sublime5254

hey i know pretty much how to install guages but how do you make them light up at night? is there something else you have to do to make them do this or when you install it it will just light up? thanks

puma

iTrader: (2)

well they come with the right wires, you just have to connect them to a 12 V and a ground

sublime5254

oh thanks. what kind of guages do you have?

puma

iTrader: (2)

i have autometer

sublime5254

do you think autometer is accurate enough? and also, about how long did it take you to install the guage and did you have any problems w/ it? thanks

maxcooper

FD specific:

You can also attach BOTH the illumination wires from the gauge to the wires that go to the bulb that lights up the ash tray to make the gauge illumination fade with the dash lights. You must do both wires (rather than one to ash tray light and one to ground) or it won't work, and will likely cause your dash lights to not work properly.

-Max

sublime5254

thanks alot for the info max.

DreaminofaFD

You mean I can wire up my gauges to dim with my interior lights? Phat!

trunks

my autometer gauges are always on. i'd like to make them light and fade away with the stock ones. i have a boost, water, and air/fuel gauges on a three pillar next to the door. i'd rather have the gauges somewhere else to make the car look cleaner in the interior. not too
ricey. any suggestions?

maxcooper

How about something like this?


SPA is selling newer versions of these gauges now that have switchable red/green illumination. Mine don't dim with the stock gauges, and I am not sure the new ones would either. I am sure the red would be a nicer match for the color scheme, but I had these already and I just wanted some good instrumentation, no dead gauges in the dash, and nothing on the a-pillar. I am very happy with how it turned out. Details here:
http://www.maxcooper.com/rx7/how-to/...ges/index.html

It is harder to install, deep analog gauges. The SPA gauges are just shallow enough that you can cut the connector off the back, rewire them, and then put them in the dash without too much cutting.

-Max

TonyTurboII

Nice! I almost got the SPAs, but thought Id have a problem reading digital numbers in a glance.

maxcooper

I am aware of the issues with reading digital versus analog, but the digitals work pretty well for me here. I certianly wouldn't want a digital tach, but in some ways I like having the number for things like water temp so I can't lie to myself about what the reading says.

Each reading has an LED that you can set to light up or flash at a programmable set point. They also have the same functionality for a second alert that you can hook up to a wire on the back. You can use a light, or even hook up something like cooling fans for the radiator or IC, etc., even water injection, I guess.

-Max

TonyTurboII

Yeah, ive investigated them pretty well. You can have them do anything you want.

Shinobi-X

Do you have a temp guage? and if so did you install it yourself? If you did, and wouldn't mind, hit me up with a PM. I could use a bit of help with something.

vudoodoodoo

The SPA gauge are pretty nice! I'm diggin the red backlit ones.

http://www.performancediesel.net/SPA...pa_gauges.html