V.NaK

I just got my indiglo gauges recently and from reading all the posts in this forum, I think I have an idea on how to take apart the cluster and install the gauges. The only part I don't really understand is the electrical part of this.

The gauges comes with a positive and a ground. I was wondering where this should be hooked up at? I was thinking of hooking it up to the parking light, but not quite sure what the parking light wires looks like.

Is there any specific ways of connecting these wires that I should follow? I don't want to accidently do something wrong and make the airbags go off. Also, how do you connect the wires? Did you solder it? or just stripped the insulation off and wrapped it together?

I also wanted to hook up the dimmer that came with the gauges to my stock dimmer. Could someone post some instructions on this too?

TIA

oulaw29

I am having the same problem. Also I got the gauges on and the Speedomoter needle was catching around 120 mph (no big deal) and tach was catching around 4500 RPM (problem). The needles were catching because when I put the gauges over the needles, it left a little indention on the edge of the circle of the new gauges (around the needle). I took them off because I havnt found out anything about the wiring anfd just dont have the time to take all day to work on it.

(1) Does any one have a list of steps for the wiring install and

(2) has anyone had the problem with the needle sticking, what did you do to fix it, and can you see the indentions on the gauges when the cluster is put back in place and the gauges are lit?

96_2.5TL

Mine are in the mail so we will have to see

V.NaK

Well got my indiglo gauges installed. Sorta works and sorta doesn't.

Since my friend took off the needles for the speedo, temp, and fuel. It hasnt been working properly. I managed to able to fix the speedo so that'll read almost correctly, but still wasn't accurate. It would have a delay when I'm accelerating and braking.

The temperature gauge barely works, but I have an idea on how to fix that.

The fuel gauge doesn't even work at all. Does anyone know how to fix this?

Outlaw 29: If your needle is sticking, you might have pressed it on too firmly. If you press it too firmly, it'll stick. And I don't see any indentations on my gauges when it's lit, but then again, I didn't slide the gauges over the needles. Which I SHOULD have done, but my friend didn't listen to me and so he took the needles off.

I'm going to ask my automotive teacher this week and see if theres a way to fix the needles...hopefully there is a way...

As for installing the wires, I've heard you can either hook it up to the clock or the parking light. I hooked it up to one of the lightbulb holder on the cluster, which I don't recommend doing. Right now, whenever I use my stock dimmer to dim anything, my indiglow gauges don't dim at all, but gets brighter. So it's having a reverse effect. Gonna take if off again and try to wire it up to the parking light.

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

OKAY GUYS CRASH COURSE IN INDIGLO GUAGE INSTALLATION... when putting these things inb... DON't REMOVE THE NEEDLES... just slide the new guage through the needle and secure with the two screws.. u can use a litlle glue to hold them in place... im sorry to say that if u remove the needles or break one of the springs.. i got an estimate of 400$ for a stupis little spring on a tach... as for wiring... its simple.. u can tap into ur fuse box for the feed.. they sell these things called add a line or add a fuse.. and what u do is find your parking lights fuse... yank that line out... and run the postivie lead from the indiglo to the add a line/fuse... and then plug that fuse into the parking lights slot... i really wish i saw this thread earlier to help u... i installed many opther indiglos and the hardest is when u have two needles on one cluster... i.e. a civic... cause u gotta manuever with two needles and it is tight... good luck with that... and nak... if u need help wiring let me know.. ill take pics for u...

oulaw29

Thanks, good explanation. Could you explain for electrical idiots like myself. Is the wire with the circle a ground, and where did you ground?

Also did you run into an problem like I had with getting the gauges over the needles and having the tach stop (but will go back down) at 4500 rpms (in my case) or stick at all because of the back of the needle leaving a mark (an indention actually) on the inside of the circle? I am thinking of using my wifes very fine grain finger nail file to file the indention a little so it wont stick.

96TL

This isn't the perfect way but this is what I did when I messed with Accord indiglos in my cluster 2 years ago.

Do all of this with the cluster installed without the clear window
so you can access the needles.

Temp gauge - Let the car run for a while until you KNOW the engine is warm. Then put the needle on a little below halfway.

Fuel gauge - 2 ways. Either wait until the gas light comes on and put the needle on empty or fill it up and ut the needle on full. Simple.

RPM - Easy. With the car running put the needle onto about 600 RPMS.

Speedo - The needle moves when you turn the key on. Make sure the car is on and put the needle on 0. It might not stay on 0 and shoot up to 20 or 40 mph. Keep doing it and get to to stay as close to 0 as possible. I could swear the speedo read too fast ever since then.

You know what, I have a regular cluster now and I could still swear the speedo reads too fast. I give a little gas and I'm doing 20 already. I guess maybe our speedos are just like that. Anyone else notice that?

