Guage install problems(Electrical)

[rjlichau]

I know you are thinking " Searc first, but I already have and havnt found my anwser. So I am installing a boost guage and I followeed the VFAQ posts by other people and I have run into some electrical problems. So I taped into the dimmer switch jusdt like the threads told me too, and the dimmer switch works fine, but when I hook the wires up to the guage and a ground wire too, I get nothing. No power. The wires I just bought and is just fine. I cant think of why there would be power to the dimmer switch but not the gauges. Unfortunatly I dont have an electrical tester to see where the problem is. And I am not very electrically savy, so any help is greatly approiciated.

New thread links wopuld be great too, cause all the ones I have seen are like 3 years old and most of the Web sites dont work anymore.

Thanks

 

[drewvr4]

the wire you tapped probably isnt hot, either that or you have a bad ground

 

[turbosax2]

Go out and buy a cheap multimeter and check your wires.

 

[rjlichau]

the wire you tapped probably isnt hot, either that or you have a bad ground

Thanks.
I re-did my ground and I got it to work but now the polarity is backward. When I dimm the dash, the guage lights up. So I switched the wires and the same thing happens. What can I do?

 

[Gamble97]

You could try using a bolt for ground and the power off the dimmer and that may work. Or the other way around.

 

[95CarbonEclipse]

Thanks.
I re-did my ground and I got it to work but now the polarity is backward. When I dimm the dash, the guage lights up. So I switched the wires and the same thing happens. What can I do?

Switched which wires? I think all you have to do is tap into the other wire coming from the dimmer switch. I'm not sure if this is what you ment by saying that you switched the wires. If not, try tapping the other wire from the dimmer.

 

[rjlichau]

Switched which wires? I think all you have to do is tap into the other wire coming from the dimmer switch. I'm not sure if this is what you ment by saying that you switched the wires. If not, try tapping the other wire from the dimmer.

Yeah I already switched them back and forth cause i didnt have them permenantly attached so I was able to test both ways.

As for the other wire on the dimmer, I think it is a ground wire because all the forums and how-to' s that I have read exclude that wire form anything.

Im thinking that maybe the dimmer switch is some how reversed and when it is supposed to be getting brighter, it gets darker and when it is supposed to be getting darker it is getting brighter, hence my reversed gauges. .... Anyone have a 2g where you turn the dimmer left to go brighter and right to go dimmer?

Thanks

 

[rjlichau]

You could try using a bolt for ground and the power off the dimmer and that may work. Or the other way around.

Im not sure what you mean.

 

[95CarbonEclipse]

Yeah I already switched them back and forth cause i didnt have them permenantly attached so I was able to test both ways.

As for the other wire on the dimmer, I think it is a ground wire because all the forums and how-to' s that I have read exclude that wire form anything.

Im thinking that maybe the dimmer switch is some how reversed and when it is supposed to be getting brighter, it gets darker and when it is supposed to be getting darker it is getting brighter, hence my reversed gauges. .... Anyone have a 2g where you turn the dimmer left to go brighter and right to go dimmer?

Thanks

Yea.. My dimmer gets brighter to the left and dimmer to the right.

 

[rjlichau]

Yea.. My dimmer gets brighter to the left and dimmer to the right.

Yeah mine too so I dont know why my gauges are backward. It is night now and I just went for a drive and the guages are plenty bright if I turn my dash lights bright enough to see them. so I probably will just leave it that way.

Anyone know of a good thread to get to the ignition switch for a oil pressure and water temperature guage?