Boost Gauge Lighting - Where/How to connect?

[A4 Effort]

Could someone lend some assistance on where/how to connect the wiring for my boost gauge light? Tried going to the fuse panel, but i can't get the back of it off TIA

[Kyle H]

75x terminal.



take off the drivers side lower-dash and hook it up to that... it'll turn the light on with your ignition.

[A4 Effort]

^ bless you my son! I thought about that too, but wasn't 100% sure

[Kyle H]

I help where I can.

[lowandslow4now]

I wired it to the fuse for the license plate lights so that way when I turn on the lights it comes on

[Seerlah]

I cut my vent using this procedure. Bought a VDO gauge, red LED from here (bought Red Leds for my dome/map lights at same time. just need to do the footwell lights now to complete and replace vanity light with white LED), ran power for the light to the headlight fuse, and grounded it at a bolt by the fuse panel. Ran the vacuum line to the front vacuum line of the intake manifold. I have one pic of where I wired it, and can place more upon request (of lines). But it is on the DIY in the link.

Note: If you place the power line to the 75x terminal, the light for the gauge will stay on constantly as soon as you turn the ignition. If you wire it to a fuse that has a circuit attached to the headlight switch, it will only turn on when headlights are on. You can place it into the fuse for the parking lights if you want it to come on in that position, or the headlights (as I did) to come on only when my headlights are on. Or as another posted, he attached it to the license bulb fuse.

The white wires

[Spykce]

I tapped into the wires for the light on the "adjuster" for the vents, however I think this is only on facelift cars.

[Seerlah]

^ Warning: You have a big possability of shorting out those vent lights in the near future. That circuit is not rated for the amount of volt amperage that the boost gauge light draws. Funny thing is the bulb for the gauge is only like 5 watts. To try and remove the possibility of such an occurance, I would maybe up the amperage on the fuse for the vent lights. But if it is the wires itself that is not rated for the extra wattage (which seems to be the case), I would get power for the light from elsewhere. Such as I did. I have an 01, and the reason I did not tap into the vent light wire is I came across many threads of people having thier vent lights shorting out due to tapping into it.

[gmx]

^ Warning: You have a big possability of shorting out those vent lights in the near future. That circuit is not rated for the amount of volt amperage that the boost gauge light draws. Funny thing is the bulb for the gauge is only like 5 watts. To try and remove the possibility of such an occurance, I would maybe up the amperage on the fuse for the vent lights. But if it is the wires itself that is not rated for the extra wattage (which seems to be the case), I would get power for the light from elsewhere. Such as I did. I have an 01, and the reason I did not tap into the vent light wire is I came across many threads of people having thier vent lights shorting out due to tapping into it.

got any links?
Cant find anything with a quick search.

[A4 Effort]

Thanks guys - i'm going to try the 75x first and see how it works out. Having the gauge light on all the time probably won't bother me, but if it does, i can re-route using the above suggestions. (minus vent lighting as mine does not have it)

Again, appreciate the input

[Seerlah]

got any links?
Cant find anything with a quick search.

No links. But I have been on this site for maybe a year (I know, not a long time) and believe me when I tell you I saw the threads. It is the only reason I did not use it, even though the link in the DIY I earlier posted says that if you have lighted vents you can tap into there.

Edit:Clicky Click. Just one example.

[djwimbo]

got any links?
Cant find anything with a quick search.

New South Performance TriLED's don't pull "anything" for amperage. That's another option.

IIRC I went of one of the terminals by "75x" but I'm not sure. I wanted mine lit up all the time, so I'm pretty sure I tapped into a "key on, engine off" power source.

[SykoraA4]

seerlah is right about the shorting business. I have a 2000 and i taped into the wires for the vent and shorted them all out. i still havent wired it up proper yet since then

[McGovs2.7TB5]

i have mine hooked to the 75x terminal and during the day you can barely tell its lit up

[D's Avant]

i have mine hooked to the 75x terminal and during the day you can barely tell its lit up

Same here and my dash lights come on night or day in my pre-face lift '99. I did use an inline fuse too.

[jtufts]

The white wires

How are you hooking these wires in? Do you just wrap some wire around the fuse and just stick it in or what? I am way new to anything electrical as far as non audio goes...

I just installed an auto meter boost gauge and it didn't come with any of the wires, what exactly do I need to buy to get this lit up, the connectors and what gauge wire?

[Seerlah]

Yes, I simply wrapped the exposed wire to the fuse (wrap it so that the fuse still has contact with the holder in the fuse box). As for your Autometer gauge, does it even come with a backlighting? Not all gauges have backlighting, and it would be rather strange for the guage not to come with a kit. On the back of the gauge, there will be a threaded bung for the vacuum line fitting to be screwed onto. If you have backlighting, there should also then be a socket that holds the bulb.

[jankaroni]

i wired mine to the vent lighting and had no problem i've had it that way for near a year now

[jtufts]

Yes, I simply wrapped the exposed wire to the fuse (wrap it so that the fuse still has contact with the holder in the fuse box). As for your Autometer gauge, does it even come with a backlighting? Not all gauges have backlighting, and it would be rather strange for the guage not to come with a kit. On the back of the gauge, there will be a threaded bung for the vacuum line fitting to be screwed onto. If you have backlighting, there should also then be a socket that holds the bulb.

Yes it does, it is the ES boost/vac gauge and has a red led backlight so it will all match and look clean when in the vent. It has two male connectors on the back, one is labeled ground and the other is +12V. It says it came with the installation kit and what not, but it was just the connectors and some cheap tubing. No wires, so weird...

[McGovs2.7TB5]

My APR/VDO kit didnt come with any wires for the light either. I just picked up some from Ace, got a couple feet for like $2.

[black99.5a4]

I will be running mine to 75x because on my 99.5 the cluster lights are on all the time, it will add to the stock appearsce of it

[drp1489]

i wired mine to the vent lighting and had no problem i've had it that way for near a year now

did the same thing and love it. then it comes on when you switch the lights on, not sure about the other connections.

[VMRSport]

I usually tap it into the switch or dimmer switch as well.

-Don