The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay wiring in a new guage cluster question

Is there any reason why not to wire all the guages to one wire then to the fuse panel and then one wire to the ignition ?

??? are you referring to the gauge lights?

Yes, but if he did that, the lights would be on any time the truck was running (or the ignition was on) and he couldn't vary the brightness.

No,, the guage lights I would wire seperate . I am refering to the Volts- Oil presure- Fuel -and Water Temp

Lets assume for a moment that this is a Chevy. Then, since we don't know for sure, let's assume it's a 1939. Lastly, being a truck forum, let's assume it's a truck. Now we can then guess that it is a stock gauge cluster, rather than something else. So, now we are down to possibly talking about the gauges and not the lights. We will guess it's the stock motor too.

There are only two electrical gauges. The Ammeter and the gas gauge. The 1939 wiring diagram says. Battery to ammeter and starter switch, thru ammeter to ignition switch, ignition switch to gas gauge. There is no fuse panel. Maybe one or two bulbs?

So now you see the importance of explaining what you have and what you are doing. "All the gauges" wired to one wire is moot. The three gauge cluster has amp in one pod and gas in the other. Separated by the speedo. No reason to try and save wire on a simple circuit like that. No reason to daisy chain. Wire per 1939 wiring diagram.

All your previous posts are in greasy spoon so didn't see what vehicle you have except in your handle.

If you have a different vehicle or a completely different set up of gauges and/or a new harness with a fuse panel, let us know the details and we'll advise what we think.

Bartamos ,you got my attention

This is what I am about to do with my 1939 Chevy Master two door Sedan 235 cubic inch motor

I have a dash board cluster of guages and they consist of a - Oil -Temp-Fuel- Amp and Speedometer

They all take electricity to make them work except for the speedometer it only needs a light bulb

The others take light bulbs too and I plan on wiring all the light bulbs up seperate from the other hot leads to the guages

Since I ask the question of connecting all the hot leads together I found that that would not work that way.

I suppose now I will just hook the wires from the guages I have now to the new guages I am about to put in ..they are newer than the original wire done since the car was refurbashed..

I was trying to take away some of the amount of wires under the dash ,

I appreciate you replying and if there is any more you would like to share with me ,,being a knowlegable person on electrical ,I will listen ...Thank you

OK, so no mechanical oil pressure or water temp. They are electric.
I don't know what components are left over from 1939 or if the electrical has been updated and to what extent.

In general: To be safe and update to more modern standards:
1. Everything needs to be fused. Even the power wire to the fuse panel. I don't know if you have a fuse panel or not.
2. Everything has a switch, as you know.
3. Dash lighting power usually comes from the headlight switch and sometimes has a dimming function. Headlight switches have fuses and thermal overload protection built in. The bulbs can be wired in series.
4. The ignition switch input power (bat terminal) is fused from the fuse panel. The gauges, other than ammeter, are powered by the ignition switch "on" terminal and can be in series.
5. Series is what you are asking to do to save wire.
6. Components who have their own switch (I.E. heater fan motor) need to be fused before their switch.
7. Headlights and tail lights are fused at/by the headlight switch, usually. As said in 3.
8. Use fusible links for main power wires from battery. Not speaking of positive battery cable.
9. Brake and turn signal filaments are controlled by a turn signal switch.
10. Dome and horn are a little different wiring. Their switches operate a ground path instead of switching power like all the other switches.

You didn't ask for all that but it's just for you to contemplate.
I don't like ammeter style wiring method. I like voltmeter style.

Thank you bartamos.. you are a good man .. This all helps me a lot..

Super. Love to hear that it helps.

Bartamos ..I want to run this by you if you do not mind

My headlights are Halogin and they have amber led lights in them for turn signals .the headlights are wired through the light switch 12 volt ( by the way I have only a one switch light switch ,,no parking light switch )

I have two hot wires already ran to the trunk for the dual philment light bulbs ,,which I am replacing them with Led dual hook up Led lights /also the same wires cross the trunk for the other tail light ( one hot wire for tail lights and one for the brake light to the trunk ..

I have a signal stat 900 series 7 wires

I have a Flasher that cuts down the voltage from 12 volts to what ever it does so not to make the tail lights and amber front lights flash to fast

I will run new cloth covered wireing to the front amber bulbs from the signal stat for turn signals .( I do not have an 8 wire signal stat and therefore I do not think I can use the amber lights for running lights ,,only turn signals ...

I will run one new wire from the light switch to the trunk for the tail lights .with a 12-6 volt resister with in the line before the tail light ... I will use this hot wire for the license plate led also (all this wire is new vintage looking cloth covered wire with fuses in the truck for the tail lights)

Would appreciate your thoughts on all this ..

Sorry. I can't help you there. Go back to your other post where they were helping you. I don't know about LED and etc, lighting requirements.

Another question to any one who may know the answer..

Would it work if I ran a hot lead wire from the headlight switch to the parking lights (or running lights)

And also use the turn signal hot lead wire which is separate of the other to the same parking lights for flashers .. I realize that both hot leads would be hot at the same time at the same light .. does this conflict with each other and cause a short?

I would encourage you to develop a complete wiring diagram before you start wiring. That will really help keep things straight and make sure you do not miss anything. It will be especially helpful when you are troubleshooting the wiring.

I also encourage you to contact others who have converted to LED taillights and turn signals. You may already have done this but they requires a special flasher which will work with the lower current draw of LED's compared to filament bulbs. The flasher does not reduce the voltage.

I would be cautious about supplying power through 2 leads to the same circuit. It might create some feedback loops that will cause undesired results.

You might consider adding a relay to your headlight circuit. Halogen headlights can draw a lot more current that regular headlights. It could be too much for the headlight switch and wiring.

TBU Chevy thx

I do have a drawn out plan and have been on 3 forums with my questions ,I have looked hard to find a 8 wire SignalStat and replace it with the 7 wire SS I have now ,,but cannot find one for sale .

I have the flasher to be the first thing in wiring up the system (you are correct it does not have resisters in it) and I have resisters for all lines to each light .. I worded that wrong.

I kinda thought that I would run into problems with the double hot lead to the same light the
Halogen head lights in series or by them selves with each with its own relay?

Thank you ,,you have enlightened me on the relay for sure. I am listening to all with options and advice

Thank you all for your opinions and advice with this wiring .. I have gotten many good answers from you on here and also from others ouside this forum.. I am putting all this together with the correct flasher and resisters to keep the Led lights form blinking to fast if needed. ,I may have to settle for steady running lights when the headlights are on ,,because of the headlights I already bought last year ,,these will still let me show off my amber lights ,,,My new Halogen lights have external wires for Led amber turning signal lights

I will have when completed ,,all turn signals and brake light and license plate light LED ,,,the headlights and any other lights that are already wired in lights 12 volt .