Help Wiring Gauge..., Need it to turn on when my instrument panel does Options

[jophish]

I recently installed a mechanical oil pressure gauge since I was tired of the idiot light. Anyways, everything works fine, except that I can't seem to find the wire to splice the backlight for the gauge into. I want it to turn on when the rest of my interior illumination turns on...with the first click on the headlight switch. Anybody done this before and know what wire to look for?

-Joe

[Jeunesse]

i think you just have to splice it one of the wires of the dimmer switch on the left hand side of your steering wheel.

[jophish]

i think you just have to splice it one of the wires of the dimmer switch on the left hand side of your steering wheel.

good call, i'll see how it goes...

[GriffGirl]

That's exactly where it should go. Or if you have an aftermarket stereo, there will possibly be a wire marked "ACC" - you can splice it into there.

[DEATH]

Or if you have an aftermarket stereo, there will possibly be a wire marked "ACC" - you can splice it into there.

That's awesome Griffy. You'd be surprised how many "tuners" I know who didn't know that.
The Dimmer can be a PITA to get to. I want to say it's the green wire that you must tap into but I'm sure that someone else on here has done it more recently and can correct me if I'm wrong.

[GriffGirl]

What's awesome is that you think I came up with that myself or something, when actually you're the one who taught me that! Just payin' it forward. . .

[jophish]

i do have an aftermarket stereo, so i'll check for the wire there when i get the chance, probably work better since the gauge is mounted on the underside of the dash right next to the center console. I've heard that I should ground the other wire, and if so, to what?

[lubu]

I recently installed a mechanical oil pressure gauge since I was tired of the idiot light. Anyways, everything works fine, except that I can't seem to find the wire to splice the backlight for the gauge into. I want it to turn on when the rest of my interior illumination turns on...with the first click on the headlight switch. Anybody done this before and know what wire to look for?

-Joe

If you want to do this you need to tap it to the Dimmer Knob Control. The ACC will provide constant power so the gauge will lights up whenever the car is turn to ACC position, and thats not what u want. One more way of doing this is to look for the illumination wire that goes to the stereo, basically this wire is coming straight from the Dimmer Control and provides 12V+ whenever you turn on the headligh switch, from the top of my head this wire is pink.

The ground wire can be ground to chasis.

[njccmd2002]

I recently installed a mechanical oil pressure gauge since I was tired of the idiot light. Anyways, everything works fine, except that I can't seem to find the wire to splice the backlight for the gauge into. I want it to turn on when the rest of my interior illumination turns on...with the first click on the headlight switch. Anybody done this before and know what wire to look for?

-Joe

for my EL gauges i tapped here


gives me dimmer and turns on with light. Its in the actual cluster...

This post has been edited by njccmd2002: Jul 8, 2008 - 9:30 PM