ive searched and found some really helpfull guides to install guages. im just highly frustrated right now. trying to learn from the ground up on how to install my water temp. gauge. i honestly feel like i might as well have not read anything at all, the tech sec. shows pics of the steering colum, . .. but not what he is doing (step 16 see 15) noooo idea. maybee im just real dumb, i dono. so my point is, where / how to install this temp. sensor, 1/2 of me wants to drop it in my radiator like im fishing or something, im unable to find "Temperature Sending Unit" in other words, im confused , or lost , but mostly frustrated.

 

ok, 23 views and no help. i kept researching this thing, apparantly 1/2 the people here install these gauges but never hook them up. then the other 1/2 hook them up and never help anyone else. so here i am in the same place.
scion life is real helpfull , in 99% of issues, but this one, people mostly fake the funk with pics of gauges (that dont work). well when i see someone who needs help after i install this thing with no help, I WILL help others who ask.

 

oh, ok ok, so just tap in through your cig. lighter. oh man, no problem. . . oh ok, so how do you get to the wires?
dont worry people ill save this entire thread to my progress, . . . .

 

someone just said "um, duh, use a multimeter , turn your lights on, and there ya go, use the wire that has a current when the lights are on." oh geez, why didnt i think of that? oh wait, i did, a meter cant see through the plastic insulation, oh ya, and am i supposed to splice every single wire till i find the one, good thing their all 12 wires are all bunched together. this is going great! 10 more views with no replies. . . . the mission continues.

 

i would help but i have no idea what i am doing with the gauges sorry man..... but i am diggin your thread....

 

i would help but i have no idea what i am doing with the gauges sorry man..... but i am diggin your thread....

 

Its fun talking to yourself on a thread isnt it, ive done it more than i would like to say. But your having problems finding where to get the temp signal from, correct. Is the guage digital or mechanical, did you get a sending unit for the guage. I will see what i can find to help you out. Hang in there brother, alot of us like Froto said just dont know, and the people who do know may not have read the thread or havent been on in a bit. But we will find you answers.

 

its electrical. i used the ignition plug and made sure the light works. it does. still trying to figure out how to get to the cig lighter wires. (easy right?) no.

 

Well to get to the cig lighter wires you have to take the center dash off and then pull the pocket assembly out, not hard just a few minutes and some tools. Im still looking for where to get your signal for the temp at and have pmed a few people.

 

Okay i dont know if you have read the three threads im going to post below. But it looks like you going to need a sending unit to get your water temp guage to work. They tell you how to hook the sender up and where to get the pieces for hooking the sender in(if that made sense). But ill post them and let you decide what to do, but ill keep looking, let me know what your going to do.

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...ht=temp+sender
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...ht=temp+sender
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...ht=temp+sender

Hope these help a little....

 

First of all you need one of these:
http://ssuperstore.com/product_info....roducts_id/116
You screw the sending unit into that unit. Then you have to cut your radiator hose and install the unit in between and clamp it on both ends. That takes care of the hard part. Now run a wire from the sending unit to the back of the gauge. It should be markes "S" or something similar for the sending unit wire . "+" for acc power which can be found behind the radio and "-" for ground. That's the easiest quick way to expalin it right now. I hope this helps

 

proshop xb, thank you. i have ripped my center out and accessed my cig lighter, through there i have made much progress. power to the gauge, lights as well. links helped very much. odd how the 3 of us have been talking while over 100 people viewed this thread. . . . interesting.

 

Nice info.

 

Here is another thread to hold on to it has all the wire colors for behind the radio and under the dash, or most the wires under the dash, it may help in the future.

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...ht=wire+colors

 

next time i get all frustrated ill wait till sun eve. to post some frustrating stuff. ill post some pics on me throwing some tools and whatnot.

 

welp, now i know exactly where the wires are going. apparantly radio shack is closed, so i cant get the wire extensions i need, but the point of today was not to totally install, just to basically "get it" . when i install this thing, yes, yes yes, ill be taking pics, explaining everything. hopefully it will be added to the tech section to replace the sorry epod tech. thank you proshopxb its people like you that help people like me not give up , or hate the world for something stupid and simple as a gauge. by this wed. ill have the camera and parts to install this stupid thing. thank you.

 

No prob SwaTx21, thats what im here for to learn,to help answer questions and to have my own questions answered. Oh and to see some sick modded Scions. I hope the mod goes smoothly for you( may the force be with you, haha), please post some pics and if you ever need help again, let me know.

 

Ditto.

 

ya , wed. or thurs i should have the modivation to get this install step by step with pics. my gauge came with the wire to hook upto the headlights but im not even about to start weeding out which one to run off. it runs fine electrically off the cig lighter. (thanks for helping me access) , but otherwise my walkthrough should be pretty accurate. thanks again. ill p.m. you to check it out when im done.

 

I wish I had read this post earlier, there are lots of options for power, under the hood and inside. You can also get a volt meter that you don't have to cut the wire to read wether or not you have power. Hope you got it done alright!