[FormulaMatt]

Hello all! I am working on my twin turbo 1968 Chevy II Nova and wiring all my gauges up while the shop finishes my block. I definitely am going gauge overboard, but want as much info as I can get. My question is, I am using the Autometer 4 gauge holder for the console with all electric gauges, none mechanical (especially not the fuel pressure in the car!!). I am wiring all the grounds for the lights together, I am also wiring the white (positive) wires together. Can I wire the ground for the gauges with the grounds for the lights and run one large ground wire from all the connected to a good ground source?

Secondly, I always drive with either my lights or parking lights on. I always have...I dunno why, but it won't change. So can I, for simplicity of wiring sake, run the positive white wire from the lights to the individual switched "I" terminal? The terminal is a positive that will only be on when the car is on and not drain the battery, correct? I am not worried about running the lights all the time, again, I always have them on anyway and they are LED lights, so not worried about draw with the car on.

Thanks for your help!!

 

[bpb6602]

Yes, you can run all the grounds together and tie then into the dash or the tunnel with a good ground screw. The positive wire for the gauge lights, you should tie them into the dash lights. either at the dash on the heater control lamp or the terminal in the fuse box for the lights. This way they can also be dimmed with the rest of the dash.

 

[BLYOTH]

In Arkansas it is illegal to drive with your park lights on and the police here will use it as an excuse to pull you over.

 

[Redrider66SS]

my say would be to make sure all your wires are heavy enough to handle the power. my 3 set of auto meter gauges the light wires were all tied together with a wire # 18-20 wire running to the car lights wire. well i guess the guy that owned the car before me had never run the lights very long. so the first time i'm driving the car at night an after about 15 minutes i smell HOT wires. well i'm home an in the garage shortly after i smell the wiring. disconnect the battery, just in case. well the next day i find the problem, that thin wire had all the insulation melted. problem is fixed now.

i had to say that just so no one else has a possible fire.

 

[FormulaMatt]

No problem, appreciate the caution just in case. I am running all with 14g. The only one that will be smaller is the wire harness for the fuel pressure sender that is 18g; I am going to stick with the 18g just to replicate what autometer did from factory so it doesn't change anything about the sender. I am also running all to deutsch connectors so I can pull the console etc without cutting wires.

I am not worried about dimming them, I actually think the LED bulbs can't be dimmed anyway. I just want to make sure wiring the lights in with the gauge won't mess with the readings from the gauge at all. I would imagine not as it is only power and nothing to do with the sender...but just want to be sure. I also have a few gauges going on my left roll cage bar for trans temp, water temp, wideband, boost/boost controller so I will have to tie those in too. I may still tie into the dash lights though...can't decide. I already do have a light wire down there from old sunpro gauges that are tied into the car lights...so it wouldn't be hard, just not sure about the leds being on with the dimmer switch, think they will still work?

That is crazy about the law in Arkansas...makes no sense to me. Luckily I have never had a law like that in any of the states I have lived in including now North Carolina.

Here is a rough mock up from before the interior was tore out, not final location or placement. A pick of my 69 camaro console I am using too. Not complete, still have to trim my switch plate to fit and remove the old sunpro gauges. When done, the lid will close and hide all the controllers inside.

 

[FormulaMatt]

Here’s a couple updates. Still have to run the signal wire, but the rest are done. Working on it in bed lol.

 

[Custom Jim]

I am not worried about dimming them, I actually think the LED bulbs can't be dimmed anyway.

just not sure about the leds being on with the dimmer switch, think they will still work?

LED's can be dimmed but not in the normal fashion with reducing voltage to them. I have though toned down some blue LED's with a resistor or two but the brightness was not variable, only reduced.

Resources - Lighting Terms - Pulse Width Modulation

www.environmentallights.com

Chances are using the original dimmer switch which is nothing more than a variable resistor for use with filament type bulbs, you LED's may dim slightly but then go off. It's one of those things you can try and see how it works for you.

Jim