Gauge Installation?

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 11:22 pm

Uh, okay. I got my reverse indiglos in the mail today(yay, i can finally put my dash back together!) But, Here's the problem. They gave me the new face, and some harnesses, but no directions!

Am i supposed to break the black plastic in order to get the temp/gas gauges out, and what am i supposed to do with all the wiring?

mTk · Post by **mTk** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 12:03 am

The gauges will slide over the temp and gas needles. I took out the speedo and tach, then put the gauges on. After that i put the tach and speedo back in one at a time and lined everything up.

MK

czo79 · Post by **czo79** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 2:05 am

wish I had my dig camera around when I did my guage install, I would have done a write up for y'all. wired my gauges into the power line for the ashtray light, as I have removed my ashtray, and thats a handy place, and turns on with your lights like you want. I also found a nice place for the gauge control there. Another thing, you should be able to reach around behind the gauges (once you pulled the bezel) and disconnect the electrical connectors. However, you might not be able to get the speedo cable. I just had to grab the whole cluster and pull hard straight out. It disconnected the speedo cable. Keep good track of your screws!!! if you run into any problems...feel free to ask me.
good luck
micum

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 6:01 am

Everything's out. I'm just having trouble, but i just realized what im supposed to do i think. any clues on the wiring though?

czo79 · Post by **czo79** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 7:01 am

Laurel,
Could you be more specific about what you want to know wiring wise? I just did this a month ago, so its pretty fresh in my head. Did you get the procarparts reverse indiglo kit? It just has that wire to the box with dimmer knob and color switch right? I dremelled a slot in the intrument cluster face (clear plastic cover) so I could get the wire out of the cluster, brought wire around behind the cluster to the right side, and down behind the center console area, to the ashtray light electrical harness, and then plugged it into that using spade connections, attaching the control knob and switch to the center console in the ashtray area, which I had removed.
Give me a shout if I can help more...
Micum

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 2:41 pm

Oh my goodness, thank youso much, that is exacxtly what i wanted to know., now all i need to know is how to get the ashtray out.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 12:41 am

hullo? Gotta get my cluster in to get the car driveable.

thx.

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 1:23 am

Doesn't the ashtray just pull out if you give it a decent yank? Either that, or there's usually a clip on those things along the top of the tray that acts as a retainer . . . might want to fish around in there with a finger to see if you can locate it.

czo79 · Post by **czo79** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 1:24 am

Are you having problems getting the cluster back in? What exactly is the problem? I found I was able to plug all the electrical connections in pretty easily, as the wires had slack. But the speedo cable doesn't have enough slack to be able to pull it out and connect it. I attached all the electrical connections, then tried to sorta aim the cluster at the speedo connector, pushing the cluster in towards the speedo connection...I then reached around under the dash up along the steering column...Was able to grab the end of the speedo cable near the cluster, and push towards the cluster with the cable, while pushing the cluster towards the cable with my other hand. It worked...was a little tricky. Thats the only difficult part I remember.
Good luck
micum

I can't help you on the ashtray...I didn't have one

THAWA · Post by **THAWA** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 2:18 am

Open the ash tray as far as it will go, then push down the lil metal thing that says push and continue pulling itll come out

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 2:37 am

I know how to connect everything up thats supposed to be there stock, just curious about the connections for the new cluster.

I'll go try the ashtray right now.

[edit] That was disappointingly simple. Still cant find any wires though...

HomeSlice · Post by **HomeSlice** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 3:30 am

the speedo cable is fun with sausage mits

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 3:35 am

I have little girly hands, so I can just reach behind the cluster and attach the speedo cable that way. Takes approx 7 seconds.

I may not have upper body strength, but I DO have dexterity.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Mon Sep 29, 2003 11:42 pm

Alrighty. I'm far from handy with wiring, so heres some photos.

Heres the little black box that controls everything.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... f447fa.jpg

Here's a line that connects to the actual face, but theres 4 clips there, do i just choose which one to plug into it, or what?
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... f44807.jpg

and here's the connector wires. Am I going to need to do any wiring, because if so, I'm gonna need to get this to someone who knows what they're doing.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... f447f4.jpg

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 12:09 am

Well. . .the red is definitely the power (you can see the inline fuse in your hand)

and the black is ground. . . just screw that to some metal of the chassis.

Looks like you just need to wire the box up (two wires) then the little cable looks to run between the box and the gauges. But I'm not sure how the cable actually hooks up to the gauges. Have a picture of the connectors on the gauges, themselves?

czo79 · Post by **czo79** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 12:23 am

Its the same as the kit I used. Mine came pretty much wired. I think yours does too.
In the 2nd picture...you are holding up a connector...is this at the end of a wire with the four clips on it? And these connectors are the kind that plug into the guage face itself right? I think I plugged mine into the last connector, ie, the connector at the far end. Besides that, its just the two power wires right? The one with the inline fuse to power and the one with the ring is ground, to be attached to metal chassis of car with screw or bolt. On the ashtray light harness, you can test with a multimeter which one gets current when you turn on the lights, this you will plug the wire with the fuse into...
I think that about it for the wiring...Hope I got everything.
good luck....
Micum

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 5:48 am

so i WILL have to mess with wiring then... Hrmmm.. Okay, cool. Pretty much as I thought, its nothing that I'm willing to touch though. Electronics are not something that I'm good with, and I'm afriaid of messing stuff up, besides, I have no multimeter

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 5:55 am

looks as though we're "borrowing" a multimeter from the cisco room during lunch tomorrow at school, and hooking them up then. Pays to know geeks.

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 5:59 am

LaureltheQueen wrote:looks as though we're "borrowing" a multimeter from the cisco room during lunch tomorrow at school, and hooking them up then. Pays to know geeks.

Lemme guess. . . . Justin?

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 6:00 am

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 6:02 am

LaureltheQueen wrote:rob

But. . . his choice of cars. . . . .

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 6:05 am

I know, I know.... He'll learn his folly when his neon doesnt run in 5 years.

czo79 · Post by **czo79** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 4:04 pm

Wouldn't let a neon guy within reach of my car with a ten foot pole.

Anyways, what do you mean mess with the wiring? I thought it should all be pretty simple. You could always just wire up the ground to chassis and touch the positive for the gauges to the two contacts on the ashtray harness, and see which one lights it up. Although I checked with a meter first, I don't see what just trying it like that would cause any problems.
Good luck
Micum

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 5:38 pm

Goin to check the wires today, then just hook up a wire tap to the positive. Never done anything like this before, but I'm imagining it's gonna be pretty damn hard to fry my gauges that way.

czo79 · Post by **czo79** » Tue Sep 30, 2003 6:17 pm

I bought these spade connectors ( i think thats what they are called, often used for speaker connections in car stereo) from radio shack. Anyways, the female ones slide right over the stock connectors in the ashtray light harness.
Micum

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Gauge Installation?

Gauge Installation?