How to Wire Auto Meter Fuel Gauges
by Brandy Alexander
Over the years, Auto Meter has established itself as a manufacturer of quality, professional automotive gauges. Adding any Auto Meter gauge to your vehicle will help to ensure accurate and consistent readings from your car or truck. Installing an Auto Meter fuel gauge is an easy task once you have decided how and where to mount it. You can even use your stock fuel-level sender cable, so you will only need to connect four wires for your new gauge to begin working.
Step 1
Select an appropriate mounting location for your new gauge. If you do not have a space in the dashboard or do not want to cut holes in it, purchase a bracket that will mount the gauge on top of or under the dashboard. Identify and isolate the four wires protruding from the back of the gauge pod. These will be labeled "S" for the fuel-sender signal wire, "+" for the 12V positive wire, "-" for the 12V negative wire and the last will be the gauge-light power wire.
Step 2
Connect the end of the "-" wire to a bare-metal surface on the vehicle. Facilitate this by tightening the exposed tip of the wire under a bolt that screws into a metal surface on the vehicle. On nearly all vehicles, the metal chassis is also the ground (negative), allowing you to complete a circuit by touching any metal surface.
Step 3
Find a power-carrying wire onto which to mount the "+" wire. Clamp the alligator clamp of the test lamp to a bare-metal surface on the car. Turn the ignition key to the "On" position. Open the fuse panel and touch the tip of the test lamp to the exposed metal side of the fuses until the light comes on in the test lamp. Turn the ignition key off and on to ensure the selected wire only receives power when the key is turned on, then connect the tip of the "+" wire to it by twisting it together with the power-carrying wire. Wrap any exposed wire with a layer of electrical tape to prevent shorts.
Step 4
Connect the "S" wire to the fuel-sender signal wire you removed from the stock fuel gauge. This wire is fed directly to the post on the fuel-level sender in the fuel tank. Twist these two wires together and cover them with a layer of electrical tape.
Step 5
Use your test lamp to determine the fuse for the dashboard instrument lights. Turn the key to the "On" position and cycle the dashboard lights on and off while checking to find the corresponding fuse. When found, your test lamp will light up with the dash lights. Attach the final wire to this fuse in the same manner as the "+" wire.
Things You'll Need
- Wire cutters
- 12 volt test lamp
- Screw drivers
- Electrical tape
Writer Bio
Brandy Alexander began writing professionally in 1993. She has years of experience as a professional of the English language employed with the "Cape Times" and "The Mercury." Alexander holds a master's degree in English literature from Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
