Hooray for Ebay reverse glow gauges!
I just got done installing installing a set of reverse glow gauges that I got on good ol' trusty Ebay for $20. The kit came with no instructions so I had to base it off a few random threads and a short video of some one installing them in a Honda Civic.
Since I couldn't find a full and thorough tutorial on how to install these, once I get more time, I will try and make one, as well as update the work I just did to make it better and more efficient.
Currently, I have them hot-wired conveniently to the cigarette fuse in the panel just to the left of the gauges. Next time around, I plan on wiring these to the back of the back-lights from the pre-existing gauge lights. I identified what pins are the positive and negative on the two main plugs that go into the back of the gauge cluster. On the right main plug, looking directly at it with the clip facing upwards, the positive and negative leads are the ones directly below and to the right of the clip, negative being the first, positive being the second. I double checked with my multimeter and it read a solid 12 volts. Next time around, I plan on wiring the gauges to these wires. This way, the dash dimmer with work with the gauges as well instead of having a separate switch and potentiometer connected to the gauges inverter. Currently, I just stuffed the little pot switch and on/off switch on the inside of the fuse box to deal with later.
Next time I get the time and/or I am not too lazy to take photos and update this post, I will be able to show exactly what I did and if my idea to wire them to the pre-existing gauge lights would work.
Now, this whole project wasn't a TOTAL success at first. When I powered everything up, my dash lights, backlights, etc did not work! I panicked a little bit and spent TWO HOURS trying to figure out what went wrong. As I was going for a test drive, I noticed my right-rear tail light was out. I thought that was strange and spontaneous to go out like that. After a quick Google search, I learned that apparently, your dash lights and your right-rear tail light share the same fuse. I quickly popped open my fuse box to find, sure as shit, that fuse had blown out. I replaced that sucker and BAM! Everything works flawlessly!
Here are a few pictures from the project. Sorry for potato-quality photos!
http://i.imgur.com/0eaJNByl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SOYCctHl.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/e85ImkYl.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/E9x6TT6l.jpg
Thanks for checking out this thread!
-Special K
Hooray for Ebay reverse glow gauges!
I had some like that too. They didnt come with instructions either and took me a while to figure it out on my own. I hated how i couldnt see the needles since i took out the bulbs because the light would peak thru the gauges and didnt look good. I bought them for around $60 on CarID.com a few years ago and they ended up shorting out and i went back to the stock ones.
