Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) An electrical guru I aint.

[JCyrbok]

In preparing for an upcoming installation of a Dakota Digital FP Guage,I stuck my head under the dash to see where I could get my power from. AFter a few choice words and smacking my head on the underside of the steering wheel while recoiling from what I saw. Holy Crapola there are a lot of wires under there.



For you electical guru's out there where would be the best ( read easiest) place to get my power from? If I can find where the power for my SPA Gauages is tapped can I hook in there or could that over load a circuit or the gauages. I didnt hook that gauage up so I'm not sure where it is tapped from. ALso for the gauage to come on when the ignition is on does it have to be hooked to the hot leg of the ignition or does the gauage sense the change in the neutral/ground when the truck is on?



Any help will be greatly appreciated and probably help me slow my receding hairline.



Thanks

J-

 

[Whitmore]

I dont know what the call them but go to the parts store and get a fuse tapper ( thats what I call it) basically if you pull a fuse it will fit on one leg of the fuse and will have a slide connector sticking out, then you simply slide the female connector for you gage power onto this leg and wala ... ... . done.

Also if you plan on more power taps in the future do youself a favor and get the Painless wiring kit from Genos, it will allow you up to 7 hot wires... ... ... ... they are great, I love mine.



cheers, Kevin

 

[Big White Beast]

Or try these......

Littlefuse makes an adapter called extend-a-circuit or something like that. It takes the place of the fuse and gives you another fused leg to use as you will. The ones that just go in next to one leg of the fuse and give you a spade terminal aren't the best. They will spread the fuse socket out too much and could lead to problems.



On an 01 the #8 fuse is switched power and the #5 dims with the lights. On the Dakota gauge you don't need the dimming part as it will dim with any input. If you don't dim you dash lights too much it will be fine.



I also agree if your going to add any more to your truck the painless is the way to go. I used the #8 fuse to activate the switched outputs for it. If you knew more about electric you can pick up all the parts for a painless kit for under $20 at an auto parts store. It's worth the extra money though just to buy the kit.



Garrett



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[Ramtough]

Painless wiring kit

Originally posted by Whitmore

I dont know what the call them but go to the parts store and get a fuse tapper ( thats what I call it) basically if you pull a fuse it will fit on one leg of the fuse and will have a slide connector sticking out, then you simply slide the female connector for you gage power onto this leg and wala ... ... . done.

Also if you plan on more power taps in the future do youself a favor and get the Painless wiring kit from Genos, it will allow you up to 7 hot wires... ... ... ... they are great, I love mine.



cheers, Kevin

I just bought a painless kit but I can't figure out where to mount it. What did you do? I have a '01 - 2nd Generation. thanks

 

[Phil Stuart]

Ignition on draw

J-



The wire that's hot with ignition on is an 18 gauge black with orange tracer. This is in the bundle that's attached to the steering column with a plastic cover type thing. Watch tho cause there's another wire with same color and that one ain't it! I used this one to power the relay for the 7 circuit Painless wiring fuse block.



Phil

 

[jrobinson2]

A note on the (add a circuit?) adapter in the picture, on the top row of fuses the bottom leg is hot and the top leg is the load side. If the fuse holder is installed with the wire down the power goes through the inside fuse to the top leg then to the extra fuse, both loads use the inside fuse, the extra circuit uses the outside fuse only.

If installed with the wire up both circuits are fused separately, I had to bend the steel behind the cover a little to get it in upside down. With the small loads we're talking about here its probably ok either way I just wanted them separate.



Jared



Oo. OMG first time ever, no errors in spell check (grammar is another story)

 

[gegrimes]

I faced the same problems you are facing when I recently installed my guages. I removed the black bezel on the front of the dash (it pops out), loosened the radio screws, pulled the radio out to give access to the wires, and tapped into the hot wire for the radio. You can identify the hot wire with a 12V testing light (mine had a sharp point on one end which I poked through the wire's insulation. As for the lights for the guages, I tapped into the wires leading to the headlight switch. Again remove the black bezel, loosen the two screws holding down the switch, and carefully pull out. Use the test light to identify the correct wire, and tap into it.



I don't know if this is the best method, but it was pretty easy.