More gauge mishaps

[pupinabox]

I have had a couple threads in the tr8 section about my gauge hang-ups. I have figured everything out except...........each gauge has a purple wire that the instructions say to "connect to any switched light". This wire is for dimming the gauges at night, and I assume that if it is connected as stated, the lights are turned on and a current goes down the wire telling the gauge to dim.

I tried connecting this wire to a spare piece I had and running it to the over the license plate light on the trunk lid. These lights come on when the headlight switch is activated. Nothing.

Any ideas where else I can try this without some major surgery?

[bmcecosse]

The purple wire is for the instrument lighting - why do you want to connect it to the licence plate lights ?

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

I hope you are talking about a Purple wires on <b><i>AFTER MARKET gauges!!!
</i></b>
Purple wires on a TR7 are <i><b>ALWAYS ON</b></i> hot wires! They come off of fuse 5-6.

You want to hook onto the Red/White wires coming from the rheostat for the lighting. Where are you putting these gauges? If they are near the heater cover, you can hook on to the rheostat or the Red/White wire on the lighter.

jclay

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[pupinabox]

these purple wires are part of the gauge.[;)] Like I said, the instructions say to connect them to "any switched light". The gauges are supposed to dim when the headlights are turned on. I don't think hooking them up to the lighter or rheostat would accomplish that. I already have them connected to the ignition and senders and ground and they work fine, they are just a tad bright at night........hence the dim dilema. By the way, I don't even have a lighter or rheostat because that is where the PO put the gauges.[:(!]

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

The lighter has a light around the opening. Go down to radio shack and buy a rheostat and put it in the line to the gauge bulbs, then you can adjust them.

jclay

[url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html"]My Triumph Site[/url], [url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Technical/Intro.html"]Technical Stuff[/url], [url="http://homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/FileSharing.woa/53/wo/HJMTK8gsojtwKleP.1/0.2.1.2.26.31.97.0.35.0.1.1.1?user=jclaythompson&fpath=Triumph_Articles&templatefn=FileSharing4.html"]Download Page[/url]