help me to install gauges (where are water temp sensor and oil presser senders?)

[bobafett]

ok i have all my gauges now, but i think i will need some help installing them all...


mechanical analog oil pressure gauge:
i know im supposed to utilize the stock spot for the oil pressure sender... and hook up the autometer fitting and the nylon hose they provide... but can i just unscrew the stock one and plug in the autometer?

eletronic water temperature gauge:
i know i am supposed to install the new sensor into the spot where the old sensor WAS, but my book doesnt show where on fuel injected 3gs.. it starts with 4gs or carbed 3geez...

electronic voltage guage:
this im pretty sure can connect to my accessory +12V line, and ground to the chassis... is that all there is to it?

the lights:
i know i can hook them up to accesory +12V, but i would like them on the dimmer, which wire is going to be easiest to tap into?

any tips or pointers?

[k-roy]

You got it right with the Volt meter and the oil pressure sender. Thats how I did it on a old Ford.

Not sure about the lights or the water temp, I have a carb.

[Cyric_accord]

For the Water Temp sensor, if you're refering to the thermostat, it should be in about the same place on either Carbed or EFI engines... atleast according to my Haynes manual, and that's the only temp sensor it lists.

In my manual, the thermostat should be on the distributor side on the Valve cover, underneath the Thermostat Housing Cover, behind the distributor holder... I hope this helps, maybe not.

[NXRacer]

i know exactly where to plug in the water temp sending wire.
http://www.savepic.com/freepicturehosting/usr/2538/temp.jpg
why are you installing ANOTHER temp gauge though???

[BITESIZE]

why are you installing ANOTHER temp gauge though???

:werd: ACTUALLY.....


You'd be surprised how much hotter your engine gets, and how your stock dial doesn't ever move. Your engine actually gets hotter than you think sometimes....especially in the summer (110 degrees) and your engine gets to 210 degrees, yet your stock dial stays in the middle. You know when to take her easy on certain hotter than fuck days.


Also you will love your new gauges, i don't know how i lived without mine. The oil pressure gauge is my favorite. You'll never have to worry about, i wonder if I'm low on oil.....or I wonder if my car is fully warmed up yet....the gauge never lies.


I would recommend getting an AFR gauge, those gauges are awesome at night, always moving and lighting up....people think your car is fast when they see that one. This gauge will also let you know when your car is fully warmed up and doing it's potential.

Voltage gauge is another favorite, especially if you have a big stereo or lots of accessory shiz......like me. You'll never have to worry about a dead battery sneaking up on you anymore.


Enjoy your gauges.

[soljaboy2000]

Hey bitesize can you post a detailed describtion of how you hook up oil pressure guage, water temp guage and volt meter since you have the best setup i've seen so far:D

[nswst8]

You answered nothing share the wealth of knowledge on the gauge wiring set up. We would all like to know. And where did you get the gauges at.
Thanks,
NSWST8 :cheers:

[Sabz5150]

I would recommend getting an AFR gauge, those gauges are awesome at night, always moving and lighting up....people think your car is fast when they see that one. This gauge will also let you know when your car is fully warmed up and doing it's potential.

Also has this knack of letting you know if you're leaning out. :)

[BITESIZE]

Maybe i'll write up a how to soon...

[bobafett]

hahaah bitesize i knew i shoulda asked u about this shit! ;)

thx for the replies guys...

[BITESIZE]

Hey, i'm going to get all autometer gauges too in the next month i hope.

[Sabz5150]

Hey, i'm going to get all autometer gauges too in the next month i hope.

Autometer > *.*

I'm still trying to track down a Z series vac gauge for a good price. That's the only gauge I've got that's non AM. That lil Sunpro's served me well though.

[lightbulblxi]

i have installed an oil pressure gauge and volt one.

oil pressure- drain oil and remove filter. reach oup above the filter, and u will find the oil sensor. use a 1/2(i think) c-wrench to remove the sensor(it will be a silver thing with a gold thing sticking out of it). then screw in the adapter needed, fasten the hose to the adapter. run the hose inside the car to near where the gauge will be, mount gauge and fasten hose to it. get new oil and filter, put in oil, put on filter.


Volt meter- i hooked mine up to the power wire going into my headunit(not the constant). splice the power wire, connect it to HU, connect it to (+) on the gauge, then splice the ground wire to HU, and connect that to HU, and connect it to the (-) on gauge.



for the lights, i have my gauges hooked up to the light ring going around the cigarette lighter. this way they go to the dimmer and turn on when the lights go on.

hope this helps. if u have any questions, feel free to pm me.

[lightbulblxi]

o, also, DO NOT over tighten the hose to the sensor place or the gauge. just get it a little tighter than hand tight. it is very easy to over tighten it, which will crimp the hose and give u very shitty false readings. if u over tighten it u will have to buy a new pharrel(sp?) because they are not reusable.

[BITESIZE]

Do not hook the volt meter up to your stereo, this will ruin the gauge......hook it up directly to battery, it won't suck the battery at all.

[BITESIZE]

Btw, you might want to take the bulb out of the oil sensor light in the column, it will begin to flash, when you undo the oil sensor..

[lightbulblxi]

how will the gauge get ruined if it is hooked up to the stereo? will it always be measuring volts if it is a direct to the battery?

[soljaboy2000]

hey does'nt the factory oil light tells you when your oil is low? So how do you know when your oil is low with an oil pressure guage..... low pressure reading ? What the normal oil pressure reading?

