Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics Indiglo Gauge Troubles - I need some tips!

I did alot of searching last night and this morning and it might appear that no one else has ever encountered what I have when installing indiglos... For those who have installed (it appears to be many on here) can you please give me some tips or tricks?

I purchased the SVT indiglo's from StreetRacerParts.com and am I the only one who has ever had problems with the needles rubbing after? All the instructions state to NOT remove the needles so I lightly lifted them up a bit but the speedo rubs bad and the tach slightly rubs..

Also, when installing them the connections and wires for both the fuel and temp gauges run directly behind the faces for the tach and for the speedo.. The instructions state not to bend any of the metal connections so they need to remain flat. The gauges also wanted to move around alot so I installed a few little pieces of thin double sided stick tape from the old gauges to the backs of the new gauges.

I fought with the installation for what seemed like forever last night and now I can't drive the car because I can't figure out how fast the car is driving

We tapped into the the headlight switch using positive to positive and negative to negative and the gauges were on when the headlights were off and off when I turned the headlights on.. what color wires did everyone tap into? I'm assuming that picking the obvious red and the obvious black wires was incorrect?

Please help.. this is driving me insane! thanks in advance.

There is really only 3 possiblities for this.

1. Needles pressed too far down.
2. Center hole on gauge face is cut rough at edges and are hitting the gauge face.
3. Gauge faces are not pressed down with adhesive or double sided tape. This will cause little bumpy areas on the face and the needle will hit.

It sounds like you are not using enough double sided tape on them. Don't worry about the wires coming out the side of the cluster either. Just clamp the cover right over them. You won't have any trouble.

I have had mine installed for about a year now with no rubbing. I honestly convered the whole entire backs of the gauges with double sided tape. Not just a couple pieces here and there, go to town with it.

we removed one of the bulbs from the back and ran all the wiring thru that hole so nothing would be crimped by the outter cover.. I though that was pretty genius.. we also lifted up each of the gauge faces a little by undoing all the screws inside so the wiring could go down thru the sides of the clear trays behind the mechanisms..

I guess the part that concerns me are the side gauges (temp and fuel) are everyone elses connections exactly in the sides which overlap the tach and the speedo? If those weren't there then I could easily install them -- I'm rubbing because the wires have to run directly behind the indiglos in the 2000 rpm and 20 mph areas of the gauges..

I used about 30 small pieces of double sided tape and pressed down as hard as I could.. like I said, I even pulled the needles up higher on the tach and speedo but am afraid if I do it anymore they will come off.. If they do, how does one calibrate? On the Cougar I can easily throw the car in diagnostic mode and have a digital MPH and RPM to use as a guide.

thanks for the responses.. I hope I can get this ironed out soon..

also, what positve wire did you all tap into?

for the eleventybillionth time....use spray adhesive. So much better than double sided tape and lays as flat as possible. Get it from a craft store i.e. Michael's etc.

Yeah use spray adhesive if you plan on never returning to stock gauges Why use that if the tape works just as good.

Installing these gauges shouldnt be a problem, stick them on and run the wires. I tapped mine into the foglight wires. When foglights are on (which they are most of the time), indiglows are on.

Originally posted by NVMYSVT:

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I guess the part that concerns me are the side gauges (temp and fuel) are everyone elses connections exactly in the sides which overlap the tach and the speedo?

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Dont worry about it, I just bent them down and tucked them in. I know the installation says not to bend them, but what else are you going to do. I've had no problems, no flickering, no nothing.