I GOT THEM!!!!!!


I have a Autometer Water Temp and an Autometer Oil PSI. I want the backround lighting of the gauges to come on only when the headlight switch is turned.

I also need to find a tap off the ignition to power them, I dont know where that wire is, any diagrams???

Also, I forgot who it was, but I need an idea for a T-fitting off the stock oil cooler housing to keep my stock gauge working along with the new one. This kit came with a huge sending unit, no idea where I am going to fit it. . .

 

What are the dimensions of the new sending unit.
Is your stock oil cooler hard-lined entirely on the exit side of the cooler,
or is it hard-lined and then run into hydrolic type hose.

 

Hey cool, I just checked your info, we own similar vehicles. I dont know how different the Expy is from the F150 but hopefully I can match something up. I will look at my wiring diagrams and see if I can find an accessory wire that runs from key on/forward. Or I will look under the hood and see if I can Take a dig-pic of a wire I find. I know I have come across one under there somewhere.

 

i tapped the wire for the lights to come from the AC contol panel. i think it is a brown wire with a pink line.

as for the power, tapped the radio power wire.

as for the oil pressure sending unit. i went to the hardware store and got a brass T-fitting and a double threaded end. i screwed the double end into the T-fitting then into the block. i put the sending unit on the end and the stock unit in the middle.

MAKE SURE YOU USE TEFLON TAPE ON ALL THE THREADED ENDS!!!!

 

i got the water temp from the drain plug on the drivers side of the block.

 

For oil pressure hookup, you need 1/8" nipple, a tee and some 1/8" copper oil line tubing with the copper to pipe adapters.
Mount the electric sender unit alog side the pan and run the line to it.
Replace the stock sender into the Tee and you have both.
The electrical taps come out of the fuse panel in the dash.
Use an 'adda-tap" of the correct size to fit the fuse holder and fuses.
You need to tap for the electric operation of the gauges from a circuit that power the PCM when the key is on.
Select your dash lights fuse for the gauge lighting.
The owners manuel has all the fuse IDs so you can select.
No need for wiring diagrams.
Main thing is to do a quality job or it will let you set sometime.
Mine has been in operation for 4 years. Oil pressure and transmission temperature. Don't need cooling system gauge. It will let me know well in advance with the Edge monitor also running full time on the dash..
Good luck.

 

Pull out the light switch and use your multimeter to tap into one of the wires that control the dimmer switch. Mine turn on with the lights are on and can dim along with the rest of my instrument panel. Might want to upgrade to a LED bulb if that is what is illuminating them.....I put them in my Autometer Ultra-lites and they really look good.

As mentioned before, look into your fuse panel and splice into a fuse.....or look behind the fuse panel and locate an unused plug harness, test with a multimeter for power.

 

I only have electric gauges (water and trans), so I can't help on the oil pressure gauge....

I tapped into the light switch for the gauge lights.. The dimmer feature is a cool idea, but I found the on/off first and just tapped into it..

On my fuse panel, there was a 5amp 'tab' on one of the fuses and it was a fuse that only was 'hot' when the ignition was on, so I used a simple 'blade' connector for the wire, slipped it on the 'tab' and that's what runs the 12v to my gauges.

For my water temp, I tapped into the heater hose with a brass T fitting as that's the first place your coolant will flow that has gone past all 8 cylinders and is before the T'stat.. I don't quite understand the block plug placement on the drivers side, as that location is going to be the 'coldest' the water is, right? I mean, it's where the water hasn't even gone past the first bank of cylinders and is coming right out of the rad after the coolant has been cooled, right??

Anyway, my water temp on the heater hose will tell me in an instant when the engine is working hard... ie: that water temp is what all 8 cylinders have produced and when I'm working the engine hard, the highest temp I've seen is around 210*... Normally driving around town and hwy cruising is around the 180* mark...

I also put little 3amp in line fuses in all my 12v wires and to date have never popped one... My gauges have been in since around 2003 and never an issue... They even still have the original bulbs in them!

Oh, I used a simple test light for finding my 'hot' wires.. It looks like an ice pick with a bulb in the handle and a ground wire... Simply attach the ground and then touch the point to your 'hot' side and if it lights up, then there you go.... It'll even blink for you if you are trouble shooting trailer lights and such...

Mitch

 

 

Taxi's and boat anchors huh!

i'd say mine runs pretty good maybe not 5.4 good,but use's no-oil or maybe 1/2 qt at 5000 mi, that at 206000 mi...

I believe that's pretty good for a boat anchor....

 

thanks guys!!!