V.NaK

Are you sure our needles are spring loaded? I hope it's not cuz I turned the needles counter-clockwise when I was trying to fix my temp, speedo, and fuel needles SEVERAL times...

Just called the dealer today, they said that it would cost about $130 to take a look at the temp/fuel gauge and fix it...then I'd have to go to another place to calibrate my speedometer...

So what's this "add a line" "add a fuse" thing? Is it really called that or does it have a more specific name? I'd like to get some of this as it looks a lot easier to install.

96TL

:wow: :wow: :wow:

If thats what you did I think your cluster is now dead.

V.NaK

Crud.......

Also, I mean to say I turned it clockwise, not counter-clockwise...dunno if that makes it still broken or not...

Can it be fixed? If not...how much does it run for a new cluster? Any idea where I can buy and also where can I go to adjust the odometer to the mileage I have now? Even though I know that it is illegal to do that, but isn't there a way where someone can do it legally?

And for the speedo, when i took off the gauges, it looks like it just winds up in circles until it tightens up. I dont think that it is broken...

For the fuel gauge, when you turn on to ignition II, is it suppose to go to the where the gas tank level is at? or stay in around empty?

Sigh...time to take it apart and leave the plastic cover off so i can adjust this until it fixes.../me hopes

AC_DADDY

you definately just f-ed yourself outta like $400.

oulaw29

Bloody hell, how did you f$CK up your needles, dont the gauges just go over on yours as well???

V.NaK

Well...thing is...my friend did it for me and even though I SPECIFICALLY told him not to take it off the needles, he took it off anyways. Some people are just so stubborn. Next time I'm going to do it myself, but there probably wont be a next time...He also screwed the shi*t offa one of the wires for my lightbulbs. he cut it so short that i almost could barely solder the old wire back on, so the lightbulbs on top will have power.

Oh wells, I guess this is part of modding and whenever you mod, there is always a risk...

I've also called a shop that calibrates speedometers, it'll cost about $65 minimum and maybe a bit more to test it on the dyno to make sure it's accurate...The speedometer for my car is only 7 miles off, which isn't too bad. At least I wont be going over the speed limit LOL. But it does get kinda annoying. I just hope the fuel and temp guage works once i fiddle around with it.

Also, is the fuel gauge suppose to be able to move freely and easily like the speedo and tach? Cuz it'll just stay at one spot, but if I set it right, the needle will move up.

I'll keep you all up-to-date.

96TL

I think a new cluster is about $600. You can get a used one for about $200 from www.car-part.com but make sure its the right one. The 2.5 and 3.2 clusters are different. I would make your friend pay 1/2 since it sounds like he decided he's a professional installer.

V.NaK

Yea I'm going to ask him tomorrow and see if he'll chip some money in. I highly doubt he would, but as long as he chips in like $50, i'm happy. BTW would it be best to get a new cluster or get this cluster fixed? Also, where can I go to get the odometer set to the mileage I have now on my car?

One more thing, is it ok if i replace it with a '97 or '98 3.2TL cluster? Or are the clusters for these years different from mine?

96TL

Before you purchase anything I would call your local dealer and explain the situation to them. Tell them a new one is too expensive and you can get one from a junkyard and how much would it cost to set the mileage.

96TL

Oh, didn't notice your last queston. Thats another thing you might want to ask your dealer. I'm not sure if they made any minor changes through the years but you might want to double check.

Also, I would definitely rather have a used cluster that wasn't tampered with than the one that your friend turned the needles round and round. LoL. BTW, the fuel and gas needles don't move like the RPM & speedo. They adjust themselves when the car is running.

V.NaK

OK, thanks for the advice, I'll call them today and see what they say.

96TL

Sure. Let me know what happens.

96_2.5TL

THANK YOU GOD MY INDIGLO GAUGES CAME LATE SO I COULD READ ALL THIS AND NOT **** IT UP!!! In fact as we speak im waiting for that damn brown truck to get here

96_2.5TL

Anyone know where to run the positive wire to i ran it to the clock and got no response

V.NaK

WOOHOOO!! Just filled my gas up today and the fuel gauge moved!! Which means there is still some hope to the fuel and temp gauge! w00t w00t!

Forgot to call the dealer today, beh...mebbe I'll try tomorrow.

BTW, I hooked the postive wire to one of the wires on my cluster for the lightbulbs on top. Would the power consumption of the indiglo gauges effect the Fuel/temp gauge not working properly? I've read/heard that there is a voltage regulator that is used for the temp and fuel gauge, thus is what makes it moves.

Since I'm going to be busy this week, I won't be able to take apart the dash until this weekend. I also got prom, so I'll be busy this weekend. But once I do take apart the dash, I'm going to take the clear plastic window off; so I can adjust the speedo, fuel, and temp gauge anytime. Hopefully I can get it fixed and not pay a big amount of cash for a new cluster...

