Aftermarket glow guages - What the hell?!?!

[Red=Fast 0]

Ok, the other day when I was installing my reverse glow gauges in my new Corrado; I hook everything up just the same as I have it in my other Corrado…(This is where things get confusing). They won’t turn on. Why the hell they aren’t turning on when I hooked them up the EXACT same way I had them on my other Corrado (that worked just fine).

 

So, after sitting there in awe of why it isn’t working, I start to trouble shoot. I check all of the wires, none of them are damaged or anything (check.), I then check to see if my ground is good (it is, check.), I then check to see if my power source is good (it is, check.) I even tried hooking it up through my boost gauge/volt gauge power/grounds (that are currently working) and still nothing.

 

At this point, I start to think I am going crazy. This should be working. So, I think maybe something happened and they had just stopped working all together. So I grab a spare battery I have lying around and hook it directly up to that. IT WORKS! But why wasn’t it working in my car?

 

So, my battery had been having some power issues and was not holding a charge for a while, so I replace my battery. STILL NOTHING! The gauges still do not work.

 

Can someone please help me try to fix this! Just last week I got a speeding ticket at night because I could not see how fast I was going… This needs to be fixed ASAP so that doesn’t happen again. Do you guys have any idea what could be happening here? I am scared to drive at night now with my car. Someone help me.

 

This is what they are supposed to look like. (These pictures were taken in my other Corrado):

 

 

[coolrado 0]

is the dash brightness control causing problems ?

[Red=Fast 0]

No because the gauges have a totally different power supply than the normal dash lights. The way I had it set up before it was getting power when you would turn on the actual headlights/parking lights. I had it wired up to when you would hit the switch the gauge lights would turn on. I am still confused.

[Henny 0]

If that's how you've wired it in (which makes sense 8) )I'd bet that you're not getting a full 12V to the invertor which powers the faces and so it's not got enough juice to make 'em light up...

 

Check the earth strap from the battery to the chassis to make sure it's not gone green and has nice clean contacts at both ends (and also where it then attaches to the gearbox while you're at it! ;) )

[Red=Fast 0]

I am getting 12v though. Someone mentioned that i wasnt getting enough amps...?

[Henny 0]

yup, that'd also be caused by the dodgy earth strap... ;)

[Red=Fast 0]

Ah, great to know. if that line is fine, where else should i be looking?

[Henny 0]

the other earth points would be a good place to start IMHO... Also check that the dials work when connected directly to the battery in YOUR car, rather than a spare one, as it could just be a crap battery! :lol:

[potatonet 0]

OK get ready, on most glow gauges there is an inline fuse that is placed along the 12V power source wire, remove this and it should work. if there is no fuse check the transformer that it came with to see if that is blown, hook it up to a 9V battery to test lights, if lights go on great, if you want to you can also hook to thing up to your battery with enough wire showing and there should be light if not then check your ground cable. thats all I know about these things. BTW where did you get that kit for your corrado? I like em.