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IDIOT needs help on first autometer gauge install, hurry or i will blow an eye out

2K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  pray9123 
#1 ·
ok, these autometer instructions that came with my gauges are all the same, and they SUCK...MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: Install 2-5/8" Electrical Water temperature gauge into a 1990 mustang. I've looked thru all these instructions and it seems i need some 18gauge twin conductor wiring? my other confusion involves how i'm instructed to wire the wire from the GND (ground) terminal on back of gauge to a good engine ground near sender...okay...where's the engine ground and where does the sender go in the first place? THEN there's the wire from the back of the gauge thats supposed to go to the ignition switch, WHERE IS THAT? AAAAND I have to take one wire from the light (pos or neg?) to either the dash lighting or other 12V source (like what, and what dash lighting, i hear i cant stick it in the ciggy lighter cuase it'll always be on) I'm so lost its funny( not to me, sad rather) any help would..well, help.
 
#2 ·
YIKES!!!!

Hold on there Daddyo, from your post it seems like you might be headed into serious trouble. Wiring up your gauge is not that difficult but your post seems to indicate a basic lack of electrical knowledge. I would seriously look for some help from someone in your area with some experience in electrical installations.

You might want to consider just fabricating a mounting location (solid!) and leave the installation to a professional, if your like me you'll want to do it yourself anyway. If so give us some more info to go on and don't connect anything electrical without a fuse inline first! Disconnect the battery before beginning anything electrical...please?!

Without knowing what kind/year of car or type of gauge no one will be able to help you. Can you provide more info?
 
#4 ·
Your starting to scare me Nuttin! :D

Find the water temp sender on the engine block and put your new sender in it's place, use the adapter if you need to.
 
#5 ·
Man just pay someone to do the job for you. I've been installing Auto-meter gauges for years and their directions are fine. Either you're just jerking us around with a bullsh-t post seeing who'll reply or you really don't have a clue and should not be working on a car. <img src="graemlins/nono.gif" border="0" alt="[nono]" /> If that's the case have someone else do it for you and when you have some free time take a basic automotive course at your local college.
 
#9 ·
Nuttin', if you really want to try to install this gauge yourself, first thing you need is a Chilton repair manual for your exact model. The Haynes manual doesn't give you as good of wiring diagram as Chilton. You can one at your local discount auto parts store. While you are there, you can get the guy behind the counter to show you how to read the diagrams. Once you understand how to locate and trace the wires on the paper, you can move to locating and tracing the wires on your car. Once you have to wires identified that Autometer recommends you use, you are ready to follow their installation instructions. The instructions shouldn't seem so foreign to you at this point.

Any more questions?

Phillip :)
 
#11 ·
HI! Listen I was setting here reading all the post about your tenp.gage problem. I was wondering why you were change the gage! Maybe it's because you have only a red light gage (red light only comes on when you first turn the key over to the start position and then goo's off when the engine starts. It will also come on with the key in the accessory position) and want to have a gage that you can tell what the temperature is at any time. This would be an Analog gage (one with a pointer like a watch hand. Any way, If a readable, old fashion type gage is what you want it isn't as hard to install as it may seam. And from what I can gather from your post, you know very little about electrical or the mechanical parts. What I'm trying to say is that a person like you (and their are a lot more like you then you would think, no disrespect intended) will be money a head if they just take it to the repair shop to have things done. We can't all be Mechanics! This is not a BIG job, but could end up being a tragedy and costing a lot of money to fix!------Gene Neal
 
#12 ·
thanks for replies, i just mite take it to a mechanic, im understanding things better, and i do need that manual. other gauges include oil and tranny temp. the reason for the water and oil temp is because my stock ones are inaccurate, ford actually put something in the stock gauges that make the oil and water temp stop at halfway and never rise any higher( i guess to give the owner a peace of mind) i dont know, but it is inaccurate.
 
#13 ·
Your Ford's oil gauge is not actually a "guage" at all. It does not give you a reading of your current oil pressure, it only indicates that oil pressure is present. If your oil pressure falls below a predetermined amount, then the gauge will drop to nothing, indicating to you that there is a problem. It functions the same as an "idiot" light does. Only this one looks like an actual, functional gauge. It is not.

Phillip :eek:
 
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