**UPDATE**

My friend (the one who helped me) called an auto technician and asked him how would you fix the needles. Well he said to disconnect the battery and let the car sit for awhile so it can reset. Once that is set, I put the needles at zero and it should work...hopefully. It probably won't be as perfect as before, but as long as it's closely accurate, I'm happy. Going to take it apart tomorrow and hopefully it'll be successful.

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

well u want them to turn on when u turn on your lights right??? so u would want to install them with your parking lights or headlights... i would look for the parking fuse in the fuse box and tap into there... i explained this earlier in the thread page 1....

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

good luck with that bro.. i would look on ebay cause i saw a few clusters for cheap on there.. dunno if that is still an option for you now or u want to try and fix ur original one... let me know how it goes...

V.NaK

Yea, I actually found a junkyard that is selling a cluster for $125 locally! So I'm gonna see how that goes.

My friend said that he has hookups and can get discounts on parts like that, so hopefully that will work out. Maybe I can get it for even cheaper.

Btw Kamlung, what is that "add a line fuse" thing you are talking about? Like what is it really called? I might want to try this out.

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

it is called add a line... go to the electrical center of ur autozone.. and u should find it there... its pretty much self explanatory.. u can tap a fuse so the line u use is safe in case it shorts out...

V.NaK

**UPDATE**

Finally decided to take my gauges out again this friday. So far, the temp and fuel gauge is still screwed and so is the speedometer. Disconnecting the battery didn't work, which I thought it wouldn't.

Didn't call my dealership, but from what I'm hearing, if I buy a used cluster, instead of changing the odometer mileage (since this is illegal) to my old cluster's mileage, they'll write it on a piece of paper and slap it onto the driver's door stating what my mileage was at with my old cluster. Didn't want to do this since it'll probably lower the value of my car...

Also, I think that the fuel gauge is messed up and probably needs to be replaced. I was reading something about fuel gauges and that if you fill the tank up to full and it only moves up to 1/4 of your gauge, then you'd need to replace the whole fuel gauge. So I'm thinking of buying the fuel and temp gauge and let a shop do it. Also I'm going to go to get a shop to calibrate my speedometer too. Doing it this way, I think it'll be the cheapest way to go.

Oh and I took the indiglow gauges off for now. I am going to be fixing those screw-ups my friend did (GRRRR). Today, I just soldered back the wires that connects to one of the light bulb holders. Man that was a pain because of how short my friend cut the wires.

Then I'm going to be soldering the dimmer/switch back to the indiglow gauges since (again) my friend cut it. He was so stupid...he told me that the blue/green switch was the on/off switch...and I fell for it, thus letting him cut it. When I saw my friend's civic with the same dimmmer/switch, I was so PISSED at him because he told me the wrong thing. And after I yelled at him, he said that there was only ONE wire going to the so called "on/off" switch, thus it can't be a switched from blue to green. But when I checked it today, I found out that there is TWO wires meaning that it IS the BLUE/GREEEN SWITCH! After I finish soldering, I'm gonna test it, and if that switch is what it is suppose to be, I'm gonna shove that in his face and tell him how idiotic he is...grrr...

Besides all this, I'm gaining lots of knowledge. :P I guess the only way to learn is to do it yourself.

V.NaK

Yay, think I fixed the speedometer and temp gauge myself! w00t! The fuel gauge's needle sorta works, but it doesn't go down to zero when i shut off the car. I think i need to replace the WHOLE fuel gauge. Anyone have any idea where I can buy this?

96TL

I don’t think its supposed to go down to zero when you shut off the car.

V.NaK

Are you sure? I've always thought that my fuel gauge needle went down after you shut the car off. Suppose to go down like everyting else isn't it? Can anyone else confirm this too?

Anyways, besides that I think everything is functioning normally now. I rewired all the wires and hooked the indiglow gauges to my dimmer. So now it works properly. Before when I dimmed (using stock dimmer) the lights in my car would dim, but the indiglo gauges would brighten.

Also, does anyone know how to splice the indiglo gauges dimmer to the stock dimmer? I broke the potentiometer when I was fooling around with it. There is two wires that comes from the potentiometer and the stock dimmer has three wires. A ground, red, and red/black wire. The positive wire of the indiglo gauge is connected to the red/black wire of the stock dimmer.

96TL

Damn dude. You need to be more careful.

V.NaK

LOL yea...but I knew it was gonna break sooner or later. The way they soldered the wires to the potentiometer was not too good. It was hanging on a strand of solder or something. I mean I can always solder back the wires to the potentiometer, but I don't think I'll ever dim it. Don't really see any point, but it's just something nice to have if for some reason I want to dim my indiglos. Luckily...I set the indiglows to glow at the brightest it can be before it broke or else I would really have to solder it back LOL... ^^;;