Attention: TDR Forum Junkies A) Be careful about the A-pillar removal. It has a plastic section that attaches to a metal clip on the vehicle's metal frame. The plastic is brittle because it's 21 years old. I broke the bottom section without even using much force.
B) The A-pillar gauge mount is a cover. Drill holes in it & the original A-pillar together, but don't secure them with the included small plastic uni-directional fasteners ["hole retainer grippers"] until you finish your wiring. The fasteners are not durable enough to be effectively reused.
C) Isspro Ev2 gauges can be powered in series, so don't bother drilling [like the instructions state] a 1/2" hole in the original A-pillar. Make a nice 3" x 1" rectangle [utility knife, dremel, etc.] for easy "daisy-chaining". I filed my edges smooth for peace of mind.
D) Using a 25 watt soldering iron makes for a tedious wiring experience. Higher wattage needed! [On the other hand, it's great for ABS plastic "welding" [another thread]].
E) My Isspro Ev2 gauges require 6 wires. 3 come from the sensor; you just need to wrap them & route them through the firewall. The remaining 3 you need to figure out: ignition switched power, lighting, & ground.
Ignition Switched Power: Lots of options. A quick noninvasive way deals with the fusebox: add-a-circuit fuse holder (photo to follow)
Row 1 & Row 5 have constant power. Don't attach there. The device has a 10A limit, so nothing in those rows would suffice anyway. I used fuse 11 in Row 3. It runs the buzzer & the overhead console & the overdrive switch. Now it runs my gauges, too. If you're not a '96, ymmv. Just check your owner's manual.
Lighting - Dimmer wire: 18ga tan w/ yellow stripe wire running from headlight switch to the fuse 13 in Row 4 ('96). You can posi-tap this wire, old-school tap it; tap it at the fuse with the add-a-circuit technique, or tap it at the 1/4" quick disconnect blade for the headlight switch. In the process of trying to release the q.d.blade from the black plastic block that connects all the wires to the headlight switch, I broke half of the blade. [I know: there's a reoccurring theme here! Well, my skills... umm... continue to grow!] Use a 14-16ga q.d.blade from the local parts store [pkg of 10 ~ 4$]. Both wires will fit nicely in there. Crimp & solder. Don't use shrink tube because space is tight. Reinsert back into the black plastic block. Reattach to headlight switch. Tape dimmer wire to existing harness as it makes its way to the gauges. Done. I like this setup, and it's cheaper than the add-a-circuit fuse. (photo to follow)
Ground: just screw it onto a metal surface - so many options!
F) Isspro makes wiring up the back of the gauges quite easy with their wire insertion "tool" and their labeled connector. I needed a magnifying glass to view the pin numbers on their connector, but it gave me confirmation before squeezing the wires into the connector.
G) I did not successfully repair the plastic section on the original A-pillar, so I removed the metal clip because of my concern about its hard edges and their proximity to the gauge wires.
H) The gauges match the style of the instrument panel well. The color scheme matches at night, too. I do find them to be brighter than the instrument panel however. If I added a resistor in series to the dimmer wire, I think I could reduce their brightness. The questions I have: what kind? how many ohms? Has anyone done this? [I know about the Autometer dimming product. I am interested in something more generic.]
B) The A-pillar gauge mount is a cover. Drill holes in it & the original A-pillar together, but don't secure them with the included small plastic uni-directional fasteners ["hole retainer grippers"] until you finish your wiring. The fasteners are not durable enough to be effectively reused.
C) Isspro Ev2 gauges can be powered in series, so don't bother drilling [like the instructions state] a 1/2" hole in the original A-pillar. Make a nice 3" x 1" rectangle [utility knife, dremel, etc.] for easy "daisy-chaining". I filed my edges smooth for peace of mind.
D) Using a 25 watt soldering iron makes for a tedious wiring experience. Higher wattage needed! [On the other hand, it's great for ABS plastic "welding" [another thread]].
E) My Isspro Ev2 gauges require 6 wires. 3 come from the sensor; you just need to wrap them & route them through the firewall. The remaining 3 you need to figure out: ignition switched power, lighting, & ground.
Ignition Switched Power: Lots of options. A quick noninvasive way deals with the fusebox: add-a-circuit fuse holder (photo to follow)
Row 1 & Row 5 have constant power. Don't attach there. The device has a 10A limit, so nothing in those rows would suffice anyway. I used fuse 11 in Row 3. It runs the buzzer & the overhead console & the overdrive switch. Now it runs my gauges, too. If you're not a '96, ymmv. Just check your owner's manual.
Lighting - Dimmer wire: 18ga tan w/ yellow stripe wire running from headlight switch to the fuse 13 in Row 4 ('96). You can posi-tap this wire, old-school tap it; tap it at the fuse with the add-a-circuit technique, or tap it at the 1/4" quick disconnect blade for the headlight switch. In the process of trying to release the q.d.blade from the black plastic block that connects all the wires to the headlight switch, I broke half of the blade. [I know: there's a reoccurring theme here! Well, my skills... umm... continue to grow!] Use a 14-16ga q.d.blade from the local parts store [pkg of 10 ~ 4$]. Both wires will fit nicely in there. Crimp & solder. Don't use shrink tube because space is tight. Reinsert back into the black plastic block. Reattach to headlight switch. Tape dimmer wire to existing harness as it makes its way to the gauges. Done. I like this setup, and it's cheaper than the add-a-circuit fuse. (photo to follow)
Ground: just screw it onto a metal surface - so many options!
F) Isspro makes wiring up the back of the gauges quite easy with their wire insertion "tool" and their labeled connector. I needed a magnifying glass to view the pin numbers on their connector, but it gave me confirmation before squeezing the wires into the connector.
G) I did not successfully repair the plastic section on the original A-pillar, so I removed the metal clip because of my concern about its hard edges and their proximity to the gauge wires.
H) The gauges match the style of the instrument panel well. The color scheme matches at night, too. I do find them to be brighter than the instrument panel however. If I added a resistor in series to the dimmer wire, I think I could reduce their brightness. The questions I have: what kind? how many ohms? Has anyone done this? [I know about the Autometer dimming product. I am interested in something more generic.]
