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06-20-2012, 01:57 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Posts: 715
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Auto Meter Wiring Questions
Hey Everyone! I'm about to install my auto meter sport comp gauges in my custom built dash. I'm only installing VOLT, Gas, Oil, and Temp for now. I'll do the Tach and Speed later. So I have a few question about the wiring. I saw that only one white/black wire (supplies power to the gauges), as well as one orange/black wire (supplies power to the lighting), and one black (I'm assuming ground wire) go into the stock wiring harness that plugs into the old printed circuit board. How do I take these single wires to provide the ground and power to 4 gauges? Also, I'm not too sure about how to provide the Fuel gauge with the proper, for lack of a better word, sending info.
Anyways, I made a snazzy little image of the wiring and questions I have (in orange and blue). Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.
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06-20-2012, 03:10 PM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1,398
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For the wiring and ground taking the factory wires and wire to one gauge and then wire the rest parallel of of it. For the wires coming from the senders, I just added some more wire and wired them to the gauges. The fuel gauge should work with the factory sender.
__________________
Horsepower is like a hot girl with STDs. You know you want to hit it but you're afraid of the consequences.
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06-20-2012, 03:49 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Posts: 715
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scubamc
For the wiring and ground taking the factory wires and wire to one gauge and then wire the rest parallel of of it. For the wires coming from the senders, I just added some more wire and wired them to the gauges. The fuel gauge should work with the factory sender.
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Well that makes sense and surely simplifies things. As for the ground, that one black wire coming out of the loom, is it a ground wire?
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06-20-2012, 04:15 PM
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1,398
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CBinDC
Well that makes sense and surely simplifies things. As for the ground, that one black wire coming out of the loom, is it a ground wire?
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It should be but there is no guarantee that they used the same color wire for every year.
__________________
Horsepower is like a hot girl with STDs. You know you want to hit it but you're afraid of the consequences.
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06-20-2012, 04:31 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Posts: 715
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The Electrical Diagram (for '89 4.2) in the Manual doesn't even indicate that there is a black wire leading to the gauge panel. The only grounds indicated are coming off of the gauges but lead no where.
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06-20-2012, 04:54 PM
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Issaquah, WA
Posts: 1,467
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CBinDC
Well that makes sense and surely simplifies things. As for the ground, that one black wire coming out of the loom, is it a ground wire?
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You could also just wire a ground to the firewall or a screw going behind the gauges too. You could make it a quick disconnect too for when you have to take the gauges/dash off.
__________________
Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
'88 YJ, 33's, auto, 4.2L. Many pieces waiting to be put in!
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06-20-2012, 07:09 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Posts: 715
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I have a 12 pin disconnect set up on the gauges for when/if I want to replace them. So how would this screw behind the gauges work?
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06-20-2012, 07:15 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Posts: 715
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The wires are way too long but I'll deal when I get there, besides the length might come in handle.
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06-20-2012, 08:34 PM
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Issaquah, WA
Posts: 1,467
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CBinDC
I have a 12 pin disconnect set up on the gauges for when/if I want to replace them. So how would this screw behind the gauges work?
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In your picture, you have two screws on your right side, you could connect it to one of them or any other screw that would be grounded to your body or dash if it's metal.
__________________
Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
'88 YJ, 33's, auto, 4.2L. Many pieces waiting to be put in!
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06-20-2012, 11:40 PM
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#10
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Web Wheeler
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Posts: 1,297
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A ground is a ground. You can tap your ground from ANY part of the exposed frame. Scrap the coating to get to the bare metal, and use a self tapping metal screw, a washer and a connector. You want your ground wire to be adequately sized, especially if you use the same ground for multiple devices. Use AWG wire that's low enough. Test your ground to make sure you have 12V between the (+) of the battery and your ground point.
To use the disconnect you'll have to connect each individual wire to a female connector (the same type as your male connector). Or simply cut off the disconnect and crimp wires to each other directly. Whatever you do, you'll need a crimp or soldering tool. Use a good quality crimp tool, I can't emphasize this enough.
Gauges are often calibrated to a particular sensor. I know for a fact temp sensors do. So it's possible they might be skewed one way or another if the sensor doesn't have the same resistance as what the gauge's supposed to run with.
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06-21-2012, 05:48 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Posts: 715
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The current crimping tool I'm using sucks. I got it in the NAPA bin and it is a piece of junk. It is not doing a very good job. In fact, I think I need to do the damn thing all over again. Could I get away with reinforcing the crappy crimp job with solder and electrical tape?
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06-21-2012, 08:22 AM
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 1,398
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Use solder and heat shrink wrap.
__________________
Horsepower is like a hot girl with STDs. You know you want to hit it but you're afraid of the consequences.
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06-21-2012, 09:30 AM
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#13
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Web Wheeler
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Posts: 1,297
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Solders are fine. If you go for crimping I have had excellent results with Klein (@ home depot). Keep in mind that crimp tools are specific for insulated vs non insulated conectors.
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06-21-2012, 09:41 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
Posts: 715
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Dumb question time: what is the difference between insulated vs. non?
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06-21-2012, 09:56 AM
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#15
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Web Wheeler
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Posts: 1,297
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CBinDC
Dumb question time: what is the difference between insulated vs. non?
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Insulated have a plastic insulation around them; most connectors are. Non insulated would be bare metal. They require electrical tape to be set around them. And don't be cheap on the tape. 3M tape is best. Also look at the temp rating.
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Auto Meter Wiring Questions
