MJAKS462

I have my water temp , oil pressure , and volt gauge ready to install and I see that all 3 need to have a hot wire tapped into a ignition switched wire on the car. Can I connect all 3 together and tap into 1 spot , and the same with the ground wires and the light bulbs on the gauges ? If not I am going to have alot of wires running. Thanks

Aceshigh

Yes. You can do this.
That's how it's done typically.
Anything long term installation SHOULD NOT be T-tapped in though.......

It should be cut, crimped with a solid metal connector, soldered, and heat shrinked.
If you Tap into places , and there's any corrosion that forms on the taps metal slicers, it will cause resistance and the math is real simple.

Resistance = Heat
Heat = eventual meltdown.

I strongly suggest you get some 14-16 gauge (blue) or 12 gauge (Yellow) splice connectors.
Home Depot sells them in the electrical dept in bulk.

Cheaper then Auto Parts stores IMO. You use a small phillips screwdriver to push the center metal piece
out by pressing it over a pair of pliers. Then you insert your wires, crimp, solder, heat shrink , and it's professionally done.
The plastic outer housing is going to go in the garbage, you just want the metal insert in it.

redoldsman

I always like to solder them together and then put heat shrink over them. That was the way I learned it in the USAF in 1966. Still works pretty good. If I am being lazy I will crimp them and have had very few problems.

MJAKS462

Great , Thanks guys .
And thanks for serving our country !!!

Aceshigh

FYI - things to remember.

Whatever gauge wire there was there to begin with ?? Go 1 gauge size larger. This is just a good practice to reduce any chances of resistance against the current pulled if you use a smaller gauge on accident because you didn't know the sheath was thicker.

redoldsman

Thanks. Us old veterans (young ones too) never get tired of hearing that.

Aceshigh

True that my brother. USN Spook here.

Bluevista

The gauge lights should be on the intrument panel feed so they dim with the others intrument lights unless you want them on and bright all the time.
The fuse panel should have an open lug for ignition you can plug into with a female Packard 56 connector, and if not you can make a pigtail, some already have them provided off the connector that taps into the panel, my power window relay feed wire does.
Never if at all possible should you splice into any type harness wire. All connections should be made with a factory connector or a factory type eyelet end like the horn relay, circuit breaker, starter coil and some other wires use, otherwise you end up with a mess. Find a hot connector and put a splitter on it or make one. You can pull the contacts out of the connector housings and solder another wire on and put them back together. There are some open hot feeds under there for accessories like the map light mirror if you don't have one.

Aceshigh

What is this splitter deal you're referring to??

Any pics so I can see what you're talking about?? I'm interested in this option.
I'm guessing you're NOT referring to these,

MJAKS462

Oh Oh , I was going to use those blue slicers for the lights on the gauges.
was going to splice into a factory gauge light wire in the dash.
I guess I just dont know exactly where to spice the hot wire. I also need a spot for the choke and radio in the very near future.

silverriff

I was actually coming on here to type up this very same question, because I am having an issue with my new Sunpro gauge cluster lights not working. I used those same blue splicers to hook all 3 hots together and spliced them into the dimmable light wire from my aftermarket tach, and then just screwed all 3 grounds togther onto the same screw on the underside of the dash, and the lights are not working. The light in my tach is working fine, but the 3 little Sunpro lights aren't. I called it a night, but will be back out there tomorrow to try and figure it out, but if you beAt me to it MJAKS, please let me know how you did it!

silverriff

Oh and about the choke wire, I just did that too, and I jus ran it from one of the open IGN posts on the front of my fusebox, and ran it through the firewall. You should have that on a deicated circut or I HEAR the choke may not heat up as quickly as it should.

MJAKS462

I dont have any open lugs on fuse box , is there any way of using a fuse space ? do they make some sort of insert for accessory wires if I pull a fuse out that is not being used , or do they make a tee of some sort that I can plug into the ign. lug to get multiple terminals. Confused !