[Duk41]

Fitting up some dual analouge/digital gauges temp,pressure boost egt etc.
My electrical knowledge is basic.

There are 4 wires to each gauge, earth, lights, ignition, battery - fairly straight forward.

My question is:

Can the ignition and battery wires just be spliced together to run off the ignition sourced wire. If not I presume the battery wire need to be a "live" source.

I guess the battery wire is to keep alarms set, which I dont plan on using anyway.

Cheers

 

[Trollbasher]

Depends on your gauges. A lot of stuff you have to set up first time you activate it before it will work, otherwise it just displays the start screen.
Try running the batt and ign wires twisted together before you solder the joints and see how it goes.
If there is a start screen that shows up each time you turn on the ignition, then the batt wire is the better option.

 

[ReefMagnet]

I've got SAAS guages and they need the battery connection to remember the backlighting colour. If this is the case hooking to ignition just limits the lighting colour to the default unless you change it manually each time.

 

[Duk41]

Thanks guys for the comments - ended up doing it as per msnufactuers instructions and run a live fused feed
Cheers

 

[kruzen84]

Just wondering where you connected each wire? Installing a dual gauge myself and not sure where to connect each wire.

 

[Duk41]

Just wondering where you connected each wire? Installing a dual gauge myself and not sure where to connect each wire.

Just wondering where you connected each wire? Installing a dual gauge myself and not sure where to connect each wire.

The ignition wire I hooked into the radio power source - works only with key on.
Earth wire just went to an existing earth wire point under the dash
12V feed I ran a wire off the battery with a fuse - this will also power the 2 way so its on all the time. This is a temp fix until I get 2nd battery and distribution board fitted.
The illumination wire hooked into instrument lights.

 

[ReefMagnet]

These things are brilliant. No need to splice into wiring looms...
Double Mini Blade Fuse Socket Wire Tap | Jaycar Electronics

 

[Bovril]

Is the fuse built in, so if it blows you have to replace the whole thing?

 

[ReefMagnet]

No, it inserts in place of the vehicles fuse and has two fuses. One for the original circuit and another for the add in circuit. I thought at first that this was a dodgy solution to a problem, but after having used them I think they're actually better than trying to bust into the wiring loom at some random location for most purposes.

 

[Bovril]

I like that, shall have to see if they are available in blighty.