Oil pressure/temp gauge install

Hey I bought glowshift oil pressure and temp gauges and im going to install them soon. they will be mounted in a cravenspeed flexpod which @DaveB.inVa so kindly gave to me.

I am wondering if I should install with 4amp or 5amp expandable circuits, and if it matters which ones i tap out of in the fuse box. I know ill need to find ones that have constant power, only power with ignition, and power with headlights, but just not sure if it matters otherwise.

New to this stuff so any tips are greatly appreciated. Even the best route for the wires up the steering column for the mount location...


thanks!

 

Your gauges do not draw much power - I run mine on 2 amp fuses, since that is the lowest I can find.

Add-a-circuits will work fine for you - switched power and lights.

Where are you going to tap oil pressure? I am using a GlowShift sandwich plate under the filter.

Generally speaking, transmission temperature is more important to monitor than engine oil temp. Your specific case may be different, but for those others reading this.

 

Im also gonna be using a glowshift oil filter sandwich plate. That reminds me of another question:
can i pull my oil filter without draining the oil (and without making a huge mess)? Just did an oil change so itd be nice if i could just pull the filter without losing it all.

got oil temp because it was easier to add on to the sandwich plate. And just didnt even think of trans temp. I do tow big load occasionally, but its a manual trans so not sure if that makes a big difference without the tq converter.

thanks for the help!

 

A scan gauge or ultra gauge will give you trans temps, coolant temps, and other selectable parameters.
Scott B. is right, I run my VDO gauges with 5 amp fuse.

 

Manual trans doesn't need temp monitoring - I was referring to auto transmissions.

Yes, you can pull your filter. It will be full of oil, so it will drain just like when you change the oil.

 

awesome, thank you!

 

Looks awesome! Sorry I'm late, I've been working and typically only get online Friday nights.

Here's what I used for mine. https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NW_...wciuSPf6OfseY-kOvhhGzLQFBr4LfoKxoCZF0QAvD_BwE

You can find what you need in the fuse box under the dash. It really won't matter which you use, but I like to pick circuits that aren't going to leave me stranded if something happens. So for instance I'd use a 12V power port (cigarette lighter) circuit for switched power instead of something like wipers. Just playing extra safe. I realize the circuits are different and everything but why not.

For power for headlights, pick the park lights because they'll be on no matter if you're on bright, dim or park.

I'd have to dig a bit to find where a circuit for this is under the dash but it has to be there due to the headlight switch being there too. It likely is somewhere around the kick panel on the side next to the clutch on yours. I do know it's also at the front of the truck. I'd recommend here a fuse just after you tap it and fuse it very low like 1 or 2 amps. That way if there's a fault on your wiring or the gauge ever fails, the small fuse will clear the fault before the larger fuse on the headlights blows. Put the fuse as close to your tap as possible.

For the route up the back of the steering column, I used 1/4" braided expandable sleeve (chinese finger trap stuff) and brought it right up over the column. You can put them together or separate (2 sleeves). I think I've got 1 to a point then split from there. Just take your time and it'll look neat.

I wish I'd thought about this. I have a 100' spool of it and you don't need much. It works really well for under dash wiring as protective sleeve for your wiring and is decently good looking where you'll bring it up behind the steering column.

Keco 100ft – 1/4 inch Flexo PET...

$14 Keco 100ft – 1/4" PET Braided Expandable Cable Sleeve – Wire Sleeving for Audio Video and Other Home Device Cable Automotive Wire - Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K1WP871?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

If you can find the flexible plastic spiral wire loom or just plastic loom, it will work also.

 

Emmett, another thought about your need for a source for the gauge dimmer. I'm not sure how the 06's dash light operate, but do the gauge lights stay on no matter what and then when you turn the park lights on do the other dash lights turn on as well? The dimmer on at least the 2015's is operated by a pulse width modulated circuit and the positive stays a +12V and negative varies between 0 and 12V if you measure it with a meter. If yours operates the same you could use that circuit as the +12V for the remainder of the dash lights is turned on when you turn into park or headlights on.

I thought the 06's were different though and use an actual rheostat for a dimmer. I'll have to look around for some diagrams of the older models dimmer circuits but someone else may be able to jump in and let us know.

Either way you should be able to get a +12V input for the gauge dimming function under the dash. Another thought is you might be able to use a circuit associated with the radio that provides a dimmer function to it if when you turn the park or headlights on it dims to a certain level that doesn't change when you turn the dimmer wheel on the dash.

Hope this helps, sorry for any confusion.

 

Very helpful, and very appreciated!! Going to dig into this more today and probably reread that a few more times. I appreciate it a lot!

And IIRC, the gauges and dash lights all come on together with the headlights, but there is the rheostat to the left of the wheel. Its possible the gauges and dash are separate so ill have to check but i dont think they are...

 

Ok, I wasn't sure how the 06's operated. With mine the dash (speedometer etc) is backlit all the time but when you turn on the park or headlights the rest of the dash comes on.

If your gauges and other dash lights all come on with the headlights then you may be able to get what you need at the rheostat. You may find though that the +12V is on at the rheostat all the time and the ground is switched to turn the lights on. You can use a meter to help you find what you need. On the 2015 dash lights are green and green with white stripe. Yours may be different.

 

FWIW, Gauge lighting........I installed LED's in my VDO gauges and put red colored bulb sleeves over the LED's. They are on whenever the truck is on (the LED's should last 50K hrs). During the day the light is hardly visible, at night the red light is just enough illumination to see the gauge well and not distracting. The sleeves come in various colors if you need more light.

 

Im still pretty new to this. It sounds like i need to splice in places other than the fuse box? or am i just running power straight out of the fuse box?

thanks again!

 

I havent looked to see if i can get to the lights in my gauges yet. Ill probably leave them until i see what they look like!

 

I did the almost exact thing. I did volts and temp , AEM gauges. I did easy fuse taps. I tapped into the power windows.

 

Also, I believe they were the macro mini fuses

 

thanks for the input. looks great!!

im excited to get started.

 

They way I did it was very easy. Also, I’m not the guy to go to for electrical. So the fact I did this on my own tells ya something. I did a write up some time back on how i did my pillar setup. It can help you to show you where I tapped into and how I ran my wires. If you need it let me know.

 

thanks! Im good with house wiring and line voltage, but the low voltage stuff is still very new to me...

 

Using the fuse taps for me was easiest, because I’m not an electrical guy either. The gauge itself uses very little power so the taps were perfect

 

You'll need a splice to a circuit that goes to 12V when the park lights come on if you want your gauges to dim. Looking at the instructions it should be the orange wire from your gauges.

Otherwise I did just like JuanitoBunito with the fuse taps for main power. They're trick for something like this. It really doesn't matter too much but when tapping I like to pick a circuit that won't strand me like the cigarette lighter or radio.