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How To: Install a Boost gauge, 56K your screwed!

38K views 61 replies 31 participants last post by  vishnu1409 
#1 ·
Ok so i got me a boost gauge off egay. its accually quite nice and works well. hers a link to the one i bought, seeing as this is the one i installed.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...STRK:MEWN:IT&viewitem=&item=370050769749&rd=1

Ok so first step, get a bunch of wire, crimper things, phillips screwdriver, plyers, and bandaides, your gonna need them. pop open your hood your going to need to get under there to hook up a vac hose. Jesus photobucket is slow today for uploading!

Step 2: make sure there all no small children around, your going to be cussing alot.

Step 3: WTF PhotoBucket......... load faster!

Step 4: ok your car should look like this, lower your steering wheel as far as it will go.


Step 5: Remove side panel and unscrew the 2 philip head screws you see, Then pull off the surround that goes under the steering wheel. it should look like this.



Step 6: Pull sorta hard but not to hard on the bezel around the cluster, it should pop out, be careful not to pull to hard. There will be 2 yellow clips that may fall out, be sure to find them and put them off to the side. you are also going to want to unscrew the 2 screws that hold the cluster in.




Step 7: The kit i bought came with hose but it was to small to fit on the BOV nipple so i went to blowes and got some that fit. What you need to do is take the hose off the bov and route it under the other hoses so it doesnt look like shit. Place the T fitting that came with the kit in, then cut the hose you had to buy and attach that from one side of the T fitting to the BOV. Place the boost reader module thingy where ever you please and attach it to the other port of the t-fitting and the boost reader thingy. I also attached the reader module with a tiewrap at this point. Durring this part i also spliced together all the wires that run to the boost reader. there was not enough slack to just run the original wire.




Step 8: wiring.... ohh joy! I poke'd a hole in the rubber gromet on the passengers side and put the wire for the boost reader thingy through it, it seemed the easiest place to get a wire through. I also then ran the wire across the under side of the dash to the drivers side.



Step 9: more wiring.... OK so i found that fuse 14 is your illumination that goes on when you turn the headlights on, so i put the illumination wire from the kit to this, fuse 24 is your power when car is turned on IE radio. for this i put the red and white wires to it. And for ground i unscrewed a screw that was part of the structure and put the black wire in there and tightened it back up. i also ran the wires that plug into the boost gauge up and threw the dash and through the cluster opening.



Step 10: at this point i Had to hack alittle out of the cluster surround to get it to fit back in right. i forgot to take a pick of this. Though its not to hard to figure out, and placement might change on where you want to put the gauge.

Step 11: All most done, you can start putting shit back together now. I did the cluster and surround first, be careful not to leave to much slack on the wire for the boost gauge. Then put the under wheel surround back on and the thing on the left to. Then move to under the hood and clean up your spliced wires so they look purdy, i tie wrapped mine for know intill i get get some of that black wire cover crap.





Step 12: at this point, or before you put all the parts back together test and see if the gauge turns on. flip on your head lights it should turn from white to red. If it does your good.

Step 13: test it, make sure you get all the tools out of the engine bay, close the hood, and give her a test run.


Step 14: your done, go out there and have some fun. If you have any questions feel free to PM me with them or post them in this thread, ill answer them as fast as possible. ( blackberry linked to email so it should be fast) Also feel free to comment. There will be many more guides to come in the future. Im sure ive missed somthing in this guide, if you notice it let me know and ill fill it in.
 
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#7 ·
How is the cluster conneted to the car? Is there a wiring connector or some sort of thing that it "snaps" into? I'm thinking about re-routing m gauge so it's not blocking my main cluster now.
 
#20 ·
I don't know if you mentioned this, but it can help if you use some steel draw wire as a pull through when running the cable through the gromet and to the drivers side. The plastic coated type used for gardening is the best for obvious reasons.
 
#21 ·
Nother question,

Did you have a hard time getting the fuses in the block with fuse taps? I was having to push super hard to get them in, like to the point where the block was flexing and I was scared I was going to break something. I'm wondering if these fuse taps are close but not quite. Where did you buy fuse taps? Maybe I'll try Radio Shack
 
#26 ·
You could always buy mini fuses with a pig tail coming out and it makes the install easy fast and you don't have to worry about cutting wires from the car.







http://www.tessco.com/products/displayProductInfo.do?sku=48079




Fuses
Mini-ATM & Maxi-ATC Fuses [615-12]


Log in to view your pricing.
Mini ATM Pigtail Fuses
Mini ATC fuses plug directly into a fuse block. Will not interfere with OEM fuse box covers.



Product Details for 48079
Manufacturer Accele Electronics
Table Mini ATM Pigtail Fuses
Product Description Mini ATM Pigtail Fuse 20A
Item# 48079







Image
GSA Contract:
GS-06F-0008P
Schedule:
51 V - Hardware Superstore

Product Narrative Mini ATC fuses plug directly into a fuse block. Will not interfere with OEM fuse box covers.
Description 20 amp pigtail mini ATM fuse
Advise Customer
Warranty 30 Days
Qty/Uom 12 PACK
Price
Log in Now List $17.35





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#27 ·
Yah I almost bought some of those but I couldn't bring myself to spend more on the fuses than I spent on my gauge (yes I bought a crap gauge off ebay lol). I ended up just tapping wires. I also bought some heavy duty vacuum tubing to replace the clear stuff since what they gave me was too short. Great instructions for tearing the dash up. Lots of room back there for wires tubes etc. I'm thinking about something cool on the other side of the cowl now.....
 
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