Sorry I am an idiot, especially when it comes to wiring and electrical stuff.

I installed a mechanical boost gauge following the installation write ups on here but am having trouble getting power for illumination. I tapped the green/white wire to the cigarette lighter and grounded to metal under the dash and the gauge didn't light up.

I then tapped the green and white wire to the ashtray illumination instead (which is probably the same anyway?) and it still didn't light up.

Then I noticed that the lights to the ashtray and cigarette lighter no longer were lighting up and realized my dumb a$$ forgot to re-disconnect the battery when I switched the wire that i tapped.

The part that confuses me is that I used a meter and was getting voltage at both green and white wires after this, and all the way up to the light bulb socket in the gauge. I checked the fuses under the dash and the most appropriate one seems to be the cigarette lighter 20amp fuse, but it wasn't blown.

I am working on other things on the car so I can't start the car up, but that should not matter, right?

It seems I blew something and if so, what? A different fuse? Could I have somehow burned out the all 3 bulbs in the gauge, cig. and ashtray? A relay?

I'm stumped. Any ideas?

 

You could tap on the green/white wire on your dimmer switch, this would allow you to dim the gauge.

 

^^ i dont think that the gauge will dim

well i'm tapped into the gauge cluster fuse and i have to turn on the lights to light up the gauge.but once its lit up, i can turn off the lights and the gauge will stay lit up.

 

Yes i want it wired so that the gauge comes on with my parking lights/head lights. If I remember correctly I had my Defi Link (which I sold while ago - see I told you I'm stupid!) tapped just the way I am trying to do it this time, so it *should* work.

Either way, now I need to find out why the cigarette and ashtray illumination won't light up anymore even though I'm reading voltage from them and the wires to the gauge.

 

^^in that case, yea it could be ur bulbs like u said earlier. try changing 1 out for the ciggarete lighter. if it works then thats the problem.

 

That is not a bad idea. I am just skeptical about all 3 being burned out at once...

 

I have an Autometer and it goes dim with the cluster.

 

oh thanks, where did you tap yours?

 

Ok so I tried replacing the bulbs and that didn't work. I'm not sure what else it could be and how to proceed. Any ideas?