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Ok, I've been re-wiring all my gauges and stuff. My question is, where is the best place to tap in for power when you turn the car on? Maybe in the one of the fuse boxs? My plan is to run a 10 gauge wire from that to a junction box and have everything wired to that. I just need power. I dont want to run from the ignition, but if thats my only choice........I guess I'll have to. Some help please!

Are you talking just for the backlights or just to make the gauge fuction?

to just have guages on i ran mine to my cdplayer/cig lighter

I'm running most of my stuff off the radio wiring. Not sure where the best spot would be for you though. Never really messed with the fuse box

Diablo0 wrote:Are you talking just for the backlights or just to make the gauge fuction?

both?

before, i had everything wired to a switch and that was a hot lead off the battery. so everytime i got in the car and start it i had to turn on this switch so all the gauges would work. i dont want to do that this time.

If you want the backlights of the gauges to come on with the headlight switch and be dimable like the rest of the stock gauges, the best place to tap in is the dimmer signal wire at the main instrument cluster plug. It is an 18 gauge orange wire on pin 13 of the plug. (I think it's pin 13, don't remember for sure. Its the only orange 18 gauge wire on the plug though, so it's easy to find.) To get at that plug to tap into it, you'll have to remove the dashpad and the instrument cluster.

As far as 12V to power the gauges, any switched accessory will work, such as the radio or cigarette lighter.

I have all my tv's guages and other items running off my cig lighter as i added more items i upgraded the fuse. that wire is fairly thick and capable of taking the load.

This page should point you in the right direction for wiring... If that doesnt help, sorry... Best I could do.

http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/for ... ?TID=53315

Stock for stock the boost gauge in the SRT is taped into an orange wire running through the dash harness under the dash pad. You sorta have to dig for it but it's in there and it's a solid orange wire and solid black wire which have fun finding . When I did my swap and went to solder in the wiring for the boost gauge thats where I tapped into and it works just like the rest of the dash lighting on how it dims and turns on. I'd suggest for the backlight hooking into that. For the 12v switched you could either tap into the fuse box or like some have said on here the cig lighter.

I run the power for the lights to my headlights switch in the fuse panel. On my actual power I run to an ignition switched/on+ source (cant recall which one or number now) I ran grounds all together and tapped into a screw next to the fuse panel. I like having the lights come on with the headlights because of two things:
1) I can not see the lights in the daytime and no reason to run all the extra juice (even though minimal) or risk burning out the bulbs (I have colored ones!)
2) when I need brights on, the light fromt he guages in my face is blinding, and they turn off when I turn on the brights!! Bonus, for me. And if I ever need to change it, I can switch it to a source that turns on the parklamps instead.

Anyway, I ran a 20A inline fuse for all the lights and power for the guages. It makes me feel safe.

thanks everyone! i guess i'll be hooking everything to the cig lighter! thanks again!

I ran the backlight for my oil pressure gauge right off of the illumination leads on the HVAC control harness. It's really easy to get to. Use the outer 2 wires on the harness.