I'm going to start my GlowShift MaxTow gauge installation this weekend (I hope, we'll see whether the chores get done in time) but would like some input for wire gauge from the battery to the bus bar. I plan on using 12ga from the battery to the bus bar in the cab, using a 10A or 20A breaker close to the battery. I'll then wire the gauges to the bus bar rather than using add-a-circuits and put low amperage in-line fuses. The bus bar has two sides, one I'll use for constant hot and the other for switched hot although I need another bus bar or terminal lug for the ground.
Couple of questions:
Anyone use those battery terminal with multiple connections? They seem to fit the bill.
12ga appears to be capable of supporting the circuit for the distance I plan on running but would 10ga or 8ga be better?
I'll see if I can post some pics of the install once I get everything laid out and making progress.
Sorry, was thinking of having the bus bar available for other things down the road so rather than having to rerun the wires, I thought I'd try to plan ahead. According to HiFi Sound Connection 12ga should handle a 20A circuit for 10', and 10' should be more than enough to reach under the dash. Just thought I'd ask if anyone had additional thoughts. Thanks.
Actually, I got lucky there. The truck came with JL Audio speakers in the doors, an AVIC-Z1 that I upgraded to Z3 with a new HDD, and amps under the back seat. The only thing missing was subs but I think somewhere between trade-in and my purchase they walked. Rockford Fosgate 1000W amp is still there though! The other amp is JL Audio something. I didn't want to tie into those circuits for power though.
So, the gauges are installed. I purchased the 4 gauges and pillar pod directly from GlowShift and have to say the customer service was great. Thought I'd share a couple of observations.
The 4-gauge pillar pod doesn't fit perfectly and makes getting the underlying trim piece off pretty hard. That bottom gauge pod makes removal fun.
The pillar pod must be designed for someone well over 8 feet tall because the gauges are all angled up to the roof. Not sure what the additional cost would be but different angles based upon gauge height (relative to the dash) would make it easier to read the gauges. Maybe the problem is I'm "Joe Average" at 5' 10".
The gauges are pretty cool but the bezel ring (and the glass) will spin if you try to twist the gauge from its face. Normally a non-issue but the button to control the dimmer settings (3 day and 3 night) runs through the front glass and it will flex when the glass spins, rendering the button useless. This only really applies at installation but don't think you'll get the gauge into the pod and then spin them. Mine are not exactly parallel, which bothers me, but not enough to take everything back apart.
The gauges had some sort of warning effect that I found when I thought the boost gauge didn't work (turns out the engine must be under load for the gauge to read). Anyway, I swapped fuel pressure with boost (same connection on the sensor) so I could validate boost gauge wiring. Boost started to read something but the fuel pressure gauge showed --- instead of numbers and the whole gauge was flashing. Cool, lose some monitored parameter and it flashes at you; easy to see.
Buck,
Yup, all work but the EGT (I didn't drill / tap the exhaust because I'm thinking I'm getting an EGR delete and didn't want to do it twice). The original issue was the fuel pressure was working but the boost wasn't (while I was parked in my driveway). So I swapped the two and the boost started working but then fuel pressure wasn't (and it was flashing) because I had it disconnected. Put everything back together and drove the truck and boost started reading...as soon as the engine was under load (I seem to remember reading that somewhere on this site but can't remember where).
@Autofair
I used the leads that came with the gauges (24AWG - hard to work with). I used 12ga wire from the battery to a fuse block, and wired a 15A breaker inline at the battery (thinking the fuse block might be used for some other purpose in the future). I also added a dual-sided bus bar, one side for ignition switched 12v and the other side for ground. I now have 9 available 12v constant fused circuits and 4 each ground and switched lugs (again, future planning).
All of the gauge leads, 12v constant, 12v switched, ground, and dimmer I wired together and soldered to a single 20ga red, white, black, and blue (NAPA was out of orange) lead (heat-shrink tubing around the connections). I then used crimp-on connectors at the fuse block and bus bar, and used heat-shrink tubing around the crimp connector to the wire (the big plastic piece so I could get some strain relief rather than just the mechanical crimp around the wire).
The gauges came with plenty of length for each of the sensor runs, so I just used those and ran them inside a blue wire loom (my daughter liked blue, I was going to use black, she won). The loom is wire-tied to existing harnesses in the engine compartment and each lead is run as close as possible to existing wires.
As far as I can tell, and I have an untrained eye, the only real indication that something isn't stock is the boost pressure sensor. The fuel pressure sensor is hidden pretty well by existing stuff and the trans temp sensor is completely hidden from view. The EGT sensor is run to the passenger side where I thought it was supposed to be tapped into the exhaust just after the turbo. The EGT sensor wire is shielded (the only one that is). This one I ran along the same run as the stock harness and within whatever that plastic piece is above the turbo. If you look at the firewall just in front of the driver, you'll see the blue loom but other than that, I think everything is hidden. I did check to ensure each cable was wire-tied to others and away (as much as possible) from heat. Inside the cab I did the same thing as well as away from steering and pedals.
