Truxaw2

okay i baught these alfaotto reverse glow gauges off ebay they came with no instructions but i didnt care i hooked em up no problem im wired em into my dash lights using the dimmer switch. red wire with a blue lead i think anyway and they worked fine better than fine they were awsome then one day after about a month they shut off. i was pissed decided i would deal with it the next day when i came out to my care they were working again ****. whatever. now a month later they usualy turn on for about ten or twenty minutes then turn off and wont turn back on iv rewired em using different wires about ten times now and tried to wire em straight to the fuse box. my fusses were never blown my other lights worked fine and i dont have a watt or volt tester but the idiotic way of doing it is. as some of you might know the dimmer switch that comes with the light will shock you if you touch your hand to it while your grounded. when they were off they werent getting any power. could the box be shutting them off cause they are getting to much power to little power what wattage do they need to get.???? i dont know. maybe they are just broke and i should learn not to use ebay. any help would be appreciated.

Kenteth

That dimmer switch cuts voltage to the circuit (hence dimming lights) It goes from around 12v probably to 3 or 6. I'm not sure exactly.. As the voltage drops, amperage must go up to keep the gauge lights working at their opperating wattage (they can't hand a varibale wattage like irri...candascent lighting (light bulbs)). Your ignorance of not reading the instructions probably costed you the gauge set.

Take an EE class or read a Electronics book. Wattage on those systems isn'tgoing to change much unless it gets fcuked, in which case it will either take no wattage, or eat craploads until it ***** itself.

By putting all those extra amps through the gauge unit, you overpowered the resistorpack (or control device) for the aftermarket gauges. YES, less voltage, yet you overpowered the system circuit.

Theres probably a cold weld somewhere in the control pack that overheated and now is making intermittent connection.


To be quite honest, I'm suprised that even works at 12v. Either way, you're an idiot for doing it that way unless your hands (and heart beat) are so calibrated to know the difference between 12v and 6-7v, which can be a HUGE difference in any case. Especially when dealing with a gauge set that probably won't except anything less than 10v.

Next time just read the instructions.

Now wait for icemark, hailers or aaroncake to either tell you that I'm totaly wrong, or that you're an...

Truxaw2

i didnt mean to offend anybody the set didnt come with any instructions or this wouldnt have happend. anyway if the set is blown the set is blown but why would it still turn on for a short while.?

Truxaw2

they way i hooked it up is the same what they tell you on Fc3s.org wich is where everyone is sending people hook these lights up i dont think i did anything differently than those guys all did but i dont see anybody ellse having this problem. one more time is my ignorance has offended you or anybody ellse reading this post i appologize. but would still appreciate help.

Truxaw2

ok i just tonight after i ran some errunds i had to do rewired them to the tail lights that come out of the dimmer switch the tail light dont dim but are on the same relay it seems so they come on when the switch is turned for the head light and running lights however this time i made my own ground instead of using the one from the dash lights it seems to be working ok but the "control pack" buzzes whenever i turn them to blue im not sure how long they will stay on but i took a thrity minute drive and they were fine. note it was colder outside and in hte car could head have something to do with this problem or is the coil blown.?

Kenteth

Sorry, I get short ended sometimes. Not as patient as I used to be I guess.

I'm not sure exactly the insides of those control packs. I know they are really sensative to voltage change though. The best way would have been to wire them into an igition source, so they come on with the ignition. Personaly I like to keep safety circuits (brakes, lights, horn, air bag, ect) as clean and clear as I can. Which means not adding any extra addons to them.

It is definately possible thatyour ground is helping. I didn't even think of that before, but if you've got a poor ground, its similating even lower voltage, in turn higher amperage, which = more heat.

I'm glad you got them working. Do you like them? I was always interested in a set, but didn't like the white faces on the black interior of the car.

Truxaw2

they look great (when their working) well it seems the problem still exists they just dont cut out as often as they were but its been colder here at night and im not sure if maybe that has something to do with it aswell possibly. im not sure anyhow i have a friend that has a honda with the same type of guages im going to see where he has them wired to. and im thinking it may have somthing to so with the circute the dimmer switch slash headlight switch that they are wired to isnt sending out power like it used to in 88 some times if i tap it a couple times the lights in my interior will get britter for awhile so im going to look on ebay for a new switch soon but its going to take awhile but maybe that has something to do with it. and in the long run i guess ill figure it out or buy new ones. but i would hate to spent the money if its not needed.

pip

Not to be a dick or anything, but do they speak english in kansas? I seriously would like to help but I cant even stand to read beyond your first post for fear of part of my brain dying.

RevinRx7

iTrader: (3)

Verrrrry true. The only reason i got to the end was to read this post. Otherwise I'd have put a gun to my head.....