Boost gauge install
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Prince George, BC
Boost gauge install
I just bought a defi blue racer gauge for my 87 t2, and the installation looks fairly simple.
I need some advice on where to route some of these wires. I'll just name off the wires and tell me where I should tie it into for the best reading. Hopefully this will bring out enough information to be useful for the archives.
The gauge I bought is electrical but pretty much the same as mechanical when it comes to connecting wires and what not.
Orange wire - IGN - To 12v wire when ignition on.
Red wire- 12V Battery - To 12v battery wire.
White wire - Illumination - To 12v wire when small lamp on. (ash tray light?)
Black wire - Ground - To ground or negative battery terminal.
Finally, where's the best spot to tie in the T fitting? Pressure sensor?
Personally some of this I think I know but not exactly sure and don't want to screw anything up.
I need some advice on where to route some of these wires. I'll just name off the wires and tell me where I should tie it into for the best reading. Hopefully this will bring out enough information to be useful for the archives.
The gauge I bought is electrical but pretty much the same as mechanical when it comes to connecting wires and what not.
Orange wire - IGN - To 12v wire when ignition on.
Red wire- 12V Battery - To 12v battery wire.
White wire - Illumination - To 12v wire when small lamp on. (ash tray light?)
Black wire - Ground - To ground or negative battery terminal.
Finally, where's the best spot to tie in the T fitting? Pressure sensor?
Personally some of this I think I know but not exactly sure and don't want to screw anything up.
I blame the TPS
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 459
Likes: 0
From: MT
nope. you go the wires right. Its just as simple as finding the wires that work and hooking it all up. the place that I hooked up the IGN ON wire is + Radio wire that turns on when it is in the ACC and ON position. That was just my first thought and I went with it. Seems to work ok. The rest of the wires are straight forward. Hook the boost line into one of the ports on the throttle body like he said or where I put mine, where the BOV plugs in.
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,973
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From: Prince George, BC
So for example if i'm hooking up the red wire - 12V Battery - To 12v battery wire. I just hook it straight to the battery right? That seems over shot, because the wire I get coming out of the gauge is like a foot if that long. Its like the gauge company expects you to buy wire, to make it longer.
The wires I understand are the white, black, and if the above is correct.
The wires I understand are the white, black, and if the above is correct.
I blame the TPS
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 459
Likes: 0
From: MT
Double check the instructions. This gauge needs a constant wire (red) and a switched wire (orange)? that seems unusual to me for a gauge, but then again this is a Defi. See FSM wiring diagrams, page 50-50 and page 50-12
Orange: you can hook this to the ignition harness (blue accessory wire will do) or an empty spot on the fuse box.
Red: I'm pretty sure you can hook this to constant power on the ignition harness. you will need to meter it to see if it has voltage with the key out, but I think it's the black wire on the ignition harness?
white wire: you need the Red/Green wire coming off the light switch for this. You can get it in the kickpanel if you follow the light switch harness down from the switch itself. Or you can get it on the cigarette lighter. see the diagram on page 50-50
black wire: just attach a ring terminal and ground it to a bolt somewhere under the dash, unless the instructions specifically say where it needs to go (to reduce electrical noise or something)
Orange: you can hook this to the ignition harness (blue accessory wire will do) or an empty spot on the fuse box.
Red: I'm pretty sure you can hook this to constant power on the ignition harness. you will need to meter it to see if it has voltage with the key out, but I think it's the black wire on the ignition harness?
white wire: you need the Red/Green wire coming off the light switch for this. You can get it in the kickpanel if you follow the light switch harness down from the switch itself. Or you can get it on the cigarette lighter. see the diagram on page 50-50
black wire: just attach a ring terminal and ground it to a bolt somewhere under the dash, unless the instructions specifically say where it needs to go (to reduce electrical noise or something)
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,973
Likes: 0
From: Prince George, BC
Double check the instructions. This gauge needs a constant wire (red) and a switched wire (orange)? that seems unusual to me for a gauge, but then again this is a Defi. See FSM wiring diagrams, page 50-50 and page 50-12
Orange: you can hook this to the ignition harness (blue accessory wire will do) or an empty spot on the fuse box.
Red: I'm pretty sure you can hook this to constant power on the ignition harness. you will need to meter it to see if it has voltage with the key out, but I think it's the black wire on the ignition harness?
white wire: you need the Red/Green wire coming off the light switch for this. You can get it in the kickpanel if you follow the light switch harness down from the switch itself. Or you can get it on the cigarette lighter. see the diagram on page 50-50
black wire: just attach a ring terminal and ground it to a bolt somewhere under the dash, unless the instructions specifically say where it needs to go (to reduce electrical noise or something)
Orange: you can hook this to the ignition harness (blue accessory wire will do) or an empty spot on the fuse box.
Red: I'm pretty sure you can hook this to constant power on the ignition harness. you will need to meter it to see if it has voltage with the key out, but I think it's the black wire on the ignition harness?
white wire: you need the Red/Green wire coming off the light switch for this. You can get it in the kickpanel if you follow the light switch harness down from the switch itself. Or you can get it on the cigarette lighter. see the diagram on page 50-50
black wire: just attach a ring terminal and ground it to a bolt somewhere under the dash, unless the instructions specifically say where it needs to go (to reduce electrical noise or something)
Can anybody verify the red wire?
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I blame the TPS
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 459
Likes: 0
From: MT
For the red wire just open up your ignition switch wiring harness and find a power with the key out. How hard could that be?????????? If you get too frustrated or lazy run a new wire to the battery. Not rocket science here. You know the page numbers in the FSM and you can look up a constant power wire easily. But get a voltmeter and start checking ignition switch wires. I'll give you a hint, the constant power wire on the ignition switch harness is probably going to be something like 12-14 gauge wire instead of 16 gauge cause it will be holding a lot of power. Get a voltmeter and a screw driver and go at it
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,973
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From: Prince George, BC
So i'm attempting to install right now. Not going so well, i'm starting at what Im not sure about. The ignition wiring harness, where the f is it? I have to take off the steering wheel no? There's wires going all over the place in the kick panel, I tried gauging a few and i'm clueless.
