[DeTomaso] Wiring Gauge Rheostat ...

[boyd casey]

The hot lead for the dimmer comes from fuse # 3 (which is 8 amp) and goes to
one side of the dimmer. The other side of the dimmer goes to the yellow and
black wire that is at the beginning of the  gauge lights which are all wired
in series. The same hot lead that supplies the current to the dimmer switch
is the lead that supplies the current to the cigarette lighter.Fuse 3 is a
switched circuit that is only one when the ignition switch is turned on to
at least accessory so it won't work if the key is turned off. You must
always exercise extreme caution when you are working on your wiring when the
system is "Hot". The gauge light bulbs are grounded to the chassis via a
black wire that goes to the harness and is grounded at one of the ground
posts (this one is near the A pillar on the drivers side of the car under
the dash. The ground wire is part of the harness that connects to the gauge
panel via a segment of the wiring harness that plugs into the main harness.
The schematic does not show that these wires are grouped together and have
connector plugs where the different parts of the harness connect.

Boyd

On Fri, Apr 2, 2010 at 5:29 PM, boyd casey <boyd411 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I haven't  looked at the schematic in a while but I think a rheostat has to
> be wired in series to the circuit you are trying to modulate. So the 12 volt
> hot lead would go to one side of the Dimmer switch ( I don't think it
> matters which side) and the other side goes to the lead that supplies power
> to the gauge lights (usually a thin yellow wire.) If you can't figure it out
> from the schematics on the link I sent you ask S.O. Bill. He is the lists
> resident electrical Guru.You definitely don't want to ground either side of
> the dimmer. If you do you will be shorting a hot lead that is anywhere from
> straight 12 volts to a line with 0 volts or very close to 0 as I believe the
> rheostat (Dimmer has an "Off "position) So depending on what position the
> dimmer is in when you go "Hot" you will have connected a hot lead to ground
> if you ground the dimmer switch. This will lead to a blown fuse at the least
> to an electrical meltdown or fire at the worst. Especially if your wiring
> has been altered if you are using a hot lead from the ammeter line it is not
> fused and grounding it would cause a meltdown of catastrophic proportions.
> This link takes you to the schematic of the gauge panel illumination
> including the dimmer switch.
>
> *http://www.panteraplace.com/Electrical/CONTROLS%20ILLUMINATION.pdf*
>
> Boyd
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 2, 2010 at 5:05 PM, Erik Anderson <
> eanderson at geotracinternational.com> wrote:
>
>> There are two terminals on the dimmer ... but I only have one wire
>> (orange) to connect.
>>
>> Have I misplaced a ground wire somewhere?
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>  *From*: boyd casey
>> *To*: Erik Anderson
>> *Cc*: detomaso at realbig.com
>> *Sent*: Fri Apr 02 14:53:32 2010
>> *Subject*: Re: [DeTomaso] Wiring Gauge Rheostat ...
>> Erik,
>> This web sight has all the schematics for the Pantera. . The Pantera
>> place. Here is a link that goes right to the wiring diagrams.
>> http://www.panteraplace.com/page107.htm
>> Good luck.
>> Boyd
>>
>> On Fri, Apr 2, 2010 at 1:59 PM, Erik Anderson <
>> eanderson at geotracinternational.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Not sure if I misplaced the diagram, but I'd like to confirm how the
>>> console dimmer switch is wired.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> EA
>>> #3528
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