Gauge Lighting...

[Icetrain75]

whadup -
I picked up a set of reverse Indiglo gauges for my 96 xlt, and i was wonderin' if anyone could help me out -
I wanna know how do I wire them to the stock headlight switch, so they go on and off with the headlights?

 

[audiodude332001]

I'v heard alot of people saying that you should not connect it to the headlight switch, because it is too much power for it, and it will fry it after a while. Apparently it is better to connect it to the wires in the back of the speedo cluster. You connect it to the wires that currently turn on the gauge lights. I have mine hooked up to the headlight switch, and have yet to have any problems. But I might change it sometime when im not lazy and have the initiative to pull the dash apart again.

-Andy

 

[Icetrain75]

I duno - either way id hook it up to the speedometer if i knew what wires and all, but i might just keep it how it is, its on its own switch, if i knew how to post pics id show u

 

[Bottomlesspit]

I finished wiring mine up last week.
First, I soldered all my wire connections, but you can use those crimp connectors just as easily. I just prefer to solder all my connections nice and tight.
I attached a ring terminal to the ground wire and used an existing screw on the lower metal dash support. The one right in front of your knees. You see it when you remove the lower plastic trim panel...it's behind it providing support.
I connected the power wire to the light switch. so far everything has worked perfectly...we will have to see over time......???
If you look at your plug going to the light switch...assuming you disconnect it when taking dash apart...you will see a white wire with black stripe. That's the power wire to the guage lights. I temporarily reattached the light switch, stuck a pin into this wire, turned on the switch and checked it with a voltmeter. Sure enough...that's the wire. It only gets power with the switch turned on.
I pulled off the connection, used a razor blade and scraped off 1/4" of insulation. I soldered on my positive wire and wrapped it all up with good electrical tape. Only took 5 minutes total for all the wiring.
The only other thing I did extra was I used 12" each of my own ground and positive wiring. I attached insulated connectors to the ends of these wires that THEN attached to the new guage wires. This way, I can always remove/replace any guages and just plug the new ones right into these remaining wires. They never come out...they are permanently attached as I described.
Anyway, good luck, that's just how I attacked the install.
Ken

 

[Icetrain75]

thanks alot, - so its the white wire w/ the black stripe, that goes to the + end of the gauges - sweet thanks man - ill be takin apart my dash soon to put in new stereo stuff i got, so while im at it i might at well pop off the other thing and make those gauges work the right way - thanks again

 

[rydinhigh]

Or you can just run a wire to the parking light fuse which is what I did.

 

[Icetrain75]

thats how mine currently is - its run to the switch, and then the + wire from the switch goes to my fuse box - but if i turn the car off, they stay on, so i gotta make sure the switch is off...if its run to the parking light fuse they will turn off?