KrayzieFox

Ok, I've finally gotten some free time to attempt installing these gauges again, so I have one final question. I got all the other information needed on a previously started thread which has been closed due to Mac and Phantom's heated dispute whether the needles come off or not, but that's besides the point.

My final question to anyone who has already installed these is just to simply find out what you do with the little sensors and wires on the side of the gauges? I can put the gauge faces on, but I have no clue what to do with the wires. Do I try to run it underneath the other gauge plates or what, but that doesn't seem to make sense because it lifts the gauge and makes it look "pregnant." Help would be greatly appreciated ...

I circled in red what I'm talking about ...

Roddimus Prime

wow, cant help ya there bud but I was told that removing the needles allows them to free-spin and could throw off the needle position and alignment.

KrayzieFox

Too late with the needles ... temp and fuel are already broken. I just wanna put these damn things on already!!! It should not be nearly this hard, but it's caused me so much grief. I just wanna ge it over with, but I have no freakin clue where to run the wires. Thanks for the warning though ...

centsless

run the wires through back of the clear plastic backing plate. thats how i did minde, it was perfect and didn't look like it was "pregnant".

then, you can wire the positive to the dimmer control wire (green/black) and you will have the gauges light up when the park lamps and headlights comeon.

macdaddyslomo

wow, what a poor design..in the kit I had the wires went straight up so they were never an issue

KrayzieFox

Agreed on the poor design ... I second that all the way.

BTW Mac, didn't you tell me that it's the green/WHITE wire that controls the headlights, instead of the green/BLACK listed above?

macdaddyslomo

Honestly I would need to take a second look at the wires, It's been like 2 years since I did the install...It may be green/black

centsless

the middle, blue/white wire will dim your gauges inversly.. i thought that was annoying, so i went to the green/black, no dimmer control, but at least you can control it with the guage control potentiometer.. besides, how much are you going to adjust your dimmer control for the guages anyway.

KrayzieFox

Thank buddy, I just followed your instructions and they look great!!!

Now my dilemma is that my fuel and temp gauges are broken. Would anyone happen to know someone with a spare cluster I can buy off of them or would I be best off to look around junkyards and car-parts.com.

KrayzieFox

So you're saying for sure that tapping into the green/black wire will make them light up every time I turn on my headlights right? The fogs should have nothin to do with this since they have a switch of their own right?

EDIT: Ok now I just feel straight up retarded, cuz this has got me stumped again. I ran all the wires through and connected them to the little black power unit that came with the gauges. Now the thing is, there's three more wires coming out of the power unit, and I need to know which one of these goes to the headlight wire. There's a red, black, and another black wire with two pins on the end. Which one do I use?

centsless

you should have three wise with black clips on the end, they go the the actual gueges itself.
then there are two, black and a red wire that comes out from the transformer. they, respectively go to the green/black wire in your dimmer control and the black is ground.
and NO, the fogs have nothing to do with it.

KrayzieFox

Alright .. thanks for the clarification. I figured the second black wire with the little pins on the end is meant to be used if you plan on utilizing the on/off switch that the gauges came with. But since we decided to go the headlight tapping route it doesn't get used right?

You explained everything I needed to know, and I wanna thank you greatly for all the tips you've given me. You've been able to help me on this topic more in this last hour and a half than this whole forum has in the last month! Yet again, thanks man!

P.S. No disrespect to Mac cuz you helped me a bunch too, it's just that centless was able to give me more precise answers since it appears he has the exact same gauges as mine.

P.P.S. To anyone who visits this thread looking for advice on how to install these, this link will prove very useful. http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48154 It shows a detailed step by step instruction on how to take the whole cluster out and appart, including how to get the WHOLE induvidual gauge plates out of the cluster itself. Knowing how to do this helps a grip when running the wires to the outside, cuz it enables you to actually take out the speed and tachometer components so then you can organize the wires underneath the plate however you wish to do it.

centsless

no problem.

I hope everything goes smoothly for you. i love the guages in my car, and i don't run it at max brightness, i keep it around maybe 70%.. i have a switch that changes the color between green and blue, i keep mine at blue. (personal preference).

i don't think anyone would take your comments as a disrespect, this is what a forum is all about. helping each other in a world where everyone has one specific interest. I can't begin to tell how much i appreciate everyone elses posts when i do have a problem.

let us know if you run into further problems.

one note:.. tapping into the plug wire, at the end, green/black wire is a bitch becuase of the tight space, so take your time.

Phantom Cruiser

Just for the record, it wasn't me.

macdaddyslomo

I dont think Phantom and myself have ever argued about ANYTHING. And just for the record, I did state the EASIEST way is just to cut slits in the new faces. I just hate it when people are all-inclusive and state something is impossible when I know for a fact otherwise.