it this way but I get a buzzing noise now in the door speakers because of the +wires going to the gauges from the illumination wire and the ignition wire for the stereo....
Click to expand...
Maybe you need a better ground. It might also be differences between our decks, but I don't have any noise.
 
Assuming you're using the factory harness ground for the deck, I was referring to the gauges. Are you grounding it to the deck ground, or directly to metal? My gauges grounds are combined to an o connector... and that's bolted to one of the holes in the metal supports under the dash on the drivers side.
 
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