AutoMeter LED Lighting Dimmer installation

[BioStroker]

I'm hoping to get some wiring help. I bought a truck that already had the AutoMeter Cobalt gauges installed in it. They are too bright, so I bought the AutoMeter LED Lighting Dimmer. I'm trying to install it right now, and I can't seem to get it to work. There are only 3 wires. I grounded the black, spliced the white with all of the white wires coming from the gauges after the 3 were spliced into 1, and I tried hooking the violet wire to the Light blue/Red stripe wire as a 12v switched source. I feel like it's the violet wire I am not hooking up to the correct wire.
The instructions give two options for the Violet wire: Option 1: If the vehicle has a standard dimmer control (a simple rheostat), connect the violet wire to the vehicles standard dimmer control. (This is what I was hoping to do by connecting to the 12V source. I also tried the Light Blue/red stripe wire in the customer access wires.)
Option 2: Connect the violet wire to a switched 12V source.
Can anybody help me? Thanks in advance.

[BioStroker]

Bump...Anybody? I have my dash pulled apart and I'm hoping somebody can help me out!

[03_Turbo7.3]

behind the dimmer switch..theres a few wires going into it..i believe its the blue with red stripe wire..use that...

i just checked my wiring diagram..yes it should be LB/RD stripe..

[BioStroker]

Thanks-I'll try that one and see what happens!

[BioStroker]

That's the first wire that I tried. I already tapped into the Lt Blue/Red stripe for a separate fuel gauge for my WVO system, so I actually tapped into the Fuel Gauge wire that comes off the Lt blue/red stripe. That shouldn't matter, right? I assume it's coming from the same source. The AutoMeter gauges don't seem to be dimming with the switch at all, but it's kind of hard to tell in the daylight. Do you thing the switch is faulty? I think I got the 3 wires right, so I'm not sure where to go from here...

[merc123]

http://www.itpdiesel.com/other/7.3L%...structions.pdf

Page 14, figure 7 shows a picture. Tap into the illumination and it'll dim. My LEDs have no problem dimming.

If your dash lights dim then it's not a faulty switch.

[03_Turbo7.3]

Originally Posted by merc123

http://www.itpdiesel.com/other/7.3L%...structions.pdf

Page 14, figure 7 shows a picture. Tap into the illumination and it'll dim. My LEDs have no problem dimming.

If your dash lights dim then it's not a faulty switch.

Lt/RD is the dim wire.. use the switch like he says hows the main dash lights? if they work and dim switch = good..

[merc123]

I use my dash dimmer, don't have the seperate dimmer. If it's a seperate dimmer which I'm assuming now is the case then it could be. The dimmer is just a potentiometer (spelling).

[BioStroker]

Well, now I really effed it up. My gauges don't work now. They illuminate when I turn on the lights and dim with the factory dimmer, but the AutoMeter dimmer doesn't do anything and now the gauges don't move. I grounded at the same point that the gauges are grounded out on the metal piece that runs along the top of the fuse panel, I hooked the white wire to the white wires that come off the gauges right where they are spliced down to one hook up wire, and I used the Lt Blue/Red stripe behind the dimmer switch with the Violet. Does that sound right to everyone? Did I just trash my gauges?

[03_Turbo7.3]

Originally Posted by merc123

I use my dash dimmer, don't have the seperate dimmer. If it's a seperate dimmer which I'm assuming now is the case then it could be. The dimmer is just a potentiometer (spelling).

it acts like a variable resistor..easier to say LOL

Well, now I really effed it up. My gauges don't work now. They illuminate when I turn on the lights and dim with the factory dimmer, but the AutoMeter dimmer doesn't do anything and now the gauges don't move. I grounded at the same point that the gauges are grounded out on the metal piece that runs along the top of the fuse panel, I hooked the white wire to the white wires that come off the gauges right where they are spliced down to one hook up wire, and I used the Lt Blue/Red stripe behind the dimmer switch with the Violet. Does that sound right to everyone? Did I just trash my gauges?

Did you remove the other dimmer and just hook them up as per normal? you shouldnt have an issue and shouldn't need this autometer dimmer control now... also i used the ground at the lower beside the kick panel theres a better spot..check your power for the gauges with a test light and use the clamp side on the wire you have for ground that will check both at the same time..if there good and the gauges still dont work...something is wrong..