Reverse Glow gauges

3000gt · **Joined:** Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:17 pm **Posts:** 40

The previous owner of my car installed reverse glow gauges. They have been working on and off for months, and now they don't light up at all. Any ideas?? or Help??

thanks

Five9Dak · **Joined:** Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:51 am **Posts:** 1719

A lot of "glow" gauges need their own ground added. I would check that first.

bboarder711 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:15 pm

there also might be a seperate switch for it check that as well

Lysander · **Posted:** Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:55 pm

So the previous owner twisted some wires together and wrapped them with scotch tape? I would pull the dash apart and make sure the splicing is solid.

knochgoon24 · **Joined:** Thu Aug 27, 2009 8:16 pm **Posts:** 722

Yeah. Make sure the wiring doesn't look like some of my first electrical jobs; before I learned what flux was for soldering. :shock:

Let me just say, it wasn't pretty.

3000gt · **Joined:** Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:17 pm **Posts:** 40

Ok I looked at the wiring. They were all just twisted together and then have electrical tape around them. All the wires were still tightly twisted, so should they still at least work?? And they are wired to a dimmer switch.

bboarder711 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:37 pm

OEM dimmer or some after market thing? I suggest ripping them out. there is no point in not seeing your dash... Rice Fail. kinda like how my Red LED bulbs have all crapped out in my cluster

Lysander · **Posted:** Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:49 pm

Twisted wires are for home residential wiring. In your car, solder that shit together and use heat shrink, or at the very lease utilize some high quality crimp butt-splice connectors.

knochgoon24 · **Joined:** Thu Aug 27, 2009 8:16 pm **Posts:** 722

The twisted wire will eventually work themselves loose. I've used the crimp style butt connectors, things callled Posi-taps, and my favorite...solder.

My choice of connector depends on how permanent the install is or what kind of current the wire is carrying.

http://www.posi-lock.com/posiplug.html

3000gt · **Joined:** Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:17 pm **Posts:** 40

Ok so I didn't even do anything to it yet and yesterday and today the dash lit up fine for the first time in like two months. So soldering them should solve the problem?

Lysander · **Posted:** Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:06 pm

Odds are a loose ground or twisted wire connection is causing the problem. Don't forget to cut and strip the wire before soldering, getting solder to flow through electrical tape residue is not so fun.

knochgoon24 · **Joined:** Thu Aug 27, 2009 8:16 pm **Posts:** 722

Flux also helps. And not the flux core stuff, but actual flux before you start soldering.

3000gt · **Joined:** Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:17 pm **Posts:** 40

Thanks for all the help guys I really appreciate it.

Adam

SLegacy99 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:54 pm

Mine crapped out and I had to replace the switch with a new one. Work fine now.

www.psulpac.org

Reverse Glow gauges

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