how to get power supply to indiglo gauges

[MarkMoore]

Ok, i did a search on this and it was all just confusing to me. I never really seemed to find a clear answer to this question. I have the new indiglo gauges in place, now all i need to do is hook it up to a power supply. I'm guessing i will be hooking it up to the headlight power supply, but i dont know how to find this. Do i actually just connect the indiglo gauge wires to the headlight wires, or do i attach them to a harness somewhere? I'm lost. Basically, what should i look for to get power to my new gauges and any other tips in hooking them up. thanks a lot guys

[Typhoonk]

Do the gauges have instructions?

Does it just need +12volts and ground? or are there other wires?


Please let me know and I will try to give ya a hand

[MarkMoore]

each of the 3 luminous dials has a wire coming out of it. These 3 wires connect to an inverter which came along when i bought the dials. This inverter has two wires coming out of it, i believe a red and black for positive and negative. I tihnk the directions just say to hook these wires up to the headlight power supply. thanks...

[Grants]

You can pick up a ground under the dash, just find a metal bracket or something somewhere handy and screw the black wire to it.

For the positive connection you'll need a voltmeter or test light to work out which wire powers up with the headlights (or taillights). There is a green plug under the inside fuse box with about a dozen wires where you'll find the right one. (No good me telling you which colour as our cars may be different.) Once you've found the right one you'll need to splice your gauges + power supply to it. I'd use solder for that joint and a crimp lug for the ground.

Hope that helps.

[millionflame]

Tie all three positive wires coming from the E.L. gauges into one wire.

Then, wire that into the constant power to the dimmer switch (black and red wire - NOT just the red).

Tie all three ground wires into one, and then wire them onto a ring terminal connector. Once you have that done, just attatch it to any metal mounting point that is close under the dash.

It works fine, despite what others say. My car is proof.

[Grants]

Aiden - that would mean its not an "inverter" as the gauges wouldn't work if they were meant to have AC power? Anyone know what it is then?

I'm curious as I've never seen a set of these gauge lights - are they dimmable or have any other controls? Actually can someone please give me the 2 second run down on what they are exactly?

<small>[ October 20, 2004, 06:38 AM: Message edited by: Grants ]</small>

[DJsMX-3]

Hmm what Aiden said isnt quite correct,he completely forgot the inverter that drives the El-Glo dials..

The wires of off the 3dials consist of 2 small wires with little plugs on them correct??
And on the secondary "AC" side of your inverter There should allso be 3-4plugs that you connect to the plugs of off the dials..

Then you only need to connect the primary side of the inverter to ground and +12V (Black to ground and Red to +12V) you can use the fixed 12V and ground in the back of the dimerswitch in the car

[Gro Harlem]

pull hte dimmer switch out, and splice into the orange wire on the dimmer harness plug.

then ground the other wire.

[MarkMoore]

I am the smartest man aliiiiiiiiive!!!! Ha, thanks for all your help guys. I did what u said and connected black to ground and ended up using the taillights wire for the positive red wire. They work now. I popped out a dummy plate to put my NEW dimmer switch in, however the hole wasn't quite big enough. Filing down plastic is hard work!! i'm almost there, just have 1/16 of an inch more til i have the right size hole for the new dimmer switch. thanks guys, now all's well w/ my gauges ..... now if only i hadn't snapped off the fuel needle.......or cracked the clear plastic plate......grrrrrrr

<small>[ October 21, 2004, 09:59 PM: Message edited by: MarkMoore ]</small>

[MarkMoore]

P.S. Gorilla glue "the toughest glue on the planet" has temporarily solved my problems. The fuel needle, though completely and utterly useless, is glued into place so that at least it LOOKS like it works...i'll forever have half a tank (wink wink)... and the crack in the clear plastic panel that sits in front of the gauges...yea that's gorilla glued too!! Gorilla glue is the new duct tape...except for so much cooler It costs like $9 or something at hardware stores or auto stores for a small bottle, but you dont use a lot at all, and it rectifies a host of problems!

<small>[ October 21, 2004, 06:48 PM: Message edited by: MarkMoore ]</small>

[EZ_4_FUN]

Man... It sounds to me like you just butchered your car together.

[MarkMoore]

yea, i know, i'm not worried about my car at all. I'm gonna buy a parts car soon, so i'm just gonna take it outta there, that's why it didn't really bother me when it happened. That's why the glue was only a TEMPORARY solution. :p

[millionflame]

I know it wasn't completely correct information, but it was close enough to figure out how to wire it right.

The main point I was trying to make was that you CAN plug into the dimmer switch power, since there have been people claiming you will destroy your gauges if you do.

<small>[ October 25, 2004, 11:28 PM: Message edited by: Aiden ]</small>

[2.5mx3]

If it was the same gauge set I got, the instructions specifically said DO NOT use the dimmer as a power source. Although, I've heard of several people doing this, so I don't know. I just spliced into the gauge cluster power wire (the harness on the right, behind the cluster) and everything works just fine.

As a side note, my indiglos suddenly went out a while back, and when I took the cluster apart, I found that the inline fuse capsule had broken and the fuse had fallen out. I sent for a new inverter and it did not include the fuse. Guess they felt it was no longer needed, or else caused too many problems.

[DJsMX-3]

Ah i see what your talking about

Build your own interface between dimmer and the wariable wire on the inverterpotentiometer instead,then you're still feeding it with 12V but just controlling the variables