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Guage power feed
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:03 pm
by Dynamic Entry
I still haven't wired up my boost gauge yet. I am thinking it would be cool to splice it in with the circuit that is controlled by the Park light switch on the steering column so that I can have the guage toggle independently of the main lights.
Is this a bad idea for any reason? ie. is that switch only valid when the ignition is OFF and it is live whenever the lights are on anyway? Has anyone done this?
I am not familiar with wiring diagrams, does anyone know what color coding the wires have for this circuit?
Many thanks
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:34 pm
by dscoobydoo
If you are looking to have it light up independantly from the dash lights, it would be easier to cut into the cigarette lighter ( as it is on when the car is on)
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:58 pm
by Dynamic Entry
Thing is I want it to be independant from dash so that I can have the dash lights on and the gauge OFF if I want to.....
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:21 pm
by stipro
I would just re-wire the switch on the column so it would interupt the power, or ground feed to your gauge. All you have to do is run two wires.
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:12 pm
by dscoobydoo
I second stipro's suggestion.
You will have to run a switch on the power or ground to be able to do that.
Where you pull the power from is up to you.
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:30 pm
by gto7419
dscoobydoo wrote:I second stipro's suggestion.
You will have to run a switch on the power or ground to be able to do that.
Where you pull the power from is up to you.
Personally, I would run a separate switch off of the main light circuit. That way you could choose to have the gauge light always come on with the lights, or turn them off at the flick of a switch. The switch on the column is always "on".
This will not allow you to have the gauge light on if the dash lights are off... To do that, you need a separate power source such as the cigarette lighter that dscoobydoo suggested.
Not that hes wrong, but I quoted the above because you ALWAYS want to switch the power - not the ground.... You ALWAYS want the unit grounded....
Danny
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 3:24 am
by stipro
gto7419 wrote:[Not that hes wrong, but I quoted the above because you ALWAYS want to switch the power - not the ground.... You ALWAYS want the unit grounded....
Subaru switches the ground to control curcuits all the time.
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 9:26 pm
by gto7419
stipro wrote:gto7419 wrote:[Not that hes wrong, but I quoted the above because you ALWAYS want to switch the power - not the ground.... You ALWAYS want the unit grounded....
Subaru switches the ground to control curcuits all the time.
In a car where youre running non factory wires around sharp metal objects, you want to switch the power - not the ground.... The less power running through circuits at any given time, the better....
When you jump a battery, do you hit the positive first? It will work, but its still not a great idea....
Danny
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:23 am
by stipro
gto7419 wrote:stipro wrote:gto7419 wrote:[Not that hes wrong, but I quoted the above because you ALWAYS want to switch the power - not the ground.... You ALWAYS want the unit grounded....
Subaru switches the ground to control curcuits all the time.
In a car where youre running non factory wires around sharp metal objects, you want to switch the power - not the ground.... The less power running through circuits at any given time, the better....
When you jump a battery, do you hit the positive first? It will work, but its still not a great idea....
Danny
Fair enough, you never know who's doing the wiring job
. Its safer I guess.