How to wire a gauge in a 1990 Yj - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

offroadjunkie · 11-26-2008, 01:35 PM

Time for a newbie electrical question... i can rebuild rear ends but i know next to nothing about wiring.

At some point over the past couple owners my yj's (1990 4.2L) temperature gauge and oil pressure gauge stopped working. Well I figured it was just a sending unit and popped the hood to find no wire going to the sending units!!! Who in the hell rips out wires for sending units!!! So my plan is to run the wires how it came from the factory to the sending units that are already there, if the sending units are bad i will replace them then.

I have little to no experience wiring, i mean i rewired a winch here a couple of days ago and it works great. So my question is does anyone have a diagram or something that could help me out, i figure i would was more time looking for the cut wires that just running new ones myself.

What i dont know is how do i get power to them? i mean i can physically take a wire put it on the sending unit and attach it to the gauge but will that make it work? i think its more complex than that. So does anyone have any pointers or a picture that could help me, i dont have access to another jeep with the same motor so i cant really check that. Thanks a bunch guys!

Tired · 11-26-2008, 06:00 PM

The factory wires the guages (my 2.5 diagram here is a 1990) to a separate circuit board to save wiring mess. You can wire each guage up with a direct wire from the engine sender to the guage, ground it, and run the illumination wire to lighted ignition power, but it would be easier to use the existing circuit board you should have somewhere behind the guages.

Sorry I can't be more precise today, but my guage project (replacing all of them with aftermarket and a new panel) isn't until January or Feb blahs...

So run the direct line to the circuit board (not sure if it runs through the fusepanel on the firewall or a separate grommet on the firewall...) from the engine compartment and ground and illuminate through this board.

Hope that helps

Tired · 11-26-2008, 06:22 PM

this might also help for the engine side of the panel:

good luck, keep in mind this is my 2.5L and the guage senders are likely in different spots...

offroadjunkie · 11-26-2008, 10:20 PM

In those pictures what does the F5 and C4 stand for?

Tired · 11-27-2008, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by offroadjunkie

In those pictures what does the F5 and C4 stand for?

That looks like the connector that goes thru the firewall.

11-26-2008, 01:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
offroadjunkie Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Member # 80641 Location: Lincoln, Ca/Denver, Co Posts: 1,302	How to wire a gauge in a 1990 Yj Time for a newbie electrical question... i can rebuild rear ends but i know next to nothing about wiring. At some point over the past couple owners my yj's (1990 4.2L) temperature gauge and oil pressure gauge stopped working. Well I figured it was just a sending unit and popped the hood to find no wire going to the sending units!!! Who in the hell rips out wires for sending units!!! So my plan is to run the wires how it came from the factory to the sending units that are already there, if the sending units are bad i will replace them then. I have little to no experience wiring, i mean i rewired a winch here a couple of days ago and it works great. So my question is does anyone have a diagram or something that could help me out, i figure i would was more time looking for the cut wires that just running new ones myself. What i dont know is how do i get power to them? i mean i can physically take a wire put it on the sending unit and attach it to the gauge but will that make it work? i think its more complex than that. So does anyone have any pointers or a picture that could help me, i dont have access to another jeep with the same motor so i cant really check that. Thanks a bunch guys! __________________ [QUOTE=beater82;10779355]You should try patriotism. That stuff can fuck some shit up.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=DillWeed;9324924]Kid... you are looking for a dance club and you stumbled into an old school tavern full of mean drunks...Run for your life.[/QUOTE] 1990 yj, 44/60, d300, howell FI- sold Last edited by offroadjunkie; 11-26-2008 at 01:36 PM.

11-26-2008, 06:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
Tired Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Member # 121338 Location: BC Posts: 44	this might also help for the engine side of the panel: good luck, keep in mind this is my 2.5L and the guage senders are likely in different spots... Last edited by Tired; 11-26-2008 at 06:23 PM.

11-26-2008, 10:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
offroadjunkie Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Member # 80641 Location: Lincoln, Ca/Denver, Co Posts: 1,302	In those pictures what does the F5 and C4 stand for? __________________ [QUOTE=beater82;10779355]You should try patriotism. That stuff can fuck some shit up.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=DillWeed;9324924]Kid... you are looking for a dance club and you stumbled into an old school tavern full of mean drunks...Run for your life.[/QUOTE] 1990 yj, 44/60, d300, howell FI- sold

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11-26-2008, 06:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tired Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Member # 121338 Location: BC Posts: 44	The factory wires the guages (my 2.5 diagram here is a 1990) to a separate circuit board to save wiring mess. You can wire each guage up with a direct wire from the engine sender to the guage, ground it, and run the illumination wire to lighted ignition power, but it would be easier to use the existing circuit board you should have somewhere behind the guages. Sorry I can't be more precise today, but my guage project (replacing all of them with aftermarket and a new panel) isn't until January or Feb blahs... So run the direct line to the circuit board (not sure if it runs through the fusepanel on the firewall or a separate grommet on the firewall...) from the engine compartment and ground and illuminate through this board. Hope that helps