As I prepare to install 4 electrical gauges and a tachometer (all aftermarket), I am struggling on where to hook up the wires that allow them to light up at night when I turned on the headlight. Any suggestions? Thanks.
How to dim the aftermarket gauges and tachometer?
- Thread starter sifan
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Unfortunately my Toyota Echo is an entry car which does not have lighted ashtray or cupholders.
Where's your headlight dimmer knob? Is it on a rectangle of plastic that looks like it snaps into the dash? Try gently prying around it with a screwdriver.
Alternatively the "deluxe" model might have an ashtray, look through the brochure for where one would be and then find an empty wiring harness; test it with your voltmeter.
Alternatively the "deluxe" model might have an ashtray, look through the brochure for where one would be and then find an empty wiring harness; test it with your voltmeter.
Yes, the dimmer knob is on a rectangle of plastic that looks like it snaps into the dash. How do I connect the multiple wires to the dimmer? By splicing the wire?
Try hooking them up to the parking light circuit.
If you want them to dim with the dashboard controller, the radio is probably the easiest place to connect them. But the dimming circuit might not be all that straightforward: Some cars use a dimmer between the positive 12V supply and the dash lamps:
12V --> switch --> dimmer --> lamps --> ground
Some other cars use a dimmer between the dash lamps and ground:
ground
If your gauges are wired so that one side of the lamps is permanently grounded, it will not work with this configuration.
You could always connect them to the parking light circuit and get a dimmer rheostat from an older car at a junkyard and wire it in so that dimmer rheostat is between the parking light 12V feed and the gauge lights. Since you probably will set the brightness once, you can hide the dimmer rheostat somewhere under the dash.
If you want them to dim with the dashboard controller, the radio is probably the easiest place to connect them. But the dimming circuit might not be all that straightforward: Some cars use a dimmer between the positive 12V supply and the dash lamps:
12V --> switch --> dimmer --> lamps --> ground
Some other cars use a dimmer between the dash lamps and ground:
ground
If your gauges are wired so that one side of the lamps is permanently grounded, it will not work with this configuration.
You could always connect them to the parking light circuit and get a dimmer rheostat from an older car at a junkyard and wire it in so that dimmer rheostat is between the parking light 12V feed and the gauge lights. Since you probably will set the brightness once, you can hide the dimmer rheostat somewhere under the dash.
You can easily tap wire with a 3M quicktap connector, it is a little thing that folds over the "master" wire and the wire you're tapping into it. When it folds over little teeth pinch the insulation and make electrical contact. Available in the auto electrical section.
Pry the dimmer knob off, disconnect its connector: assuming two wires one is full +12v and the other goes off to the gauges. Probe with your voltmeter/test light for the "dead" wire and tap that. (It'll be live to a varying degree when the dimmer connects the circuit.) Alternatively you might be able to "backprobe" the thing while it's still wired in; ground your test light and see which terminal dims.
It's possible some aftermarket gauges have power, ground, and signal wires or mechanical interfaces, but no seperate lighting wire. The light would be on whenever the ignition was. Those gauges are perhaps what that other echo owner ran into and couldn't dim.
Pry the dimmer knob off, disconnect its connector: assuming two wires one is full +12v and the other goes off to the gauges. Probe with your voltmeter/test light for the "dead" wire and tap that. (It'll be live to a varying degree when the dimmer connects the circuit.) Alternatively you might be able to "backprobe" the thing while it's still wired in; ground your test light and see which terminal dims.
It's possible some aftermarket gauges have power, ground, and signal wires or mechanical interfaces, but no seperate lighting wire. The light would be on whenever the ignition was. Those gauges are perhaps what that other echo owner ran into and couldn't dim.
Someone from a Toyota Echo forum mentioned that the Echo dimmer switch won't dim some aftermarket gauges. Now I understand why. Thanks to all.
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