Aftermarket gauges
#1
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Aftermarket gauges
Hello,
In my rx7, which I bought used, there are four aftermarket gauges installed. I believe they are boost, oil pressure, water temp, and I can't remember the fourth. Well, about four months ago, they suddenly died. The control box is on the left kick panel in the drivers seat. Mine is an RHD by the way.
The box has no power and neither do the gauges. About a month ago, I was washing my windshield on the inside and I barely, and I mean barely, like if you were fiatbumping with a baby bird, bumped the dash above the clock with my fist and they clicked back on.
I turned the car off, let it sit, turned back on, they're still working. I'm thinking, "great, they work again...but weird how they stopped in the first place". Well about five minutes into the drive, I look over and they're off again. I've since pushed lightly and hardly on the dash all over the place as well as lightly moved the cables above the pedals around and they've never turned on again.
Any clues what I should be looking for? A loose connection? An exposed wire shorting it out? It's own fuse somewhere?
Thanks
In my rx7, which I bought used, there are four aftermarket gauges installed. I believe they are boost, oil pressure, water temp, and I can't remember the fourth. Well, about four months ago, they suddenly died. The control box is on the left kick panel in the drivers seat. Mine is an RHD by the way.
The box has no power and neither do the gauges. About a month ago, I was washing my windshield on the inside and I barely, and I mean barely, like if you were fiatbumping with a baby bird, bumped the dash above the clock with my fist and they clicked back on.
I turned the car off, let it sit, turned back on, they're still working. I'm thinking, "great, they work again...but weird how they stopped in the first place". Well about five minutes into the drive, I look over and they're off again. I've since pushed lightly and hardly on the dash all over the place as well as lightly moved the cables above the pedals around and they've never turned on again.
Any clues what I should be looking for? A loose connection? An exposed wire shorting it out? It's own fuse somewhere?
Thanks
#3
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Thanks for the reply.
I followed wires and such for like two hours. Eventually something about the cig lighter was bothering me and I pulled it out to fix it, when I put it back in, the gauges clicked on and off. I started twisting the lighter port and it would flicker on and off. I found a spot where it stays on. That's the latest update.
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Thanks for the reply.
I followed wires and such for like two hours. Eventually something about the cig lighter was bothering me and I pulled it out to fix it, when I put it back in, the gauges clicked on and off. I started twisting the lighter port and it would flicker on and off. I found a spot where it stays on. That's the latest update.
I followed wires and such for like two hours. Eventually something about the cig lighter was bothering me and I pulled it out to fix it, when I put it back in, the gauges clicked on and off. I started twisting the lighter port and it would flicker on and off. I found a spot where it stays on. That's the latest update.
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#6
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Yah, I know. Just saying that the room fuse is the only fuse that is higher or lower than the recommended
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There is no way in the great fluffy hell that the gauge panel draws more than about 1A. That's with full backlighting.
Looks like what you are dealing with is a crappy wiring job. How were the gauge wires tied into the existing cigar lighter wires? Vampire clips are garbage and will become intermittent after installation in about 12 seconds. While I don't like scabbing off the almost already overloaded ROOM circuit, gauges don't draw much so it shouldn't be a big deal.
Don't scab off of the cigar lighter light bulb...it gets dimmed by the interior dimmer.
At the least I'd suggest re-doing the connection to the cigar lighter. Strip a small amount of insulation off of the wire, about 1/8", then twist your new wires onto it. Solder. Clean off the flux then insulate with a quality tape (ie. 3M Super 88). Install a new connector onto your wires (the auto parts store will have 2 wire connectors) with the matching end on your gauge harness.
Looks like what you are dealing with is a crappy wiring job. How were the gauge wires tied into the existing cigar lighter wires? Vampire clips are garbage and will become intermittent after installation in about 12 seconds. While I don't like scabbing off the almost already overloaded ROOM circuit, gauges don't draw much so it shouldn't be a big deal.
Don't scab off of the cigar lighter light bulb...it gets dimmed by the interior dimmer.
At the least I'd suggest re-doing the connection to the cigar lighter. Strip a small amount of insulation off of the wire, about 1/8", then twist your new wires onto it. Solder. Clean off the flux then insulate with a quality tape (ie. 3M Super 88). Install a new connector onto your wires (the auto parts store will have 2 wire connectors) with the matching end on your gauge harness.
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