Boost gauge help.

[S4CO]

SO I know this is been discussed quite a few times and most people get pointed towards the AWE tuning guide; however, the boost gauge I installed isn't a VDO or the AWE tuning one, it's a prostreet gauge. The AWE guide wasn't that useful at all, and I just went in blind and managed to connect the gauge just fine. I cut out my own center vent, and TAPPED IN to the red and black wires that run behind that center vent. For the wiring, I used a more simplistic version of the AWE guide and that guide only shows him splicing into the red and black wires behind the center vents. (For reference: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2365126 )Now, this boost gauge came with a red,black,white,and an orange wire, so only the red and black are connected, the other two I just taped off. When the lights come on in the car, the boost gauge lights up red(faintly) and at night it's not a problem it looks great. However, during the day you can't see it at all(the glass of the boost gauge is dark and its obvious it needs to be iilluminated all the time for it to be visible). I'm pretty sure the boost gauge should be glowing amber as that is the name of the specific gauge I ordered. Question is, do the orange and white wires need to be connected somewhere? If so, where is a good spot in a b5?

[JDM EJ1 95]

usually those type gauges have a Dim setting for night time and a BRIGHT setting for daytime.

im assuming those orange and white wires are for the daytime setting.. but they need to be connected to a source that switches on with the key.

(DISCLAIMER: ive never used this type gauge. or have the wiring diagram for it.. so i am speaking off an assumption.)

what i beleive happens is now that you run the red wire to the normal light switch.. once you switch the lights on(if you have the orange and white connected) the gauge will switch from bright to dim.


make sense?

[S4CO]

Kind of. So my red is connected to source that only turns on when I turn on my lights(for night time I assume), but I just taped off the white and orange. Question is, where would these two go? Would I just splice the orange one into the same spot I put the red in is what you're saying?

[JDM EJ1 95]

actually
i just lookedu p the gauge... disreguard my last post


there are 3 diff lighting colors you can get out of that guage with a switching option

the amber/white wires are corresponding to those colors..

i think... if you hook those to 12v sorces as well you should be able to switch from amber and to white

[JDM EJ1 95]

shown here

it doesnt say where to wire the AMB and white wires into..

but it would seem you would need to get power to them? but then why wouldnt they just include those wires in the power wire?


did the gague come with a diagram?

[S4CO]

yea it says several things:

Orange--Connect to 12v lighting(not sure where this is)

Black--Connect to good ground

Red--12v Ignition switch.

So, I just tapped the red and black wires in the center vent for red and black . Orange and white are taped off for now.

Also, there is a diagram in the corner, titled gauge Require Function

Day Time--White Scale Night Time---White Scale: WHITE WIRE-connect to ACC Amber wire-NO connect.

Day Time--Amber Scale Night Time--AMber Scale: White WIRE-NO CONNECT Amber Wire Connect to ACC

So what I get out of that is if I want amber, I connect the orange to ACC if I want white I connect white to ACC...which I don't know where it is.

[JDM EJ1 95]

acc is anything that gets power once you turn the key on..

so connect the orange wire to a 12v accessory power ( cigarette lighter/radio power/etc)

connect the red 12v to the factory headlight power switch..


and youre done.

[S4CO]

Ah okay. Sounds good. Shouldn't be too tough then. Thanks for the help.

[JD797]

LMK how this goes. I just bought a prostreet boost gauge as well and am installing in soon. Did the vwvortex guide work fine? and just connect the red and white/orange wires to their correct respective locations i guess?

[S4CO]

LMK how this goes. I just bought a prostreet boost gauge as well and am installing in soon. Did the vwvortex guide work fine? and just connect the red and white/orange wires to their correct respective locations i guess?

Here's what I ended up doing. Yes, I followed the red to red, black to black splicer arrangement in the guide. I cut in half the wires that light up the center vents, and then spliced in the boost gauge so both the boost gauge AND the center vent still lit up red. Then, I just spliced in the orange on into the red splice. It was that easy. I just took the orange wire, and spliced it into the existing red/red clip, and now the boost gauge is a nice and bright amber. Took about 1 minute more work.

[JD797]

by amber do you mean that red that matches our dash lights?