Water temp gauge question...

[RangerMan64]

Hello,

I just picked up a new water temp gauge today and installed it, man is it great! But, I want to know where to connect the leads for the back lighting. What do I connect the positive lead for the light to? What would a good ground be?

Thanks

 

[cocoasranger]

Saw a post recently with the same question. Seems the cigarette lighter light is a good place since it only has current when the instrument lights are lit.

 

[RangerMan64]

I already wired it. I used the illumination from the old radio harness. I really recommend this, as your light will dim with your other lights, and you don't even have to tap into another wire.

 

[shadetree]

Cigarette lighter port should be hot all the time. Don't use as a source for anything that needs to be switched. For future reference, connect the light to any wire in the dash lighting.shady

 

[cocoasranger]

The lighter illumination bulb wire, not the lighter itself, was what I was referring to. But the radio illumination wire seems like a better idea anyways.

 

[Dropt_98Rngr]

Hello,

I just picked up a new water temp gauge today and installed it, man is it great! But, I want to know where to connect the leads for the back lighting. What do I connect the positive lead for the light to? What would a good ground be?

Thanks

Which sensor / wire did you tap into for your temp gauge to work? I just got one, have the light wiring installed but have not figured out how to hook it into the system

 

[RangerMan64]

Since the factory gauge is unreliable, just get rid of the sender for the stock gauge and put your new sender where the old one is. Don't know which one it is on your 2.5L, so look online or your Haynes manual for the correct sender. Make sure you disconnect the gauge sender and not the computer sender.

 

[Dropt_98Rngr]

Can both the dash gauge & aftermarket gauge be run off of the same sensor? And if not any reason why? Not trying to be a jerk or anything, just trying to learn why things have to be more complicated than you would think

 

[RangerMan64]

No they can't. The stock gauge is pretty much just a dummy light. The only way you could run both is run a T adapter into the fitting. Not recommended, as the temperature will be off.

Hope this helps.