Street Dash Wiring Harness ?

[428street]

Guys, I ran across my first snag.

I have a street dash and Smiths Gauges. Wire bundle number 3 witch is a red/white and double black needs a home. I looked at the Smiths tach diagram on page 4 but can not find where the number 3 bundle goes. The Smiths tach has a white cluster adapter with leads off it.

Anyone have this issue or is it me?

I can call Bob in the am but was trying to get some work done tonight.

[DonC]

Street:
Sent you an email via your CC profile with a copy of the wiring diagrams/manual that may answer your question.
DonC

[428street]

Got it, thank you.

I actually have the paper version of that link and I'm still stuck...it's no big deal just frustrating but it's almost bed time and hopefully tomorrow I'll have a different perspective on the problem I am having. It's been a long day.

[strictlypersonl]

The red/white wires are intended for gage lighting. Connect it to the R/W wire of the pigtail coming from the tach. The black wire should be connected to the case, together with the pigtail's black. I usually throw in some-male spade-to-stud adapters in the bag but if you need some, I'll send you some.

And I'll make the instructions a little less ambiguous...

[428street]

Thanks Bob...I'll have to call you about some other questions as well. Seems like many of the other gauges have two black tails coming from the rear...not sure how to handle that. I have to stop up to ERA over the next week or so. When I do I speak to you then. Thank you for the response.

[428street]

Bob:

I'm going to post some questions to see if I can get them answered before I come to ERA. Hopefully I'm not overextending my "questions"!

Assume we are talking about all Smith Gauges and Street dash.

1. Tach - I took your advice up top but am still left with a blue and red wire off the tach side. I assume this does not get used. Also, I assume I need to replace the female connector (spade?) off the harness side with a stud adapter if it came in the kit? last tach ? - I screw the tach and harness black cables onto the tach unit itself but the are philips screws on the back and also some thumb screws that hold the unit to the dash...does it matter which one I use?

2. Amp gauge - the diagram on page 6 shows the inverse picture as how it is mounted on the dash and the +/- terminals are not marked. I assume I follow the diagram but just inverse the connections on my gauge? Your pic shows the two black pigtails on the bottom and the poles on top, that is what is throwing me off.

3. Bundle 12 (water temp) & 13 (amp bracket) & 15 (oil pres)- I'm confused on these with the two black tails coming off the smitch gauges...where to connect them to the ERA harness.

Thats it for now!

[strictlypersonl]

You're missing a couple of adapters. Let me work on the rest of this so things will be perfectly clear for you.

Jeeeez... Why do my suppliers change things so often?

I've posted some New! Improved! instructions here.

You will still need an adapter for the white wire going to the fuel gage and a tab for the tachometer ground, which I will send.

Each two-wire light should have a R/W power (ERA harness) wire and a black (ground) wire going to it. (Some of the lights have two black wires - don't worry about matching the colors to the ERA wires.)

There are so many variations, sometimes you have to switch the R/W and black wires around to a different gage. Don't worry about it. They are all equivalent.

[428street]

Thanks Bob...any idea when I will get the parts or do you want to wait until I come up...I only live in Milford...

[428street]

Bob:

Thanks for send me the proper clips, etc.

One last question (ya, right!). There are a couple of screws in the back of the tach that I assume hold internal parts in place. I need to know which one I can unscrew to affix the grounding clip to. I assume randomly drilling my own hole would not be a wise move on my part...

[428street]

Bob:

The lighter I have has a black wire coming from the center which has a circle shaped tab on the end of it. Then on the lighter itself there is a tab molded into the lighter. I know enough about electricity to know black is universal for ground but then I though if I connect the power to the tab that would make the entire lighter hot...so...either I am confused which is possible or the black wire coming out of the center of the lighter should be a different color.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 428street

I know enough about electricity to know black is universal for ground...

Absolutely not true. In your house wiring, for example, your black wire will be "hot," your white wire will be your neutral return, and your green wire (when you have one) will be the ground. You can not rely on the color of the wire to tell you what it's for. That black wire may very well be the 12v positive connection.

[428street]

ok, so I am wrong. First time today! Ok but here is the issue that led me to thinking this way. The black wire has a circle end (sorry, don't know the proper term for this) which leads me to believe it should be grounded to the chassis. Is it possible the end on this wire is incorrect for my application? I have to assume this lighter is for a universal application.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by 428street

Is it possible the end on this wire is incorrect for my application? I have to assume this lighter is for a universal application.

Possible? It's actually "more than likely." Here is the rule that is right 99.9% of the time: Exposed metal will be connected to the 12v negative, the other connection will be the 12v positive. Pull the little lighter out of the socket and put it on the table. Put a VOM across the end of the black wire and the side of the metal socket -- it should show unlimited resistance. If it does, then hook the black wire up to 12v positive and ground the outside of the metal socket. It should then work fine. If there is not an open circuit between the black wire and the side of the socket with the lighter removed, then don't do anything more until you hear from Bob as wiring it up will create a "short circuit."

[strictlypersonl]

In the ERA harness, all black wires are ground. (Standard British automotive practice.)

I don't see too many lighters, but traditionally, the outside (case) should be grounded and the center post will be hot. It's quite possible that Jack (I'll blame him today ) didn't put the proper male spade connector on the lighter pigtail.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

I don't see too many lighters, but traditionally, the outside (case) should be grounded and the center post will be hot. It's quite possible that Jack (I'll blame him today ) didn't put the proper male spade connector on the lighter pigtail.

Here's a shot of my lighter.

[428street]

Patrickt, thanks for the pic. Mine looks different then yours.

Bob - sounds right on. I'll get the correct connector do as you say.

So this brings me to yet another question. I have a three prong amp meter (Smiths) and the directions say to take an extra ground and plug it into the middle plug. I used the "extra" one from the lighter but now I have to use it for the lighter. Where should I get the extra ground from. I can make one easy enough I am sure.

[strictlypersonl]

Because the lighter draws much more current than any of the gages, I would make a separate ground wire from it directly to the ground connection just below the steering column.