autometer pillar and gauge install
06-08-2014, 05:39 PM
#1
Ok so finally doing this after having the stuff for a few months and decided a write up would be nice since there's not much on this. I'm doing this as I work on it so it won't be completed right at this minute.
Last edited by Krack499; 06-08-2014 at 05:41 PM.
06-08-2014, 05:57 PM
#2
This is all for a 99 5.4 V8. I will be doing the coolant temp sensor first. First as with any electrical work iBook the battery. The ground is a 8mm
Next remove your throttle body cover using a 10mm socket or wrench, and either completely remove the air intake tube (which would be easier to work in) or do what I did and just unhook it from the throttle body and move it off to the side.
What I'm after is the plug with coolant line coming off the intake manifold right behind the alternator. Some trucks don't have a coolant line coming of it, if not I'd imagine it's just a plug and the supplied 3/8" adaptor will work. If you're truck has the same coolant line right there as mine you will need a 3/8" tee with one side being male I'll post a link to it on the first post. It looks like this on mine.
Now you'll want to remove the house coming off that by first moving the clamp up with pliers and the gently pull up on the line ONLY DO THIS WHEN THE TRUCK IS COLD. Coolant will come out of the line.
Then with a 19mm wrench unscrew the metal fitting from the intake manifold.
Now take the supplied temp sensor and 3/8" adaptor and put them together using 12mm and 19mm wrenches. Autometer recommends using thread tape which I did with all my parts.
Next remove your throttle body cover using a 10mm socket or wrench, and either completely remove the air intake tube (which would be easier to work in) or do what I did and just unhook it from the throttle body and move it off to the side.
What I'm after is the plug with coolant line coming off the intake manifold right behind the alternator. Some trucks don't have a coolant line coming of it, if not I'd imagine it's just a plug and the supplied 3/8" adaptor will work. If you're truck has the same coolant line right there as mine you will need a 3/8" tee with one side being male I'll post a link to it on the first post. It looks like this on mine.
Now you'll want to remove the house coming off that by first moving the clamp up with pliers and the gently pull up on the line ONLY DO THIS WHEN THE TRUCK IS COLD. Coolant will come out of the line.
Then with a 19mm wrench unscrew the metal fitting from the intake manifold.
Now take the supplied temp sensor and 3/8" adaptor and put them together using 12mm and 19mm wrenches. Autometer recommends using thread tape which I did with all my parts.
The following users liked this post:
Luckyse7ens (07-16-2014)
06-08-2014, 06:10 PM
#3
If your truck has no coolant line there then simply screw the sensor in place, if not get your tee adaptor and screw the metal fitting for the coolant line into the top .I picked mine up from a local hardware store after ordering the wrong ones online.
Now screw the whole thing back into the hole in the intake manifold.
Next go into the cab and remove the drivers side pillar, you may have to also take off the rubber seal. Run a wire( I used 16 gauge) from where the pillar meet the dash down under the dash. In the pic you'll see a wire going up that's just to my cab lights nothing to do with this project for now.
Now route the wire up under the dash and through the firewall I found a nice unused plug to go through.
Take the end of the wire and crimp on a connector that you'll have to pic up because the gauge doesn't come with them. Screw the sensor into the tee and wire the sensor up as instructed by the autometer instructions the small nut is 3/8".
Now run the wiring how you like from the sensor to the firewall andreinstall the air intake tube and throttle body cover.
Now screw the whole thing back into the hole in the intake manifold.
Next go into the cab and remove the drivers side pillar, you may have to also take off the rubber seal. Run a wire( I used 16 gauge) from where the pillar meet the dash down under the dash. In the pic you'll see a wire going up that's just to my cab lights nothing to do with this project for now.
Now route the wire up under the dash and through the firewall I found a nice unused plug to go through.
Take the end of the wire and crimp on a connector that you'll have to pic up because the gauge doesn't come with them. Screw the sensor into the tee and wire the sensor up as instructed by the autometer instructions the small nut is 3/8".
Now run the wiring how you like from the sensor to the firewall andreinstall the air intake tube and throttle body cover.
06-08-2014, 07:50 PM
#4
Ok so went inside and made up some wiring harness from top to bottom it is
1 harness for the lights
1 harness for the gauge ground
1 harness for the gauge ignition switch
3 harnesses for the gauge senders
Also drilled holes in my factory pillar for the wiring
1 harness for the lights
1 harness for the gauge ground
1 harness for the gauge ignition switch
3 harnesses for the gauge senders
Also drilled holes in my factory pillar for the wiring
06-08-2014, 08:56 PM
#5
Senior Member
Did you really want to drill holes into factory pillar. I just run the wires down on top of factory pillar but behind auto meter pillar. If I ever decided to remove the pillar pod.
06-08-2014, 09:15 PM
#7
Be careful when using pipe tape on sensor threads. The sensor gets it's electrical ground through the threads, occasionally if you use too much sealer or tape you will end up partially or totally insulating the sensor and it will not work correctly, if at all.
If you have trouble, check the sensor body to ground with an ohm meter.
If you have trouble, check the sensor body to ground with an ohm meter.
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Krack499 (06-08-2014)
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06-08-2014, 09:16 PM
#8
Be careful when using pipe tape on sensor threads. The sensor gets it's electrical ground through the threads, occasionally if you use too much sealer or tape you will end up partially or totally insulating the sensor and it will not work correctly, if at all.
If you have trouble, check the sensor body to ground with an ohm meter.
If you have trouble, check the sensor body to ground with an ohm meter.
06-08-2014, 09:28 PM
#9
Ok where am I...I used 3m tape to hold both pillars together and ran my wires through the holes
Then I connected the wire for my water temp, tapped into the cab light wire for lights, ran a wire from the negative on the battery through the firewall to ground everything, and ran 2 wires from the other gauges under the dash labeled "t" and "o" for when I get those hooked up.
Forgot to take a pic but I taped up all the wiring behind the pillar so it wasn't so messy.
Now when I wired them to the ignition I used a fuse tap into the #8 fuse in the fuse panel, and for the lights I used the power wire for my cab lights, but that's got a fuse tap into the #18 fuse.
And finished in the cab
Then I connected the wire for my water temp, tapped into the cab light wire for lights, ran a wire from the negative on the battery through the firewall to ground everything, and ran 2 wires from the other gauges under the dash labeled "t" and "o" for when I get those hooked up.
Forgot to take a pic but I taped up all the wiring behind the pillar so it wasn't so messy.
Now when I wired them to the ignition I used a fuse tap into the #8 fuse in the fuse panel, and for the lights I used the power wire for my cab lights, but that's got a fuse tap into the #18 fuse.
And finished in the cab
06-08-2014, 09:57 PM
#10
Professional lackey
One single Aeroforce Interceptor gauge could replace the coolant and trans temp gauges. Wiring it is as simple as plugging it into your OBD2 port, and it takes it's readings from the factory sensor signals sent to your PCM. A lot of wasted time and space here.