Hey guys, haven't been on here in a while been so busy. drove the stang for the first time in about a month this weekend and decided its finally time to get this temp gauge hooked up as the one in the stock cluster only works on occasion. I have all the necessary wires and the light is already hooked up to the interior light's power source. Where should i get power for the gauge from? I've heard the ignition, but where can i tap into it at? Also, i know the sending unit is on the manifold, but where exactly? pictures would be awesome if anyone else has done this. I also have an oil temp gauge but i'll save that for another time. Thanks for any advice.
Electric water temp gauge hookup
- Thread starter 95five-oh
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Hey man, for power I just ran mine to the fuse on the radio circuit under the dash. I haven't had any blown fuses are anything and that circuit would be protected. Then again, I have LED backlights which don't draw much energy at all as compared to your normal lamps. I suppose any power wires you find back there would work though...as long as it's only hot with key-on. You can get a test light and probe back there to see which wires are hot with key on.
The sending unit is on the left side of the engine (your right side if you're looking at it from the front). I don't have a pic but it's a little brass looking sensor that goes down in there. It's by the #5 cylinder and has one wire connected to it.
The sending unit is on the left side of the engine (your right side if you're looking at it from the front). I don't have a pic but it's a little brass looking sensor that goes down in there. It's by the #5 cylinder and has one wire connected to it.
Searching will dig up pics of this stuff (I dont say that to be a turd but because I dont have pics and no one might post any on this thread).
Where will the gauge be installed in the interior? You generally let that dictate where you source power from. The ignition switch itself (under the column) works, as does the interior fusebox (what I generally recommend), or the radio (if doing gauges down there).
On the driver's side front of the lower intake, there's a brass sender with one single wire attached to the top. That's your stock sender. Move it elsewhere and put your new gauge's sender in the stock intake location.
Dont forget to run your sender for the oil temp gauge at the same time (so you dont have to run a wire for it when you go to install it).
Good luck.
Where will the gauge be installed in the interior? You generally let that dictate where you source power from. The ignition switch itself (under the column) works, as does the interior fusebox (what I generally recommend), or the radio (if doing gauges down there).
On the driver's side front of the lower intake, there's a brass sender with one single wire attached to the top. That's your stock sender. Move it elsewhere and put your new gauge's sender in the stock intake location.
Dont forget to run your sender for the oil temp gauge at the same time (so you dont have to run a wire for it when you go to install it).
Good luck.
Thanks for the quick replies fellas.
The gauges are going in an A-pillar pod. Where is the sending unit for the oil temp? Or is there not one because oil temp isn't displayed on the stock cluster?
The gauges are going in an A-pillar pod. Where is the sending unit for the oil temp? Or is there not one because oil temp isn't displayed on the stock cluster?
no sending unit for oil temp.
I believe the easiest way to hook that up is to make a "T" coming out the boss for the oil pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is right behind the bracket for the powersteering and a/c. I believe it is about in the middle of the compressor and the pump. Go to your local hardward store and make that one hole into two. You can get fancy with it if you want and make a little distribution block. Get some braided line and go from the boss to a good mounting location and then "T" it off there.
I believe the easiest way to hook that up is to make a "T" coming out the boss for the oil pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is right behind the bracket for the powersteering and a/c. I believe it is about in the middle of the compressor and the pump. Go to your local hardward store and make that one hole into two. You can get fancy with it if you want and make a little distribution block. Get some braided line and go from the boss to a good mounting location and then "T" it off there.
Good stuff here.
The stock sender is 1/4" NPT. Most aftermarket senders are 1/8" NPT so you need to adapt. I recommend converting the 1/4" hole in the block to 1/8". Then connect to a 1/8" Tee. In one port, adapt back to 1/4 for the stock sender and in the other port, you can connect the AM sender. The 1/8" Tee is just physically smaller and space is really tight (I used a 1/4" Tee on my fox and a 1/8 on the 94 - the difference is notable).
Ernan (what's his username now? Slow5.0?) once started a thread (search threads he started) where we outlined every single fitting needed, with part numbers and order of connection. i'd check it out (searching for you with dial-up takes me forever).
For grabbing power, I'd just tap into the fusebox and run a wire up the kickpanel and A pillar area. If you have your cluster out (I grabbed dimmed power at the headlight switch, so I had the cluster out), it's easy to fish the wire either up or down. As noted, just pick a circuit that is hot with the key on. Here's a diagram of the interior fusebox.
Good luck.
Thanks again guys for all the help...great advice for the oil temp i'll hopefully be hooking that up soon. I've got the water temp gauge hooked up but i'm having trouble getting a reading out of it. I snapped a few pics so you guys can see if anything is incorrect.
sending unit
back of gauge...grey is signal, black is ground, red is power
fuse box...power is coming from the 15amp on the left, the other red wires are for the light
what the gauge looks like with ignition off
ignition on
EDIT: see last post.
sending unit
back of gauge...grey is signal, black is ground, red is power
fuse box...power is coming from the 15amp on the left, the other red wires are for the light
what the gauge looks like with ignition off
ignition on
EDIT: see last post.
I'd agree to double check the sender wire (I can't remember the orientation of which wire goes where on the back of the gauges. I seem to recall that it was kinda ambiguous however).
The sender provides continuity to ground with regard to increased temperature. So a grounded sender pegs the gauge hot.
The sender provides continuity to ground with regard to increased temperature. So a grounded sender pegs the gauge hot.
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