My newest mod - Tranny temp gauge

[Logan]

Well,

Being the creative type of guy I am, and a non-smoker, I took it upon myself to remove the cigarette lighter on the console gauge cluster and replace it with a Autometer, pro-comp tranny temp gauge...

A dremel, some wire, and about an hour is all she took.

Part of what makes this such an easy thing to do is that for the backlight wires, and 12v ignition source, you can tap right into the existing gauge wires, once that's done, you only need to run a single wire down to the tranny temp sensor, which installs in seconds into a pre-existing, unused sensor bung on the drivers side of the tranny.

Enough talk! Pics pics pics!!

[Logan]

Fancy ass wiring job eh? :)

[Logan]

The installed product. :D

[Fourth Horseman]

That's tight, Logan! Nice work!

[JerseyVics]

good job Logan!

--Russ:)

[JamesHecker]

Damn...that's sweet.

[Logan]

Oh yeah, for those who were wondering, the gauge pod is held in by two pressure clips at the back. Just pull the gauge pod forward to release them.

[tetsu]

That is really cool Logan. Now, when are you going to break down and have that blower put on! Cmon! ;)

I've been so busy, I haven't even had time to get my windows tinted yet!

LOL.

Johnny

[Logan]

Since I've been asked the question on how to install, here's the how to!

Actually, it's a very easy install. To remove the center console gauge pod, just grab the back corner on each side and pull down and towards you a little bit. Then wrestle it out past the gear shift after disconnecting the harness. (Shift into 1st to do this).

Once you have it out, remove the cigarette lighter bezel (easy) and then take the autometer gauge and place the front of it against the front of the pod. Trace an outline using a pen or something. Then just use a Dremel to grind out the plastic to the 2 1/16" size you need (Which is why you should trace the gauge, to make sure you don't make too big a hole.

The wiring is easy, just wire the light, the two grounds, and the ignition power into either of the other two gauges. Then run a wire down into the tranny tunnel (I drilled a hole in the hump). The sender for the gauge gets installed into a pre-existing hole that is on the drivers side of the tranny toward the front, about halfway up the tranny. It's like a 10mm bolt that doesn't seemingly do anything. Just unbolt it (No fluid will come out), and screw in the sender. Attach your wire, and wala you're done.

[MAD-3R]

Sounds like a new edition to the tech forum

[warriorprophet]

Excellent looking mod for sure man. Good Job.

Don't need one on my vic tho, I know its hot, even with the tranny cooler. But thats mostly my fault hehe.

[SSMOKEM]

VERY CLEAN, Logan. You do nice work :)

[valleyman]

Old thread resurrection time. I honestly did not think this would be the part that baffled me, and I am embarrassed to ask, but just HOW do you get the darn cigarette lighter bezel out of the center console? In the long run it will make no difference since I have to cut a 2 1/16" hole there for the new tranny temp guage, BUT I HAVE TO KNOW! I WILL NOT LET THIS OBJECT DEFEAT ME! (Sheesh, all that therapy gone to waste.)

[Logan]

See the black retaining ring? Examine it from the backside, you'll see where it clamps into the lighter assembly in two places, just lift the little tabs to unlock the lighter from the retaining ring. Once the lighter has slide out, then just pop the retaining ring off...

Or you could just hole saw the 2" hole now... :)

[Logan]

Best Idea I saw was to relocate the lighter to the SIDE of the bezel to retain it's use... I gotta do that to mine... :)

[Donny Carlson]

Best Idea I saw was to relocate the lighter to the SIDE of the bezel to retain it's use... I gotta do that to mine... :)
If you want to just have a power point, NAPA sells a power point unit with a cap similar to the one in the console.

Also, if you relocate the cigarette lighter for use as a power point, and don't intend to use the lighter, UPR products sells a "lighter delete" that replaces the lighter with a billit aluminum plug that fits, and has several different engravings to pick from.

