Auxiliary Guage Lighting

[gandalf]

Over the weekend I finally got tired of having the three auxiliary gauges (pyro, trans temp, water temp) as daytime gauges. I wanted to see them at night too. I had never bothered to wire in the light power. So Thanksgiving morning I tore the dashboard apart enough to pull the headlight switch to wire in the aux gauges.

I found a wire which dimmed my test light as I turned the knob to dim the guage cluster, and I said, "Thats the one." I can't remember now what color it is, but I know it has a stripe. I connected a lead from each guage bulb to the power source, and the other lead from each guage bulb to ground, and put it all back together. I never thought to test further.

Things aren't quite normal. The aux guage lights come on as soon as the engine starts, whether the headlights are on or not. They are not on if the engine is not running. When the headlights are on they function as they should--they dim with the rest of the guage cluster lights when I twist the headlight knob.

I think I must have found the right wire, because the aux guage lights dim when they should. But why do they come on at engine startup? Is the ground perhaps supposed to run back through the switch? Thats about the best explaination I can think of.

Any opinions or answers?

 

[argve]

That's how I wired the gauges in The Enterprise that way I could see what was going on while she was in warm up stages during the winter - I had 6 gauges though and was worried about oil pressure. If you go digging on the switch you will find a wire that does what your looking for which is only has power when the switch is pulled - it should be across from the one you attached to. It's been too long for me to remember the wire colors.

 

[Darrin Tosh]

Seems like it is a Blue wire,........ Hows that for a definate help!?

 

[Agnem]

Most clearance light circuits have a brown wire.

 

[Exekiel69]

Dont know about the head light switch but I connected them to a fuse that was hot when the position lights where on and when the head lights where on that was wath I used and it has been working since.

 

[6point9diesel]

I just got done doing this to my rig two weeks ago. I took some pictures of the wires I used but dont have them handy right now. I want to say it was a yellow wire with a white stripe, but that may have been the feedback off the fuel sending unit. I replaced my dash assembly so I tied into the wiring harness for the instrument cluster. It's pretty easy to figure out the wire color if you take your cluster out. This was all on an '84. I'll try and get you some more info if you haven't already figured it out.

Paul

 

[Agnem]

The next article coming to the Tech Articles section is a running light relay mod that will answer a lot of this. Look for it soon.

 

[riphip]

I tied my gauge lights into the wire for the ashtray. Dim 'm or brite 'm.

 

[6point9diesel]

Just looked at the pictures from my install. I was wrong I think It's a blue wire with red stripe. Like Darrin mentioned before.

Paul

 

[FORDMAN41291]

wow, really, y'all tore apart a dash for one wire. all I had to do was plug it in to the fuse box that controlled the dash lights lol... 2 second ore deal for me lol

 

[Jake_IN]

HOLY DIG UP AN OLD POST BATMAN!!!

 

[Darrin Tosh]

HOLY DIG UP AN OLD POST BATMAN!!!

No Doubt, This thread is 6 years old!

 

[Dieselcrawler]

but wait, dont you have issues with your guages and dimming switch darrin?...... lol

 

[FORDMAN41291]

but wait, dont you have issues with your guages and dimming switch darrin?...... lol

you know what he just might... theres nothing wrong about digging up old posts lol...