Need help wireing aftermarkt tach

[TheDrumAndTheBass]

Well, I finally got around to installing my tach last weekend, and am now getting ready to wire everything up. It has four wires, (red, white : power & light, black : ground, and green :ignition module) I know where to hook the green and black ones too. But I'd like to run the red and white wires together so that it comes on (light also) whenever the cars running, By light I dont mean a shift light, just the little bulb that lights it up at night. I was wondering where to run those, if I should wire them into the fuse box, or into one of the ignition wires. Any help will be appricated.Ryan

[stretch240sx]

wow no flames yet???

um you could tap it into your igniton switch.. dont know where it is and all look it up in an FSM or a tch site...

[zachosz]

What year is the car?

[TheDrumAndTheBass]

Its a 89 KA24E coupe.

[SloS13]

I dont have an 89, but my 93 came stock with a tach. Its pretty cool, lets you know how many spins the motor is making, and its not 10" in diameter.

Anyways, you could wire them up to the radio or something

[TheDrumAndTheBass]

Actually, mine came with a tcah too. It's just I had the aftermarket one I just installed sitting in my old car, so figured I might as well install it since I had nothing better to do at the current time. Plus, now this one is in a better spot in my field of vision. Soon as I getmy digital camera back I'm gonna take some pix of it.BTW: It's not 10 inches, only 3.Ryan

[SloS13]

i kno, i was just pickin at you. cool avatar lol

[Dano]

this topic has been covered many times, do a search and ull find wat u need

-Dan

[TheDrumAndTheBass]

Actually Dan, notonly did I do a search, but when so many threads were found that I couldn't find one pertaing to this exact subject, I tried narrowing down my search field with no avail.

[zachosz]

Ok, here's what i did for power supply to my gauge:

Remove all the plastic covers on the steering column. That will reveal your ignition. Make sure you have the ground wire connected. Put the ignition key in position 2, then take the red wire from your tach and try each of the different wires that are soldered on the ignition. IIRC, there should be two wires that would supply power at this position.

THEN, put the ignition key in position 1, and try ONLY the two wires mentioned above. Now only one would supply power to your tach.

You have to use the wire that DID NOT power up your tach in position 1. The easiest way to do this would be to follow the wire down the steering column, it'll change color as you go down, so be careful. Follow it all the way down to the plug that it goes to, then unplug the harness, stick the wire in the "hole" that corresponds to the wire, and plug it back in. You should be all set from there. I've had no problems doing it that way, and you don't have to splice anything! My car's an '89 too.

[TheDrumAndTheBass]

Hmmm, for the sake of being lazy, you wouldnt happen to remember what color that wire is would you? If not no big deal. Just trying to take the easy way out.Ryan

[SloS13]

dude that IS lazy. jut try them all, or do like normal people and get a voltimeter. most people could have installed 500 of these tachs in this much time

[zachosz]

I don't remember the color, sorry, that's why i told you the way i did it. It shouldn't take more than 15 mins, it's easy.

[Dano]

Actually Dan, notonly did I do a search, but when so many threads were found that I couldn't find one pertaing to this exact subject, I tried narrowing down my search field with no avail.

then u didnt try hard enough, but thats ok, im lazy sometimes too.

if u have an aftermarket headunit, then u have an orange wire...its light, u can tap into that...

-Dan

[SloS13]

i think he wants the light to come on the gauge anytime the car is running, basically he wants to know where a hot wire is when the car is on.

[quiksilvia]

as long as the stereo has power, not blowing music out, but in clock mode or whatever, the power should be to the orange wire, for my guages, i tapped into the stereo wiring, works fine

[Dano]

/\/\/\ exactly! /\/\/\ use the orange wire.

-Dan