Nomad Pillar and boost gauges

[cupra-c_ya]

Just an update on this, gonna have another go on saturday. Managed to get the wire coat hanger through the grommet into the car, I just taped the end of the coat hanger as a little sharp as to prevent cutting any wires when poking through.

The coat hanger came out near the bonnet catch so had to remove the plastic there, once I get my silicone vacum tubing from demon tweeks I am going to tape the tubing onto the wire in the car and pull the wire from the bonnet end and fingers crossed the tubing will pop out.

The only thing I cant workout at the moment is where/how to route the tubing to the gauge end.

Will keep you guys updated on how I get on, if all fails I will be paying someone to do it, this is last chance saloon, yeha!

 

[Mitchy]

Run it along the underside of the top bonnet seal.

Yes the coathanger trick is the way to do it! It will take you a couple of attempts but you'll manage

 

[cupra-c_ya]

I was meaning the tubing inside the car mitchy, whats the best way of routing the cable upto the a-pillar and the gauge, is there a clear route under the dash or do you have to take the bottom of the dash off?

 

[NeilC]

When you take the a-pillar off it will all become apparent. There's a big hole where it meets the dash that comes out behind the black plastic bit all the fuses are on. You can poke it through a hole from the lower dash area easily enough and then around and through.

 

[NeilC]

I was meaning the tubing inside the car mitchy, whats the best way of routing the cable upto the a-pillar and the gauge, is there a clear route under the dash or do you have to take the bottom of the dash off?

Oi, stop changing the question half way through me typing an answer!
I'd think you'd need to take the lower dash off tbh, but you need to do this for the wiring anyway?

Once you removed the bit with all the fuses on it's only another 3 screws and a hearty pull anyway! (pull the side closest the radio off first as it'l give more twisty action to get it over the bonnet release)

 

[cupra-c_ya]

Hi neil,

sorry about changing the question, im terrible for that mate! lol

Didnt realise I had to take the bottom dash off for the wiring to the dimmer switch, o.k makes perfect sense with your explanation mate, thanks again for all the replies to you and mitchy, tolerant of us guys who dont like fiddly stuff like this, much appreciated.

 

[NeilC]

No worries. Removing the lower bit of the dash also makes it easier to route the tubing through as you can see where it's coming from.

Depending how well you get on with the velcro, if you come back to your car after a show and find it hanging off i've found that putting the sun visor round as if it was blocking out the light from the side window can hold it out of your way in an emergency I ended up getting a hot glue gun on mine as it's a semi-permanent solution.

 

[cupra-c_ya]

got the samco vacum tubing from demon tweeks today, much better then the standard tubing you get, gonna have a bash at doing this tomorrow. Was thinking if it was possible that when I take the a pillar off if I could put the coathanger down the gap and find where it pokes out under the dash, attach the tubing with tape and pull the wire up with the tubing through the a pillar area? unsure if this will work though, anyway enough waffle talk, cometh tomorrow and we will see.

 

[cupra-c_ya]

Result! managed to get the vacum tubing into the cabin and routed upto the A pillar postion, wire coathanger is handy as fook.

The only prob ive got at the moment is the bloody scuttle panel does not seem to go back on flush where it hits the windscreen, I can see there is a channel where the scuttle panel pushes into but it does not go flush in the middle?

Just got to wire up the autogauge boost gauge now and job is done.

 

[cupra-c_ya]

Just fitted one of the autogauge smoke series boost gauge, unsure if it is lighting up, do you notice in the daylight if it is lit up?

I have connected to the dimmer lights blue/grey cable and brown cable, there are two brown cables in the dimmer light cluster of cables, I have used the thicker brown cable, is that correct? there was a thinner cable there.

Is it normal that when you start your car up it is like -25 vacum? just checking to see if all is right, thanks

P.s. just looking at mitchy's pics of his gauges in the day light mine dont look lit up? have I connected them up wrong, are the scotchlok connectors crap? need some advice please

 

[juan]

how long did take for yours to come though??

 

[cupra-c_ya]

I got mine last week, anybody got any answers for my questions on post #90 please, thanks

 

[cupra-c_ya]

anybody give me help on my questions on post #90 please, neil or mitchy?

 

[NeilC]

I cant remember about the ground tbh, but leoncupra.co.uk seems to be back up and says its the one on the far side away from the blue/grey.
Did you hook both the orange and red up to the blue grey? I think i scotch blocked one of the wires into the existing loom then the other wire onto that as fitting 2 wires into 1 scotch block would be even more of a bodge. You should be able to see it lit up, especially if you whack the dash brightness up.

 

[cupra-c_ya]

I first tried putting the red to the grey/blue and the black to the brown wire and it did not get any brighter, I then scotchlok'd the orange in with the red but I did not extend this cable, I just did it off the short piece further up.

Maybe I have a faulty gauge? are the scotchlok's making a good connection? a bit pi$$ed off as I managed to get all the other bits done which I didnt think I would.

 

[NeilC]

That sounds right. To make sure of a good connection on the scotch blocks you sometimes have to get a pair of pliers and give it a proper squeeze to make sure the blade in it has cut the wires properly.
The other way to tell if it's working would be to strip the ends of the wires off a bit and stick em in the switch connector so they get a connection there.
Maybe check where you extended the wire is still connected/not become uncovered and touching chassis? I'd try the squeezing first tho.

 

[cupra-c_ya]

will try and make sure the wires are crimped properly, worse case scenario would be to use those white joiner blocks, I still think I have got a faulty gauge tbh

 

[Mitchy]

Yes normal vac of -25 is what you are wanting.

You should still be able to tell they are on during the day. its highly unlikely for it to be the gauge, it should of been tested just before it was sent out! Somethings amiss somewhere with wiring. You need a fluke/multimeter to see if power is getting to the gauge, if it is then it will be a dodgy gauge but if not then that will explain why you have no illumination!

 

[cupra-c_ya]

I have used 5 amp wiring, could this be the problem?

 

[NeilC]

I have used 5 amp wiring, could this be the problem?

I dunno how thick that is

I'll check where my ground is tommorow. I'd be tempted to disconnect battery, wrap the wires around the thread on the main yellow wire on the fuse box (75xx or something) then put the nut back on and reconnect before cutting your loom up to use chocolate blocks. Only as a test tho as you should really fuse anything here.