vetterdstr,
Just an aside. What gauges are you using? I am installing the new Autometer Cobalt gauges that are lighted by an LED bulb. Yours may be a standard bulb (as you mentioned a color sock) that draws more power than an LED does. I could be wrong but I believe LEDs use very little juice. So, running them from the AC light wire will allow it to operate without incident.
:cheers:

 

Mine are regular bulbs... thats prob why it does not work with the AH wires like you say. :nonod:

VR :cheers:

 

Hi drcoffee,

I realize you don't have Defi gauges, but the following discussion might still help you determine where you'll want to tap into for illumination:
http://www.tigersharkcorvette.com/fo...topic.php?t=41

:cheers:

 

Thanks. That confirms what I found.

"To do this the easiest way, you'll need
to remove the center console, the radio surround, and the panel just
underneath the steering wheel (closest to your knees when driving). Each of
those panels has about 4-8 screws (I think they are all secured with 10MM
nuts and Torx 15 size screws).

A few notes:

The gauges draw very little current for lighting, so I found it easiest to
use a barrel connector to join together the ground and illumination wires
for both gauges (so two wires go into the same end of the barrel connector).
They'll never reach the ground point and illumination point behind the AC
controls as detailed in this post unless you splice the wiring together with
a barrel connecter and cut new pieces of wire to length and put them in the
other end of the barrel connector (you can get this from your auto parts
store).

I used an inline splicer which makes connecting the wiring for illumination to existing wiring easy and simple. I also used a ring connecter at the end of the ground so that the screws that hold the AC controls in place can hold the ring connector against the metal frame.
If you've never done electrical wiring work before, most auto parts stores
have a kit that comes with the crimper, the barrel connectors, and ring
connectors you'll need for around $15 - $20.

Also, I ran the wires from the driver side through the metal loops
underneath the steering wheel to get them over to the AC controls.

So a summary of things you'll need:
Wire crimper
Wire cutter (sometimes the crimper has a good built in cutter)
Crimp-on rings
Crimp-on barrel connectors
12V wires (you can use the same color but I bought black for ground and red
for +12V)

The yellow wire that's on the AC controls supposedly controls dimming for the AC controls, and should control dimming for the gauges.

Took the Vette for a spin last night to see how these gauges hold up in the
dark.... all I have to say is WOW! The illumination is consistent and very
cool looking, and it complements my dash cluster very well.

The gauges do dim with the rest of the dash controls, but it's not 100%
linear. When the dash controls are all the way on, so are the gauges, and
when they're all the way off, so are the gauges, but in between it doesn't
progress smoothly from on to off. The best way I can describe it is that my
dash cluster dims linearly, but it seems the gauges dim exponentially."

 

Just an FYI, Thunderbolt motor sports sells the Autometer Cobalt Boost gauge for $172 w/ free shipping on EBAY. Just do a search and you'll find it. they are great looking Blue LED lighted gauges. Sweet! :cool:




[Modified by drcoffee, 5:45 PM 2/10/2004]

 

Fella's,one answer,the one I used,is to splice into that yellow wire at the top
of the connector for the a/c control unit and switch the incandescent bulbs in the guages over to LED's. The incandescent bulbs that come with the guages
draw too much current and do like Vetterdstr said. It just won't work. I bought
"near UV" LED's from somewhere on the net and they look real good,very
close to the factory dash. The white markings and the red pointer "glow" and
are dimmable with the dash dimmer switch. To each his own. :seeya


[Modified by av8or3, 1:12 PM 2/12/2004]


[Modified by av8or3, 1:12 PM 2/12/2004]

 

SWEET!!!

I just found both boost and fuel pressure Cobalt gauges from same vendor on EBAY!!!

Thanks,


:cheers:

 

I think I talked with you about this awhile back. I can't seem to find the place I was going to order these from. Do you have a web page by chance? thanks

 

www.thunderbolt-motorsports.com
ebay listing
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2459683507

 

No,but I've got some at home that I didn't use (purple),I'll get the company name and report back. :reddevil

 

Awesome, thanks

 

I need them too. PLEASE post a link of the mfg info for the LED's. Or are you willing to sell the purple ones? I'm game.

Thanks

 

:lurk: Hey av8tor3.... Do you have a link to your supplier of the LED's? Can you recall the part number(s)?? :lurk:

 

Up till now I've been unable to find the info,but I'll keep looking.

 

O.K. Guys,these are not the same as I used but they look very simular and I'm sure they'll work. Look for the one made for the Autometer guages. http://www.irled.com

 

:cool: Thanks for hunting this down for us! :cheers:

 

:iagree: :iagree: