How to Install an Auto Meter Gauge

The most common and useful gauges are the oil pressure, water temperature and voltmeter gauges. These gauges can be purchased at any auto-parts store as a set in two different sizes. Most of the gauges come with a metal panel, although the nicest setup is the A-pillar installation. The A-pillar is the pillar on the left side of the windshield. These mounts are covers colored and shaped the same as the pillar with provisions for the gauges.

Things You'll Need

• Box of assorted wire connectors Wire-crimping tool Phillips screwdriver Set of wrenches

Instructions

Prepping the Oil-Pressure Gauge

1. Unroll the plastic line that comes with the oil-pressure gauge. Straighten it out as much as possible---lightly stretch 1-foot sections of the line. The oil-pressure gauge also comes with various fittings to hook the gauge to the block, two caps with ferrules and a light in the gauge with two wires (power and ground).

2. Open the hood and locate the oil filter. Look for the oil-pressure sending unit screwed into the block close to the filter. It will have one wire connected to it. Remove the oil-sending unit with the proper size wrench (size is dependent on year, make and model of the vehicle). Screw in the adapter from the gauge kit that fits the hole. Tighten the adapter with a wrench.

3. Slide the small cap over the plastic line, followed by the ferrule. Push the plastic line into the newly installed adapter in the oil-pressure sending unit hole. Screw the cap onto the adapter by hand. While pushing in slightly on the line, tighten the cap with a wrench to the point that it is snug. Insert the plastic line through the firewall access (usually near the brake booster), avoiding anything sharp that could pierce the line. Make sure the line is not crimped.

4. Pull the line through the firewall, making sure to leave some slack on the firewall side.

Prepping the Water-Temperature Gauge

1. Unravel the tubing that comes with the water-temperature gauge. Run it through the gauge panel and through the firewall. Locate the coolant-temperature sending unit---it is usually very close to the thermostat housing. Remove the sending unit. Screw in the adapter that comes with the gauge. Tighten the adapter with the proper size wrench. The water gauge also comes with assorted fittings and a light.

2. Pull the metal line with the sensing bulb the rest of the way through the firewall. Route it neatly to the newly installed adapter.

3. Push the sensor bulb into the adapter, then tighten the fittings with a wrench.

Completing the Hookups

1. Locate the right position for the gauge or gauges---choose a spot with a solid backing to mount the gauge bracket or panel.

2. Bolt the gauge panel where desired using the supplied Phillips screws.

3. Thread the oil-sending unit line through one of the holes in the gauge panel. Cut off the excess line, and put the small cap on the end of the line, followed by the ferrule. Push the line with cap onto the gauge and tighten the cap down snugly.

4. Unravel the two wires on the back of the voltmeter gauge.

5. Install all the gauges into their holes in the panel. Use the supplied clamp, place it on the back of the gauge and screw the two nuts on each one of the gauges. Tighten all the nuts on the back of the gauges with a small wrench.

6. Find the wire to the cigarette lighter and cut the wire with the crimping tool. Use the tool to strip the insulation off the ends of both. Attach the voltmeter wires in between these two wires using the electrical butt connectors and the crimping tool.

7. Wire the lights by connecting all the black wires from each gauge with a wire connector. Then attach this wire to a good ground. Connect the red wire for each of the lights to any hot wire under the dash or to the fuse block with the supplied connector.