[valleyman]

See the black retaining ring? Examine it from the backside, you'll see where it clamps into the lighter assembly in two places, just lift the little tabs to unlock the lighter from the retaining ring. Once the lighter has slide out, then just pop the retaining ring off...

Or you could just hole saw the 2" hole now... :)

Thanks, Logan. I was prying on the wrong two tabs. :bows:

[studio460]

Fancy ass wiring job eh?
Heh heh . . . Logan said "ass." Nice clean work there, Logan! Looks NICE!

[David Morton]

Fancy ass wiring job eh? :)I don't think so. When your lighting starts to flicker, it will be those chincy a$$ blue Scotch-Locks you used. Looks like cheap, truck-stop mechanic work to me. This is a Marauder not a rusted out '69 Chevy pickup truck. Get out your soldering iron and some heat shrink tubing and do the job right, man. :rolleyes:

Sorry, but this is not an example of a good wiring job, and you did ask. No bashing intended. I just don't like to see this kind of lazy work touted as a good example. Scotch-Locks often cut strands of the wire they're used on, don't hold up well to flexing and allow moisture to intrude into the connection as well as the wire.

While I'm here I think maybe re-arranging the guages from left to right, oil press, trans temp, volts. I also like the idea of relocating the cig lighter socket.

Also, we have a power point in the console on the '04.

[Logan]

Wow. I never knew anyone could get so passionate about a wire. Must be an engineer.

As for the comment, "Fancy ass wiring eh?"

That was obviously rhetorical. Smarten up dammit. ;)

[David Morton]

Wow. I never knew anyone could get so passionate about a wire. Must be an engineer.

As for the comment, "Fancy ass wiring eh?"

That was obviously rhetorical. Smarten up dammit. ;)I'm not an engineer. I'm an ASE Master Technician and have a list of training classes from GM that's as long as your arm.

The steel horseshoe bit you clamped onto your wires is not copper and a new and different dynamic is now occuring under your dashboard, corrosion. H2O molecules will now interact at this junction and cause an iron/copper oxide compound to develop that will accelerate until you start to lose power transfer. This also causes appx. 0.5 volts to be created here and would be bad for a sensor wire like a MAF or O2 sensor.

Not trying to be anal, just wanting to help the guys by passing along the knowledge that will prevent future failures when it comes to wiring.

Thanks for not banning me from the board, Logan. I hope to learn many things from you in the future as I am sure there are many areas of experience where I am the 'whelp' and you are the Master. You're still a big man in my book. :up:

[Logan]

I'm not an engineer. I'm an ASE Master Technician and have a list of training classes from GM that's as long as your arm.

Training classes from GM?! That cinches it!! :banned: :P


Not trying to be anal, just wanting to help the guys by passing along the knowledge that will prevent future failures when it comes to wiring.
I'll be the first to admit my wiring job is a hack and slash. I'm a busy man! I love the smell of electrical fires in the morning!! ;)


Thanks for not banning me from the board, Logan. I hope to learn many things from you in the future as I am sure there are many areas of experience where I am the 'whelp' and you are the Master. You're still a big man in my book. :up:
Well I wasn't going to until you made that GM Training comment... :lol:

The only thing I'm a master of is Oracle Databases and Clustering/HA technology. Beyond that, I'm a schmuck of the highest order...

[David Morton]

I am so screwed.

[FordNut]

Jesus HFChrist, WTF is going on with the site? 'member a few months back when everybody bragged about how different MM.net was? It's sounding more like the "other" sites every day.

If Logan has an issue with a member, that's between them. Everybody and his brother doesn't neet to comment on "getting banned" for expressing their opinion.

PLEASE, let's all behave like the adults we're supposed to be. This is sounding so childish it's ridiculous.

And Logan, I'm an an engineer, too. We're anal. Gotta be. But I use the blue thingies too.

Sorry for the rant, I'll try not to do it too frequently.