Gauge Install
 

I am looking to install my boost gauge and lc1 gauge in a week. :) no turbo yet, :giggle: but due to work and school i only have the weekends to work and i want to have the gauges in the car before the weekend that i will be install turbo.
i am looking to do a vent mount since i dont want the gauges being more visible.
i have seen https://www.miataturbo.net/forum/sho...ht=gauge+mount,
and the how to remove the vent, but that was for the na. is it the same method for the NB? just pull on the vent?
with the vent mount, how do you pull the wires?
i have also been thinking about where to pull the power. from my readings, it looks like i can by a "add a fuse" and wire it that way, or i can wire it in to gauge cluster, or cigarrete lighter.
if i would wire it to the ciggarette lighter, would the guages turn off when the car is off?
if i go the cluster wiring route, does anyone know which wire i would use for the 12v current?
i am currently looking at mounting the boost gauge in the center vent, and i am thinking about the lc1, do any of you guys have gauges mounting on top of the steering column, behind the steering wheel? seems like this would be good in a single pod in terms of looks and functionality since it would be easily visible.
thanks alot guys again! i appreciate all the help!

you can source the 12v from cig lighter and gauges would turn of with the car...
you can ground them to anywhere the factory has grounded things...

ok awesome. thanks for super quick reply.
any ideas as how to get the '99 vents out and to run the vacuum line and the power line?

I am partial to the power window connector under the center console if you don't have power windows.

Base model FTW!

serper-you just yank it out, and if that doesn't work, grow some balls and facial hair and try again

reddroptop-dude, I swear, you just never seize to amaze me with your knowledge, i have not tought of that...I will so utilize what I just learned

Thats what I did. I wired my gauges with an add a link into where the power window fuse would be since I dont have them. I used to have them wired into the cluster and after a while it killed the relay. As for on top of the steering column, thats where I have my WB. I put it off center to the right so I could still see the full sweep of the tack. It fist perfectly.
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i do have power windows though..

Just look into the fuse box and check all the empty spots to see if they power on with the key. If you find one then your golden.
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ok, i guess will go with the yank method lol. i just wanted to make sure that thats what i am supposed to do, i dont want to break shit..:bang:

awesome. this is what i will do as well then.
the only other thing i am thinkng about... once i yank the vent out. how do you get the wiring to come out to the fuse box area for the electrical and to the hood for the boost pressure line. can i just work the lines until they start to show themselves somewhere lol?
thanks alot again guys for all the help.
btw, levnubhi, do u have a pod for your steering coloumn wideband? i am trying to find out if should get a pod, or mount it without a pod.
thanks again guys!

I know i was just messin with you, the vents are a bitsh to pull unless you've done it before, I was scared to my first time...you can route some rope through the vent and then back out and pull on the rope, makes it a lot easier.

are they a bitch because its hard and u have to pull hard? i was reading that for the na;s, they have tabs that can be depresed to make it easier.. is the 99 the same?
just looking at the vent seems like its too big to come out throught the opening lol.
one more question, do u guys just set the guage in their? no mounting it in their it just kinda sits doesnt come out?
also, its a mechanichal guage, but it has the bulb in it.. (guage is a autometer ultralite), what do you guys do to keep the heat from roasting the back of the guage? or nothing?;

Use two zip ties. I think mine were around 6 or 8 inches long.

You attach one to the other, to make a vshape, you shove the base of the v in and one side into the vent, then you fiddle until the other side of the v comes out.

Attach the sides of the v to make an O and pull, cut the zipties once they are out to reinstall.

Much easier then screwing around with strings.

I found it easier to use two tableknifes (dull ones) in the 9 and 3 o´clock position to loosen the "clasps" that hold the vent. The yankingmethod didn't work for me, but using this method, it was really easy.

allright, thanks for the help guys. wish me luck, i will let you all know how it goes.

You gotta ground the LC1 gauge to the same ground as the LC1 controller or else you WILL have problems.

Trust me, I know.

well i got the vent out... took some time but now i have to find a way to run the power and pressure lines.
zabac, when you say, "you can route some rope through the vent and then back out and pull on the rope, makes it a lot easier"
so where would u put the rope in and where would all the wires come out from? i guess i am trying to ask if you kind of do this backwords and pull the wires out through the vent hole? i am not too sure which specific location i should have all the wires come out from the dash area behind the gauges, too. i am assuming i need the boost line to go to the drivers side under dash area to wire through into the hood. where would the wires come out from?
thanks for the heads up. where do you guys reccomend i ground? can i just find metal under carpet kind of stuff, find a screw or bolt, take off the paint, and use that?
any other good grounding places?
sorry for all the noob questions guys. i havnt really done electrical stuff except amps and subs but that was 5 years ago lol.
anyway, again thanks for all the help!

FYI I'm pretty sure what Zabac meant by that was that it makes getting the vent out easier if you loop rope through it and pull, he was not referring to the wiring. I'm interested to hear more about the wire as well though.

dont use the frame as a grounding point, use the engine block points.

To run the wire or vac lin you will need to cut a hole in the vent hoses and run the shit down to a more accessible area a clothes hanger and, or string rope etc can make this easier as you route once tape the shit to the other end and yank it on through. Simple fast and effective.

ok thanks for all the help. hopefully i will be able to figure it out. where are the engine block grounding points?
thanks again for the help