Mkay lets try this here, Wiring aftermarked oil pres/temp. and water temp gauges

[Schwarz325]

Hey everybody, just gotta couple of quick questions.


I'm gonna be running prosport gauges in my e30, but i'm stuck on a bit of wiring. I can do almost anything mechanically but wiring and electrical work confuses the piss out of me and my brain goes blank.

Ok, these gauges have 2 12v switchable wires, one is for the gauges to glow red during day and one is for them to glow white during day. There's a third wire (orange) that you connect to a light that comes on when you turn the headlights on and they glow amber at night, pretty cool.

Now, i was gonna wire my water gauge like this. Take the cigarrete lighter bulb wires and connect the orange wire for the amber lighting at night there, cuz when you turn the headlights on it, they glow orange.

THe 2 12v switchable wires were gonna be tapped into the brown and gray/blue wire i believe that goes to the radio. Now, there's a switch above the pass. side window switch that locks the windows. There's a blue/green wire that's also switchable. I thought about running it there and just not run that switch or the cig. lighter bulb, but the bulb's already cut off.


DOes this sound about right? I tested it and it worked like a charm, i'm just not sure if those are the right wires?

Also, once i get the oil press and temp gauges, can i run the power to those gauges off the same wire? basically twist all 3 gauge wires together and splice them into either the radio or the window lock switch? Or should i get a different 12v switchable power source for each gauge?

thanks!

[StereoInstaller1]

Use the grey/red if you want the illumination to dim with the dash lights, just make sure that is OK with those gauges. If the illumination is LED, it might not be happy. If theya are bulbs, that is the best way to go.

And yes, you can use the window switch power to power all 3 gauges. Use the brown wire from the cigar lighter to ground all 3.

[Schwarz325]

I believe they're led's, you can't change the bulbs. I'm more worried about running 3 12v power wires off of one wire that comes off the chassis to 3 gauges.

I'm using the blue/green off the window lock switch, not the switch that moves it up and down

[Danny]

I believe they're led's, you can't change the bulbs. I'm more worried about running 3 12v power wires off of one wire that comes off the chassis to 3 gauges.

I'm using the blue/green off the window lock switch, not the switch that moves it up and down

You'll be fine with what Luke said.

[Schwarz325]

Ok cool, so if i don't want them to dim i just find another 12v, which in my case would be the blue/green. I mean i leave my gauges on the brightest and don't mess with the dimmer, but stil i don't want them connected to a dimmer capable wire.

[StereoInstaller1]

Check with the manufacturer, see if a dimming illumination circuit is OK or not.

EDIT: as far as running 3 gauges off of the window wires, my guess is that those gauges together draw maybe 1/2 of an amp. Your window circuit won't even notice.