Okay guys, first wiring experiment... need help!

[MustangChris]

My neighbor is going to help me wire my gauges tomorrow... my ONLY task is to find the "hot wire" taht we plug into for power.

He says it engages with the key. He said i would have to figure that part out, because my car doesnt have any electronics hooked up. lol. . . . . so, any suggestions??? he suggested that there should be one in the ignition switch pigtail.... :dontknow:


(more background info if needed)

I have 6 gauges. they are all full sweep electric. so they simply need a power sorce for the lights and the gauge... We can find the source for the lights, but we dont know which sorce we should run into for the gauge. The directions call for a 12v line.

ALSO, we will be running this line into a fuse box and will plug the gauges into the fuse box. i dont know if that matters? ? ? ? ?

Thanks in advance! -Chris

 

[CC'S95GT]

I would look at the h/l sw for a pwr source. or for light sw.

 

[MustangChris]

h/l ?? head lights?

i need a constant power source for when the car starts. The 12v source i need is for the power to the gauges, not to the light bulbs... just to clearify.

 

[ttocs]

you can find that wire at the switch, the ignition hrns, the back of the radio or at the fuse box. Take a meter and it will only take a few secs to find the right one.

 

[AaRoN]

Get yourself a wiring diagram for the instrument cluster and radio. Find something that is "hot in run".

 

[vermilion]

i used a piggy back fuse holder in the fuse box. it also has another fuse holder. i added up the amperage of each gauge and used that size fuse. i did this since all my gauges come on at the same time. i also ran the gauge dimmers off the clock. that is the easiest spot for a dimmer.

 

[MustangChris]

you can find that wire at the switch, the ignition hrns, the back of the radio or at the fuse box. Take a meter and it will only take a few secs to find the right one.

my car has no engine, A/C, Heater, dash board, steering column, transmission, battery, . . .. the list goes on and on. lol. i wont be able to use a meter to track one down at this point.

Get yourself a wiring diagram for the instrument cluster and radio. Find something that is "hot in run".

i got the ford book, ill track it down! thanks!!

i used a piggy back fuse holder in the fuse box. it also has another fuse holder. i added up the amperage of each gauge and used that size fuse. i did this since all my gauges come on at the same time. i also ran the gauge dimmers off the clock. that is the easiest spot for a dimmer.

my new harness doesnt have a clock, so i think ill be using the cigarette light for dimmers... thanks tho!

 

[ttocs]

I would never recomend connecting to a wire that you cannot test first. It is common for the wire colors to be off......

 

[MustangChris]

I would never recomend connecting to a wire that you cannot test first. It is common for the wire colors to be off......

how common?????



Alrighty guys, next question:

Found the wire in my wiring book taht I want to plug into (2004 cobra harnesses, keep that in mind) and it plugs into the back of the gauge cluster and into the Battery Junction Box (underhood fuse box) it is wh/lb (guessing "white/ light blue") it is "hot in start or run"

now, a few things:

#1: the book says 20A, is taht enough to run 6 full sweep electric gauges?

#2: the install instructions for the guages suggest using a 1 Amp fuse.... .. .. how does this work with a 20A line as the source for power? if the gauges draw more than 1 amp from the 20A it blows the fuse?

#3: this is a line off the back of the insrument cluster, is that a good line to run off of? or will my speedo stop working? from lack of power?

#4: The line i want to run into has the diameter of a human hair almost... the wire i was going to use my my external fuse box is like, 8gauge or something... (pretty thick...) should i shrink the wire im going to run to my "bridge" (as my neighbor calls it)?

#5: anyone have any idea what the white and light blue wire does?

#6: is there any other wire suggestions you guys suggest?

#7: how do you suggest i tie into the cigarette light for the light bulbs? Increase the length of the wire and just tap into it at 6 different locations?

#8: do you have any other suggestions for a dimmer location to tap into for the lights? keep in mind i no longer have a dash clock.

Thanks everyone!

 

[MustangChris]

TTT

 

[ttocs]

1,)should be plenty of power for them
2.) unless maflunctioning the gauges will never pull more then the 1 amp that the fuse is rated at. Doesn't matter what the power source is.
3.)as long as the wire stays connected to the cluster there is nothing to worry about
4.)no idea what your neighbors bridge is, don't buy it until you can see it. just connect the wires and there is nothing to worry about.
5.)you told me about that wire I have no idea what it is, where you got the info or what it does.
6.)NEVER connect to a wire until you have tested to confirm it is correct. like never ever ever EVER...
7.)you cig lighter is a constant hot, do you want the lights on with the key off?
8.) there is a dimmer wire in the radio harnes or you can hit it at the light switch. Do you not have the clock hrns either?

 

[MustangChris]

1,)should be plenty of power for them
2.) unless maflunctioning the gauges will never pull more then the 1 amp that the fuse is rated at. Doesn't matter what the power source is.
3.)as long as the wire stays connected to the cluster there is nothing to worry about
4.)no idea what your neighbors bridge is, don't buy it until you can see it. just connect the wires and there is nothing to worry about.
5.)you told me about that wire I have no idea what it is, where you got the info or what it does.
6.)NEVER connect to a wire until you have tested to confirm it is correct. like never ever ever EVER...
7.)you cig lighter is a constant hot, do you want the lights on with the key off?
8.) there is a dimmer wire in the radio harnes or you can hit it at the light switch. Do you not have the clock hrns either?

Well i go out of town tomorrow, so its the tuner shops problem now. im going to wire a few tonight if i can.



1: awesome
2: awesome
3: awesome
4: he gave it to me for free. It's the tuner problem
5: info came from my 2003 wiring diagram book published by ford. all it tells me is that its white/light blue and it goes from the instrument cluster to teh fuse box.
6: connecting everything will be the shop's problem, ill just run the wires for now.
7: theres a light bulb on my cig lighter that functions with the dimmer. sorry for the confusion
8: No clock harness on the 2004 cobra harness. maybe one in the sterio harness???

9: THANKS FOR THE INFO!!

 

[ttocs]

4.) take a pic for me as I really have no clue what you are talking about now and didn't really know to begin with
5.) So you just looked in the manual for a wire between the cluster and the fusebox, this confuses me also.
7.) forgot about that, that wire should be find. IT doesn't matter if you extend that wire or just connect all 6 right there. What ever is easiest.
8.) deck harness will for sure