Why Can't I find 12v?

[stepson]

Ok, so a few weeks ago, I installed two autometer gauges, boost and A/F. They work just fine. However, they remain powered even while the vehicle is off ... the only 12V source I could find was a blue wire in the ignition harness. None of the other wires would power the gauges, i have no idea why. Am I an idiot or something? Shouldn't just about anything in that harness be 12V when the car is on and not when the car is off? And why is this blue wire powered even when the car is off? Irritating!

Also ... I wired the illumination wire into the wire on the fog light switch that varied on voltage when I hooked my voltmeter up to it. I figured this would allow me to dim the stock gauges along with the autometers. It works! Kinda. When I dim the stock gauges, the autometers get brighter, and vice versa ... i have found a happy medium, but would anyone have any idea as to why (and a fix)?.

 

[PaulMP3]

I grabed mine from my igniton wire. Also i put a switch in next to the dimmer for my gauges. I was gonna try and tie into the stock dimmer, but instead i have an on/off switch for the lights. I just cut it into the blank location. It look real clean.

Do you have a voltage testor? Those little light bulb style ones work fine.

Im assuming where i tied it in is all good. I also used an inline fuse. Someone with a little more car electronics might want to chime in. I got to switch my one wire around. I tied into the headlight instead of the parking lights, so now when i put my high beams on, my gauges go off. oops.

 

[ELEmental59437]

Ok, so a few weeks ago, I installed two autometer gauges, boost and A/F. They work just fine. However, they remain powered even while the vehicle is off ... the only 12V source I could find was a blue wire in the ignition harness. None of the other wires would power the gauges, i have no idea why. Am I an idiot or something? Shouldn't just about anything in that harness be 12V when the car is on and not when the car is off? And why is this blue wire powered even when the car is off? Irritating!

Also ... I wired the illumination wire into the wire on the fog light switch that varied on voltage when I hooked my voltmeter up to it. I figured this would allow me to dim the stock gauges along with the autometers. It works! Kinda. When I dim the stock gauges, the autometers get brighter, and vice versa ... i have found a happy medium, but would anyone have any idea as to why (and a fix)?.

Are you positive its the blue wire that you used? Sounds like the black wire to me. The blue one should be fine aswell as the black/white wire. Did you test the wires with the key in IGN?

The illumination +12 volts may be the problem with it staying on. If you think about it, the dash lights can be turned on without the key being in the ignition so theres +12 running through there all the time somewhere. Use a volt meter to see which wires are only powered on when the car is on, and grab both positive and negative from the switch to power it if possible, it may be using the negative wire to cut if off instead of +12. Its best to use a relay when doing something like this, but with the dimming circuit it wont function properly with a relay.

Just some suggestions, hope you get it worked out.


EDIT: Also, if you have an aftermarket radio, and you have the scooche harness, you should be able to grab an illumination and negative wire from there instead of splicing to the back of the fog light switch.

 

[goonsquad]

Use the light green / black wire going into the harness on the left side of the kick panel. It's the +12V for the parking lights so it goes on with the rest of your gauges. Use a multimeter to test the voltage with the parking lights on and off.

 

[stepson]

The first problem isn't really an illunation problem, its just the regular 12V to power the gauges at all (the boost guage is electric). But I will take a look ... I'm pretty sure the key was in acc, but hey, i'm insane, maybe i missed it .

 

[goonsquad]

The first problem isn't really an illunation problem, its just the regular 12V to power the gauges at all (the boost guage is electric). But I will take a look ... I'm pretty sure the key was in acc, but hey, i'm insane, maybe i missed it .

My bad. I do one thing right and I think I know everything. Next time I'll read the post before responding.

 

[CivicEater]

wire a relay to power on from the cigarette lighter circuit.

you're not gonna be pulling much for the relay, and you can use that relay to power more than just your guages..

a thought..

(run a constant battery signal for the contacts on the relay.. this way there's no chance of drawing too much amperage from a circuit in your car)

 

[goonsquad]

The first problem isn't really an illunation problem, its just the regular 12V to power the gauges at all (the boost guage is electric). But I will take a look ... I'm pretty sure the key was in acc, but hey, i'm insane, maybe i missed it .

My bad. I do one thing right and I think I know everything. Next time I'll read the post before responding.