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  1. #1
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Connecting some gauges

    I'm about to connect my digital AFR, water temp and oil temp gauges... but what's the best location for the ground wires? I can get the 12V from just about anywhere under the dash, but where to connect the ground wires?

  2. #2
    Committee, South East Regional Rep James5's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    I earthed mine under the steering column matey when I used the DB gauge kit.

  3. #3
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    And how exactly do I do that?
    I'm sorry... I'm a big noob when it comes to wiring

  4. #4
    Committee, South East Regional Rep James5's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    Just a case of unscrewing 1 of the bolts and attaching the earth to it matey then screw it back in.

  5. #5
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    Gotcha
    Can I also attach the ground wires for the 2 other gauges to the same bolt/lug... as well as the ground wire for the LC1 controller?
    Last edited by jantheeven; 24-10-2008 at 16:55.

  6. #6
    Non-member scratcher's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    yeah, they can all ground together as long as the bolt is long enough

  7. #7
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    Good. But, of course, all of the wires for the 3 gauges are too short. Can I take the wires, solder all of them together and do a little something like this?

  8. #8
    Non-member scratcher's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    if you run it like that they might come up dimmer than they should. if you link each feed in the terminal and run it like that it should be fine.

  9. #9
    Non-member scratcher's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    not so artistic but you get the gist....

  10. #10
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    Oh I see... I thought you meant this:

  11. #11
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    So I need to run them in line instead of parallel...

  12. #12
    Non-member scratcher's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    yeah, the need to be in series really, otherwise the voltage will be eaten up a bit as it goes through each one. and you could use one ground wire that way too

  13. #13
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    I don't have access to the gauges right now... but what if I can't disconnect the wires in the gauge's terminal? Because if I understand correctly, for example, I have to attach the first gauge's wire into the second gauge's terminal, right?

  14. #14
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    either of the last 2 diagrams will work ok - I think there is some confusion over the words serial and parrallel, maybe I'm mis-reading, sorry.

    both the previous 2 diagrams are parrallel, since there is no break in either the +ve or -ve wire. either system works fine aslong as suitably thick wire is used to handle the sum total of current, which for gauges will be bugger all.

  15. #15
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    Hmmm... I was under the impression that scratcher's drawing was serial and mine were parallel
    And he said that they should be connected serial...

  16. #16
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    Quote Originally Posted by jantheeven View Post
    Hmmm... I was under the impression that scratcher's drawing was serial and mine were parallel
    And he said that they should be connected serial...
    both are parrallel.

    serial means inline and to an electronic engineer that thinks in terms of current flow it would mean something like this:

    +ve into the +ve input of the first gauge, out of the -ve into the +ve of the next, out of the -ve into the +ve of the final and finally out of the -ve back to supply -ve. ofcourse, that wouldn't work for you. If you had 3 x 4v bulbs that you wanted to run from a 12v supply then you'd wire them up like I describe. That would be serial. Since each of your gauges needs 12v then you must wire them in parrallel. As I say, both diagrams are correct since technically they are both parrallel wiring, they just look a bit different.

  17. #17
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    Thanks... it's clear now

  18. #18
    Non-member scratcher's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    shame, and i do 'lectrics for a living. better get back to school

  19. #19
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    yeah well you and me both mate... I'm gonna buy 'lectrics for dummies

  20. #20
    Non-member jantheeven's Avatar
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    Re: Connecting some gauges

    Alrighty then... got all of the gauges working! Nasty job, connecting 200 wires , but I managed to do it. Just have to figure out now how to set up my mixture and carb properly, as AFR is now around 8-9 when idling and it doens't go higher than 10.5, even @ WOT

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