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Autometer gauge install

Scott I did a combination when I wired mine....

- I cutout the factory connector, and soldered a new connector in, reusing the old wires for power, guage lights, brake lights, fuel sender, high beam, signals, etc. Then soldered the other end to the gauge cluster, for easier installation/removal.
- I ran new sending unit wires for oil pressure, and water temp. (and ground, see below)
- I used a low oil pressure switch to ground out the brake light, so it is also a warning light for low oil pressure, same red LED. Because sometimes you are in very crooked situations and you are not looking at the oil pressure gauge when that is the exact moment you need to be, a little extra indicator to look at the guage can't hurt. The new full sweep guages have built in warning lights if you spring for those.
- Remember, the brake light wire is a switched ground with full ignition +, not a switched positive. I used it as a switched positive and ended up with a LED hooked to two grounds. Obviously it didn't work until I fixed it. This was also an easy way to add the oil pressure warning light.
- Also, run a good solid ground. I used the factory gauge ground wires, sometimes the speedo would resweep itself like it started up again. I ran a completely new heavier ground wire and everything worked fine then.

You'll be glad you did the gauge swap when it's done Scott, it's worth the time.
 
turning out real nice Scott... :bow: it makes the truck so much more enjoyable to drive... :woot:

honestly, after driving for 4 yrs with the exact same 2 5/8 placement, they are just about equal to see it seems to me... all depends on what steering wheel i suppose.... with the stocker, that lower inboard one might be a bit more difficult to see.. but it really is no biggie when driving imo, just a light tilt of the head iirc....

i MAY try an aftermarket wheel of some sort at some point.. but i'm particular about steering wheels... :screwy:


i originally set that side of the dash like this



13480dash_install.jpg





fuel and volt on the left... oil pressure and water temp on the inboard... just seemed logical...

when i went to dual volts a couple yrs later, i moved the water temp to the other side with oil and trans temp, and run the current left setup like this....




gaugesleft.jpg





i REALLY like it.... all temps on the right.... and the dual volt is fun......

i'll add a stoich to the right. under the cowl lip i'll run trans and fuel pressure, and vacuum......
 
Tonight I did some searching and checking of the cluster plug wiring and then made this to help me and possibly others who might need this info as well. On pin locations 7 and 8 there is no wiring in the circuit board and on pin location 14 there is no wire in the cluster plug.

1989 Blazer Gauge Cluster Wiring.jpg
 
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Ok, i'm a little stumped on something. The 4 wheel drive indicator light only has 1 wire going to it, #16 in my above pic BUT #14 also goes to the light but there isn't a wire in the bulkhead connector and my 4 wheel indicator light DOES WORK. How can this be so? There MUST be a ground to the light as well as +12 volts in order for the light to work. :confused:
 
Slightly off topic:

I wish Autometer would make some 5" gauges with lower speed readings and lower RPM readings, too.

We don't exactly see anywhere near 160 mph as shown on their Monster speedo's, do we? :rolleyes:

Nor do we see anywhere over 10K of RPM's either, do we again? :rolleyes:

How about Monster gauges of say, 80 mph max and 6K RPM max?

Yep, I'd buy those if they made them.
 
Autometer does make a 5" 0-120 mph speedo BUT it is a mechanical cable driven speedo. The only 5" in dash tach I could find was a 10K RPM (can't remember if that was just in the Sport Comp series or not). I hear you though, I would much rather have had a tach that was 8K RPM max and a 5" 0-120 speedo in electric variety. I even went as far as to contact Autometer to see if they would custom make the speedo I wanted and was told "sorry, not at this time".
 
Yeah, I'd rather have the Pro-Comps over the Sport-Comps any day.

Doesn't surprise me of their reply back to you. Not enough demand for us. Fockers!
 
4X4HIGH said:
I even went as far as to contact Autometer to see if they would custom make the speedo I wanted and was told "sorry, not at this time".
Click to expand...

same here 5+ years ago. those dumb asses :whistle:

the 4wd lights i have seen are there own 2wire up from the shifter under the carpet and up to the 4wd hole in the cluster.
 
The only difference between the Pro Comp and Sport Comp gauges are the Pro comp use a white and yellow lettering versus all white on the Sport Comp and the Pro comp mechanical gauges are liquid filled. If you compare electric gauges the only difference then is the white/yellow lettering.
 
4X4HIGH said:
Ok, i'm a little stumped on something. The 4 wheel drive indicator light only has 1 wire going to it, #16 in my above pic BUT #14 also goes to the light but there isn't a wire in the bulkhead connector and my 4 wheel indicator light DOES WORK. How can this be so? There MUST be a ground to the light as well as +12 volts in order for the light to work. :confused:
Click to expand...

I have the factory electrical wiring diagrams. I'm not sure if it is specific to 1991, but I'll check it out.
 
dhcomp said:
Yep, like GM thinking we needed a 5" gas gauge, and no tach....:doah:
Click to expand...
Probably because it would be easier for the blind idiots to SEE they're gonna run out of gas than to see how high their motors are revving up to. :doah::doah::doah:
 
4X4HIGH said:
The only difference between the Pro Comp and Sport Comp gauges are the Pro comp use a white and yellow lettering versus all white on the Sport Comp and the Pro comp mechanical gauges are liquid filled. If you compare electric gauges the only difference then is the white/yellow lettering.
Click to expand...
Isn't the print different, too? :dunno:
 
well gm fuel 5" wasnt much diffrent than ford ranger/bronco II thay had a tach most of the time on auto's but mech tranny got no tach most of the time :haha:
 
sweetk30 said:
same here 5+ years ago. those dumb asses :whistle:

the 4wd lights i have seen are there own 2wire up from the shifter under the carpet and up to the 4wd hole in the cluster.
Click to expand...

Ok, I just went outside to double check and you sir are 100% correct. Now I can stop killing myself trying to figure out how a light would work with only a power wire and no ground. :doah:

The wire that isn't there in the cluster plug (#14) must only be used on the earlier trucks with the NP203 t-case as those had a "4 wheel lock" light in that position instead of a 4 wheel drive indicator light.
 
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well the 205 stuff with 4wd light has 2 wires down to the switch on the tcase. and it goes down tranny hump to shifter hole then to the switch on the tcase.

not sayin yours is like that but who knows. i dont play with 208/241 stuff mutch :dunno:
 
sweetk30 said:
well the 205 stuff with 4wd light has 2 wires down to the switch on the tcase. and it goes down tranny hump to shifter hole then to the switch on the tcase.

not sayin yours is like that but who knows. i dont play with 208/241 stuff mutch :dunno:
Click to expand...

I edited my post.
 
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