Dimmer to aftermarket guages

[allpau2thou]

Anybody have experience hooking up after market gauges through the dimmer switch on a 91' Ranger?

 

[adsm08]

Yeah. I tapped power for the gauge lights off the blue and red wire under the dash.

 

[shane96ranger]

My Explorer had a wire in the stereo harness I tapped in to. Should be a light blue wire with a red stripe, IIRC. But it's been a while... may be a different color.


EDIT: Adsm beat me to it. If he says that's the color, it for sure is.

 

[adsm08]

My Explorer had a wire in the stereo harness I tapped in to. Should be a light blue wire with a red stripe, IIRC. But it's been a while... may be a different color.


EDIT: Adsm beat me to it. If he says that's the color, it for sure is.

Normally I wouldn't know that, but I just had my whole dash apart and that wire still has the scotch-lock on it. I didn't even remember why I had but it in there until I read this question.

 

[allpau2thou]

10-4! Does the b/r wire come off the dimmer? And I have 3 or 4 guages, (tach, oil, water, wideband, ???) Should I use a distribution block?

 

[shane96ranger]

It isn't necessary. Just make a good connection and protect it well, and you'll be fine.

Sent from the can

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

I had mine and all my gauges wired into the back of the headlight switch. Reverse-glow dash and HVAC panel, and 3 Autometer gauges.

Dunno the wire color, I just used an incandescent test light and found the wire that dims. 3M Scotchlock worked perfectly.

 

[allpau2thou]

Awesome. Thanks guys.