Wire Location

[tarasalero]

Hey, I have a 2001 V6. I am attempting to install reverse gauges (semi successful). In order to do this, I need to find a few wires (you'll have to excuse me, I am new to electrical stuff...). The instructions say to install one wire to the dash light power wire or cigarette lighter power wire. And the other, the ground lead, to an existing ground wire or any clean metal surface. These instructions are great, except I have no freaking idea what wires these are and have been looking for hours on diagrams and have been majorly unsuccessful. If anyone has any suggestions, pictures, or diagrams, I would internally indebted to you! Thanks!
Tara

[xeroinfinity]

Welcome to AF.

You're installing the lighted reverse guages Cool !
The lighter power wire is Orange, which might be constant hot(+).
If you have a test light or a multimeter you can also check which are hot at all times, and only when the key is on.

But for the power you probly want a "keyed" power so it only comes on when you turn the car on. Other wise you might run your battery dead.
I guess you could use the gray dimmer wire on the dimmer switch, that way its only hot when the lights are on.
To ground you can use any of the bolts that are touching metal, like the round bar that runs accrossed the dash inside.

Hope that helps

ps- how many wires are thier to connect and what colors ?

[tarasalero]

Thank you sooooo much for your help. At first, (before I read this) I just connected it to the extra cig. lighter power wire. This worked great! That is until I went outside tonight and discovered my beautiful speedometer was still on (again this is before I read this).

The new gauges only have 2 wires: red and black. I'm going to go ahead and hook it up tomorrow. I'll let you know how it all works out! Let me know if you have any other suggestions! Thanks again.

[tarasalero]

xeroinfinity,
I forgot to ask: where exactly is the gray dimmer wire? I took a quick look yesterday and couldn't find it. I've looked at like 10 wire diagrams posted on the alero forum and couldn't find it either... maybe I've overlooked something, or am just an amateur. Thanks again!

[brcidd]

The gray wire you want comes right out of the instrument panel dimmer switch- pull the switch out to see it and tap your red wire into it

[xeroinfinity]

Sorry about that, brcidd is right, it connects to the dimmer switch. All the window and lock buttons carry this wire for thier lighting.

[brcidd]

After a closer look- the wiring diagram says gray for the Pontiac - yours is an Olds- so it uses the yellow wire that comes right out of that switch- I would test with a voltmeter or a test light first- just to be sure....

While you are in there- you might as well use the blk/wht wire as your ground wire (black from your reverse gauge lights)- that will make things easier and cleaner install.....The blk/wht is listed as a body ground- so have at it.....

[xeroinfinity]

you sure about that yello wire ?
My manual doesnt say yello.
I thought the only yello wires were the air bag wires, and the psslock wires.

be carefull with the air bag wires !!

[brcidd]

Airbags have yellow sheaths and yellow connectors- very obvious- there are still yellow wires used elsewhere- yes both vehicles (Pontiac and Alero) have the yellow which leads to the instrument cluster lamp display, while the Pontiac has the extra gray wire.....