@Dhanna
Thanks. I posted before I saw your comment. So is the up pipe an acceptable location for the EGT probe? Is there a more preferred location?
For the EGT probe drill and tap the drivers side exhaust manifold right before it turns up to the up pipe. That will be the most accessible and accurate place to install. You want to measure the exhaust pre turbo.
Thanks snafu and dhanna. I ran the wire from "remembery" without hitting search here first (the only one I didn't search for because I "knew" what I was doing). Turns out following the information here for all the other gauge leads means I don't have to do them over...the only one I have to do over is the one I didn't research first. I guess that'll learn me real guud!
First one just shows the top of the engine bay. The arrows show the blue loom and the boost pressure sensor lead.
This one is the blue loom looking in front of the driver. I used an existing hole that was used by whomever installed the stereo; I still have to plug that hole (they used a piece of foam and just stuck it there with some silicone).
This shows were I mounted the fuse block. It is near the emergency brake but I had my daughter use the lever several times and it seemed Ok; time will tell. The tape is to keep the unused connections from rattling.
A better picture of the fuse block. The only connection is for my gauges on a 3A fuse.
And the bus bar; front is ground and the rear is switched 12v. I was a little worried about this one because reaching in there I didn't want to get zapped, but I was at a loss where to put this. The PO put a Pioneer AVIC-Z1 with Bluetooth and iPod and a BUNCH of wires (oh, and an alarm with MORE wires) so space was kind of cramped. The bus bar is behind the fuse panel access cover. Nut and bolt on one side and zip-tie on the other until I can figure out a better solution.
But you can see the crimp-on connectors with the heatshrink tubing around it.
My plan was to add the fuse block so I could add additional accessories later without having to disturb any of the original wiring again; same for the bus bar. In hindsight, maybe add-a-circuits would have been better because the truck already has an aftermarket head unit / amps / subs and I really don't know what I'll use those remaining 9 powered circuits for (if I install the fuses that is).
Maybe when the head unit fails (may be sooner than I think, the CD / DVD sounds like a garbage disposal when I insert a disc) I'll reroute all the power / switched / ground leads over to the fuse block / bus bar.
Fuse block absolutely not required. Like Tuscany said, Add-a-circuits would have been fine. I wanted a fuse block just for future capability. Meaning it is arguably easier to add another circuit with 9, fused, empty locations than to splice in 9 more add-a-circuits. That said, I really cannot figure out what else to add.
So, I've had the gauges a bit now and although I like them, I finally drove at night and these things are way too bright. They have 3 day and 3 night settings but to be honest, I can't really tell the difference. Apparently, for me anyway, the three night settings are way too bright, way too bright, and way too bright. Other than that, they're pretty nice.
I wonder if the illumination can be wired through a rheostat to dim them. I have the same issue with a car I have a pod in. I think it depends on if they use an incandescent bulb or LED for backlight....
@rdezs,
I thought about that too. The gauges have an orange (I think that's the color) for a "headlights on" trigger that I wired into the headlight switch and assumed it was just a trigger since the gauges have the 3 day / 3 night settings built in. I'm not sure if that lead is truly just a trigger but I believe the red (hot) lead will need to be full-power because that's what powers the gauge. I have not contacted GlowShift yet to see if there's something I can do to reduce the retina-burning green light emitting from my dashboard.
How ironic......I'm wiring my 3 gauge pod right now. I'm recovering from shoulder surgery, and it's about all I can do at this point, so I have the pod on the bench, gauges installed, and soldering/heat shrinking the connections. I've decided that rather than wire the orange to the headlights, I'm putting a switch in the pod to manually dim them. I'm hoping it dims them enough....I don't want to have the same issue you have. (Which I have on my car, as well. Putting an on/off switch for those gauge lights, but a different brand with a dedicated wire for the lights.) As I look at the wiring on the Glowshifts, I think you are correct......the red powers the gauge as well as the back lighting. (So the gauge lights are always on???) In the event they are still too bright at night, I think I'll get some of that thin plastic stuff such as what was covering the lens when packaged, but tinted a bit perhaps.
I won't be done with mine for several days.....not sure if I'll be up to getting the sending units in or working under the dash until my right shoulder can move a bit. They told me yesterday I have another 4 weeks in the sling. Damn. Nothing worse than paid time off and not being able to work on stuff at home! Good thing I ripped out my shoulder at work, though. Would have been expensive in lost wages if I had done it at home.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum
5.4M posts
265.8K members
Since 2005
A forum community dedicated to Ford F-series owners and enthusiasts with a Power Stroke diesel engine. Come join the discussion about performance, bulletproofing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!