im trying to setup my EL guages, but i need a switching 12v source
(that is, 0v when the lights are off, 12v when the parkers/headlights are on)
thats near the back of my instrument cluster.

the most ive been able to find is 7.5v but it just doesnt cut it.

thanks.

 

First off, Id love to see pictures of your new gauges, installed or not. Secondly, when I put the gauges in my friends Miata, I used an old bulb socket for the power source. The Miata used turn in bases with contacts on them and wedge type bulbs fitted into them. That is, you turn the base 1/4 turn and it comes out in your hand with no wires because the contacts are on the base and touch the circuit traces when fitted into the back of the cluster, then the bulb wedge fits in the base. What I did was take one of the sockets that would no longer be used due to the indiglo gauges behind the speedometer, then soldered the wires from the gauges into the this socket through holes I drilled in the back of the socket. Then, I just put the socket back into the back of the cluster where it would contact the circuit traces, thus getting power. Only now instead of the power going to a bulb, it goes out the wires to the indiglo gauges.

Now, having typed up that mess of info that makes no sense, I have no idea if this is how the RX-7 works or not, I just thought I would throw the idea out there. Youre other choice is to look at the wires that plug into the cluster or however it works, and figure out which one of those energizes the circuits that make the lights work, then use a vampire tap or something to get power from there.

~T.J.

 

Thats how it works.

 

yeah i tried the globes that are at the top of the cluster.. but they only get 7.5v..

and therer are two big plugs that go behind the tacho and the oil/fuel/temp guages with a fair few pins on both of them,
but none of them seem to switch from 0v to 12v.
they either start at 12v or stay at 0v....

my other option is to run a relay form the batty that is switched on from the globes, or to run wires from the headlights them selves, but id rather keep it all in the dash.


and ill get some pics once theyre installed properly.
they look pretty good so far (with just the white face, its a fresh change from all the black.) and when i DO get them to light up all the white becomes yellow (to match my car). only had them on outside of the car in a semi dark garage so far, so ill have to take some pics at night time.
i got them from www.etronicauto.com it the only place in Aus that i could find that sells them here.

 

if you can find a switched 7 volt just use that with a relay. I would think that you can use the relay and step up the voltage with it. Or, can you use a relay for a step up? I dont know just throwing out options/ideas.

 

Another idea is to look for the circuits for lights that go behind the clock, climate controls, stereo, etc. Those have 12V switched power on the illumination circuit as well. Remember every light that comes on when you turn your parking lights on is on a circuit you can find power from. You could even look at the dimmer switch in the dash, that obviously has 12V switched for the dash light circuit going into it. You just gotta find one wire from your choice of circuits

Also, depending on condition of your battery and wiring, that 7 volts may bee your 12V switched wire, it just reads low when the car isnt running.

~T.J.

 

hey hey

i ended up chucking in a relay just using the various voltages at the bacl of the cluster.

you know that really handy sound when you open ur door with the lights on? well that has a constant 12v to it, so theres my power, and just used the 7.5v as the signal.

im pretty sure that it was 7.5v even with a decent batty (not that mine isnt) as i was getting lots and lots of other 12v readings.

but theyre all in now, and i swear i saw a slight light up effect when i turned on the lights...
but ill have to wait till tonight to be 100% sure.

if this doesnt work ill prolly try ur idea RMD.

CHeers

 

If you dont have an automatic transmission, then just pop off the shifter surround and shift boot, there will be 2 wires there that were put in for the shift indicator light in an automatic transmission. If you dont have an auto this is probably the best source for guage lighting since the wiring is the same in the two models (auto and standard)