Pimp my Patrol!

[skiman]

Gauge install continues this afternoon. Slowly but surely!

Today's mission - splice in the dimmer switch wires and mount the programmable push button screws to the pilllar pod.

4 bolts and a screw to get the bottom plastic shroud off.

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Next was the right hand side shroud with the dimmer switch in it. This pulls off with a little pressure from the bottom. Then it's a case of pulling the instrument cluster shroud out a little and then pulling the rest out.

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Here are the two wires I need to splice into to make the Redarc gauges dim. The blue wire and the pink wire.

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I've never done this before, so an autoelec will probably roll over in his grave somewhere. Watched a youtube vid and seemed like the best way to go. Cut the wire, add some heat shrink, wrap the wires longitudinally for mechanical strength, do the same with the wire to be spliced in, solder, check continuity, heat shrink.

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Be patient with solder so that it gets good flow and a shiney solder joint. Don't overheat, don't mess with it while it's 'wet'. Clean it afterwards. Heat shrink over the top, rinse repeat for the other side. I moved the joint higher on the pink wire so that the terminations wont be on top of each other.

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Check continuity from the plug terminal to the end of the wire on your splice connections to make sure you have good electrical connection. Then pray that it all goes back together like it was at the beginning! lol

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Lastly, i drilled two 7mm holes for the gauge switches into the pillar pod.

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This whole gauge install seems like a big job, and it probably is... but one little patient step at a time and ill likely save a couple hundred dollars visiting an auto elec, and learn something new!