Boost Gauge Lighting

[98mitsubishigst]

okay im heading to work now butt
i hooked my boost gauge up to a hot wire
but its always hot so it always stays on

i want to be able to flick on the lights so that the boost gauge
and the headlights and cig lighter light turns on..


can anyone tell me how to do that?

 

[Gamble97]

VFAQ Site - Visual Frequently Answered Questions
Go to gauges and then boost gauge install you will find this plus pictures.

ook up aftermarket gauge lights to factory dimmer switch on a DSM vehicle.

Last updated 02/06/98 - RandyNet - [email protected]

Description. The following will explain how to hook up aftermarket gauge lights to work with the dimmer switch just like the rest of your factory gauges. I have done this installation on two 1st gen DSMs without any problems.

Preface notes. When hooking up any backlit gauge (like a boost gauge) you will have a lightbulb with two connectors or wire leads coming from it. Since it is a simple light bulb, the polarity of these wires is not critical during the discussion of this particular modification. For example, you will not blow anything up if it is connected backwards. The two leads will need to be made long enough to reach the back of the dimmer switch on your dash. You will most likely have to supply your own wire to attach to the leads in order to span this distance.


Access and tap the wires. Remove your instrument cluster bezel. unplug the three switches, and move the bezel out of the way. The dimmer switch connector is a 4 wire plug with 3 wires in it. It is the orange colored connector in the picture below. (The black connector in the middle has been modified as well, that is the foglight switch and is discussed in another VFAQ). There is a table below which associates a number to each colored wire. You will want to tap into wires 1 and 3. The wires still need to make the electrical path from the switch to wherever they go, so if you cut them, make sure they get put back together. In my opinion, the best way to tap any wire is to not cut the wire at all. This way you can keep the integrity of the original wire. Just pick a spot somewhere along the wire and cut the insulation off all the way around. Attach the leads from your light bulbs and solder them on (finish reading this page before you soilder anything). You only need to strip back a little bit of insulation for this. The other solution is to just cut the wires in two, strip the ends back, then take the two wires along with your lead and wire nut them together (if you do this, make sure to tape the wire nut to the wires).

Wire description
1) Green with White stripe
2) Black with Red spacers
3) Black with Yellow strip and Red spacers
4) Empty

Check the polarity. Before you solder anything, make sure the polarity is correct. Nothing will be damaged if it is not. If you have the polarity correct, as you rotate your dimmer switch the gauge light should get bright and dim along with the rest of the instrument lights. If you have it hooked backwards, as the factory instrument lights yet brighter, your gauge light will get darker. It will be the opposite of what the rest of the gauges are doing. If this happens, just switch the wires and you'll be set.

Additional note. Remember, the wires you tap from the switch wires will be carrying the load of the light bulb. Keep this in mind if you plan on hooking up many gauges & lights this way. The more you load the system, the dimmer all of the lights will be.



Somewhat related? As a somewhat related side note, many people ask where they should route the vacuum line through the firewall to run the boost gauge. I ran mine through the speedometer cable hole. This hole is located slightly below the brake master cylinder. The hole is much bigger than the actual speedometer cable, so there is plenty of room. The cable is surrounded by a rubber grommet that you can pull out towards the engine to open up the hole. Once you get a few wires in there, the rubber grommet will no longer fit, so you will have to close up the hole some other way if you want to. The advantage of using this hole is that you do not have to cut up the car at all, and the hoses, wires, or whatever come through the firewall up high behind the brake pedal. They will be accessable if you lay in your drivers side floor and reach up. They will be out of site and out of the pedal travel path. Here is a picture of the hole from the engine side. (TS- note, if you run wires through here, it is best to slit the grommet and run the wires through the slit. If you have many wires and can't use the grommet, make sure to run several layers of tape over the wires for several inches before and after the hole to make sure that the wires don't rub the hole and get cut.)

 

[95redturboawd]

Just so you don't have to read all that all you have to do is splice it into the wires of a light that goes on and off with the headlights like the little one in the ashtray. You'd have to take out the center console to do so.

 

[TofastForU_99]

or you can just ground it out to the frame or somewhere and then find a fuse that turns off with your car and just stick the power in with that fuse... or you can splice into your dimmer like i did and then you can adjust the brightness of them....

 

[digitalasylum7]

All my guages are wired into the light in the ash tray, its really easy to get to and you can have it all turn on with your lights...

 

[98mitsubishigst]

ill probably use the ash tray or cig lighter..
which is the wire i need to tap into tho?



and what u mean put the power into the fuse?
like take fuse out and put wire in ?

 

[95redturboawd]

Don't worry about the fuse it's easy to just run it to the ash tray. Take out the center console and just looks for the wire going to that little light.

 

[Robert503]

or you can splice into your dimmer like i did and then you can adjust the brightness of them....

godly idea

 

[98mitsubishigst]

yuppp my boost gauge is now installed bolted
and lights up


used my ashtray light...
buti messed up light for ashtray but gauge looks sickk

thx u guys

 

[TofastForU_99]

no i was saying take out the fuse place wire behind the fuse and push the fuse back in so that it holds the power in but hey it seems like you have it solved....