[lightbulblxi]

i ahd a thread about the oil psi reading
ill find it for ya

[lightbulblxi]

here ya go-> http://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?t=28952 i cant believe it was on page 4 already!

[bobafett]

oil guage on stock car reports too low of oil pressure, but it doesnt do so until far to late, i will just unplug the wiring for it, cause i dont need it. the new gauge will be far more accurate, if i only knew what the oil pressure is SUPPOSED to be. heheh

btw, thanks for the hot tip about the cigarrete lighter, i dont know if mine works, but i can test it. that would be a perfect place to splice in though. ;)

[BITESIZE]

how will the gauge get ruined if it is hooked up to the stereo? will it always be measuring volts if it is a direct to the battery?


Different volts are always flucuating, thus the dial gets tired and the guage dies from too much movement. It gets worn out. Probably just the Sunpro gauges though, they aren't really the best brand.

[3rdgeneration]

is there anyway to get to the oil pressure sensor without taking the filter off?

[Slipknotcraig133]

When i installed mine i didnt have to take the filter off. I just got a wrench and crammed my little hand down there and loosened it.

[lostforawhile]

since someone brought it back from the dead just reminding people thats not a 1/8 npt fitting for the oil pressure sensor,it's 1/8 bsp you need a 1/8 bsp male to 1/8 npt female adaptor. once you get it converted to npt thats te standard for most gauges. I would just run a line to the firewall then you can t off the gauge and use a pressure warning switch that has a higher switch on pressure then factory. I think your factory one is like 3 psi when it turns on. YIKES!! I use a 15 psi one. it's nice to have the light in case you don't notice the gauge. of course I have the big ass one like a shift light to warn me. if anyone wants to email me about hooking up the oil pressure gauge feel free to. glad to help you out. :)

[88Accord-DX]

people thats not a 1/8 npt fitting for the oil pressure sensor,it's 1/8 bsp you need a 1/8 bsp male to 1/8 npt female adaptor. once you get it converted to npt thats te standard for most gauges. I would just run a line to the firewall then you can t off the gauge and use a pressure warning switch that has a higher switch on pressure then factory.
That looks the adapter I had to use on oil pressure sending unit on my truck, used lock-tite on it. I ran the line through the firewall to the gauge. Hooked up the light to the wire on the interior dash lights in steering column.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/ddude2uc/Oilpressuregauge.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/ddude2uc/Cylinderheadonrebuiltmotor.jpg

[lostforawhile]

that might be it. bsp and npt look the same but there is only one thread difference,just enough to cross thread it. I know msc industrial supply carries them,they aren't very much,i need to look up the part number. I couldn't seem to find one anywhere else,even though most hondas use that thread on the engine sensors. at least up until the late nineties, it's actually the same thread thats on the temp sensor on the back of the intake. you would use a letter R drill bit if you wanted to thread for bsp. same as 1/8 npt. 1/8 npt is 1/8-27 thread and 1/8 bsp is 1/8-28 thread. i have the tap for 1/8 bsp, It took me six months of waiting to find one and they are coveted by tool and die makers. because they are so hard to find. msc can get them but it usually takes a long time to get one in. for the record bsp stands for british standard pipe. and npt stands for national pipe thread. npt s the standard for most of the us.

[lostforawhile]

ok the msc part number is 84433382 1/8 npt female to 1/8 bsp male this will screw into the sender hole on the engine and adapt to most kits. their number is 1-800-645-7270 the adaptor was like 5.45 somehing plus shipping

[Cant Stop]

you should always leave the "idiot" light sensor on your car even the hot rod mags recommend this on the v-8's as it will let you know the pressure has gone too low and it doesnt interfere with the gauge performance usually a t type fitting is used and the sensor is screwed on one part and the gauge the other what if the gauge fails to read low enough? boom dead car if idiot light is not hooked up consider it the backup to the gauge.

[Cant Stop]

p.s. i read a thread around here somewhere also stating that you should use a copper line as it is a lot more durable than those nylon lines and it wont melt.

[lostforawhile]

ya i posted it it's ok inside of the car away from the engine,it's also a lot eaisier to run,but i would run copper near the engine. the heat is the problem not the durability of the line,I remember old mercedes used to even have nuylon line for the mechanical gauge inside of the car.

[lostforawhile]

you should always leave the "idiot" light sensor on your car even the hot rod mags recommend this on the v-8's as it will let you know the pressure has gone too low and it doesnt interfere with the gauge performance usually a t type fitting is used and the sensor is screwed on one part and the gauge the other what if the gauge fails to read low enough? boom dead car if idiot light is not hooked up consider it the backup to the gauge.
right,thats what i did,I just split it after i ran a line from the engine,theres not a lot of room by the oil filter. i also would get a different idiot light sensor,not only one with npt threads,but one that comes on at like 15 to 20 psi vs 3 psi for stock,you can get them from summit, jegs, all those places, besides the aftermarket ones have standard npt threads which is a lot eaisier to plumb. you basically convert the threads at the oil filter base to npt,then it's all standard gauge fittings from there. the stock sensor basically tels you your engine just blew up. t's a simple grounding sensor by the way so aftermarket warning sensors will work fine.

[lostforawhile]

someone redirected me to this thread again, I will never use the nylon line inside a car again, I'll never get all the oil out from behind the dash. use braided or use copper with loops to absorb the movement.