I need light to my tach and gauges. Where do I need to hook these up to get power for the lights. I wanted to splice it into my headlight switch but that thing looks like a nightmare to get to. Is there an easy place to wire them? Thanks...
I believe I wired mine to the wire going to the ash tray light (NOT THE LIGHTER). Im not sure. I'd have to check it tommorrow. I have 4 gauges hooked up and have not had a fuse blowing problem. You can also do a search of the wiring diagram supplied by rthomas 441 and see what wire you can use.
I dont have an ashtray light. I was gonna try to wire it to the fuse box somehow. I have some fuse jumps and was gonna try to use those but dont know what fuse to use.
there should be a wire in the stock stereo connector that is for lighting. it will be a two wire plug. the wire should be blue with a red stripe on it. any wire that is blue with a red stripe should be accessory lighting. i would sugest using a test light to verify.
Connecting to a fuse wud not give u controllable lighting, only on and off connected to a switched side. I believe the light switch is a resistor that varies voltage thus controlling brilliance. Bryant's recommendation is probably the way to go.
I wud not go to the fuse box. If u go to the ign side of the fuse the lights wud be on any time the key is in the run position. If u go to the input side of the fuse they wud be on all the time and u wud be bypassing the fuse - negating why u have a fuse in the first place "PROTECTION". They wud be on full bright all the time - maybe to bright at night. Like Bryant say's - the radio circuit lighting will give u what u want. Going there will put u in a controlled lighting enviorment. I wud think u wud be happier w/ that setup. I personally don't believe in hooking things to the 40 yr old fuse box; at this point plastic is pretty brittle and the brass contacts maybe corroded and at the verge of breakin. What do u do if u break something?
I also have a gauge pod and I used the radio lighting circuit as well. I have 4 gauges on that circuit without any problems and they haven't been touched for 10 years and I drive it everyday. And it's fused from the fuse box already.
I just did a quick wiring diagram check for my 73 and it shows light blue/red or light blue as likely "dimmable" leads. LTBlue/R was for ashtray and/or clock light and LTblue for clock. Even if you didn't have those accessories on your car you should still have the wire leads under there. You'll definitely have one of them coming off the headlight switch with dimmer. You can always get an owners manual to identify if the fuse is in place that feeds the switches.
I spliced into the power for the dimmer switch so my gauge lights come on with my headlights. Easy to access too.
