| Author |
Message |
JaimeReyes
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: San diego CA
|
 Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 2:15 pm Post subject: rpm gauge hookup |
 |
|
i’ve got this vdo guage that came with the car but doesn’t seemed to be working/hooked up. don’t have the slightest clue about electronics so i’m in need of some help hooking this thing up.
it’s only got one wire connected right now and it goes to the speedometer.
ive found this mystery wire that seems to go through the car and is hooked up to the positive side of the coil but i could be wrong
any help with what wires i need and where to hook them up would be a huge help. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
blaunuts
Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2016
Posts: 22
Location: Columbia PA USA
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 5:43 pm Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| Hi I have a tach just like this one its kind of rare,just move the red wire to the center terminal then move the other end to the negative side of the coil then plus(+) side of gauge goes to key on power and negative goes to ground (body) hope that helps Greg |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
EverettB 
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 70816
Location: Phoenix 602
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JaimeReyes
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: San diego CA
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 7:15 pm Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| blaunuts wrote: |
| Hi I have a tach just like this one its kind of rare,just move the red wire to the center terminal then move the other end to the negative side of the coil then plus(+) side of gauge goes to key on power and negative goes to ground (body) hope that helps Greg |
like i understand what you’re saying but no idea how to execute it. the only part i get is hooking it up to the negative side of the coil. not sure where a key on power source would be or where a wire to ground would go. pretty stupid with this kind of stuff  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kx5inOR
Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2018
Posts: 5
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 3:23 pm Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| JaimeReyes wrote: |
| blaunuts wrote: |
| Hi I have a tach just like this one its kind of rare,just move the red wire to the center terminal then move the other end to the negative side of the coil then plus(+) side of gauge goes to key on power and negative goes to ground (body) hope that helps Greg |
like i understand what you’re saying but no idea how to execute it. the only part i get is hooking it up to the negative side of the coil. not sure where a key on power source would be or where a wire to ground would go. pretty stupid with this kind of stuff |
This is my first post and I apologize for not having the complete answer but I thought some pictures of an operational(well the tach is operational at least) setup might help.
On ours the green wire is the one going to the negative side of the coil as blaunuts noted. The only other connection to the negative side of the coil is going to the electronic "points" in the distributor.
I'll try to see if I can find a better angle of the rats nest to try to show where mine is getting power, ground, and backlight.
Samba has great wiring diagrams for us here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/1970_VW_Type_1_Poster.jpg
The fuse terminals are laid out in the same orientation as the diagram on the vehicle so the switched power could be taken from the terminal on the passenger end of the fuse box where the radio hookup is.
It is always best practice to check with a multimeter to make sure it does what we think/hope it does before hooking it up though given how many hands have touched these things in the last 48 years. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JaimeReyes
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: San diego CA
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 5:58 pm Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| kx5inOR wrote: |
I'll try to see if I can find a better angle of the rats nest to try to show where mine is getting power, ground, and backlight.
Samba has great wiring diagrams for us here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/1970_VW_Type_1_Poster.jpg
The fuse terminals are laid out in the same orientation as the diagram on the vehicle so the switched power could be taken from the terminal on the passenger end of the fuse box where the radio hookup is.
It is always best practice to check with a multimeter to make sure it does what we think/hope it does before hooking it up though given how many hands have touched these things in the last 48 years. |
okay cool that would be awesome! so your keyed on power source is on one of the fuses? where do you have your ground hooked up? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cusser
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006
Posts: 32364
Location: Hot Arizona
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 6:10 pm Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| JaimeReyes wrote: |
| so your keyed on power source is on one of the fuses? where do you have your ground hooked up? |
I have a similar tachometer on my 1971, just goes to 7000 rpm.
Yes, positive power needs to tap into a fused switched-on location of the fuse box. Ground wire goes to any body metal, like on an existing ground wire mount (brown wires) or a sheet metal screw into the body. There are several ground screws in the "trunk" area, like at front corners of the fuel tank.
The illumination should tap in parallel to the dash cluster illumination.
For the signal wire, you'll need a wire from coil negative terminal #1 (typically single green wire there to the distributor) forward to the signal terminal of the tachometer.
Might also be a good time to run additional wires back to the engine compartment for other future gauges. I ran my wires under the driver side running board.
_________________
1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Brian
Samba Moderator
Joined: May 28, 2012
Posts: 8340
Location: Oceanside
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 9:38 pm Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
Yo, I'll buy one of those tachs off one of you guys. I have a nice large VDO and want a smaller one
_________________
Wash your hands
'69 Bug
'68 Baja Truck
'71 Bug
'68 Camper
Only losers litter |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MonkeySee
Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2013
Posts: 209
Location: Big D
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 5:49 am Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
I don't mean to throw this discussion off or anything but are you using a bay bus firewall tin on your bug? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MonkeySee
Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2013
Posts: 209
Location: Big D
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 6:04 am Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
This is a beetle firewall tin.
This is a bus firewall tin.
If you're running a dog house cooler you have a one year only bus firewall tin. Those are hard to find.
I know some bus people who would love to have that tin. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kx5inOR
Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2018
Posts: 5
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 8:52 am Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| JaimeReyes wrote: |
| kx5inOR wrote: |
I'll try to see if I can find a better angle of the rats nest to try to show where mine is getting power, ground, and backlight.
Samba has great wiring diagrams for us here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/1970_VW_Type_1_Poster.jpg
The fuse terminals are laid out in the same orientation as the diagram on the vehicle so the switched power could be taken from the terminal on the passenger end of the fuse box where the radio hookup is.
It is always best practice to check with a multimeter to make sure it does what we think/hope it does before hooking it up though given how many hands have touched these things in the last 48 years. |
okay cool that would be awesome! so your keyed on power source is on one of the fuses? where do you have your ground hooked up? |
Hope this helps. I added colored straight lines to help bring out the connections but the actual wires are visible from this angle. Looks like they found ground on the bottom of the windshield wiper motor terminals.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JaimeReyes
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: San diego CA
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 11:01 am Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| MonkeySee wrote: |
This is a beetle firewall tin.
This is a bus firewall tin.
If you're running a dog house cooler you have a one year only bus firewall tin. Those are hard to find.
I know some bus people who would love to have that tin. |
i’m not sure honestly, it was on the car when i bought it! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JaimeReyes
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: San diego CA
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 11:05 am Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| kx5inOR wrote: |
Hope this helps. I added colored straight lines to help bring out the connections but the actual wires are visible from this angle. Looks like they found ground on the bottom of the windshield wiper motor terminals.
|
dude this helps a lot! thank you, i really appreciate you taking the time and showing me some pictures. gonna try to hook it up soon |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JaimeReyes
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: San diego CA
|
| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:25 pm Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| i need to buy some new wires to get this all connected. i’ve seen a few different gauges of wire and no idea which size to get? any recommendations? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kx5inOR
Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2018
Posts: 5
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
|
| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:39 am Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| JaimeReyes wrote: |
| i need to buy some new wires to get this all connected. i’ve seen a few different gauges of wire and no idea which size to get? any recommendations? |
16 gauge |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JaimeReyes
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2018
Posts: 165
Location: San diego CA
|
| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:44 am Post subject: Re: rpm gauge hookup |
|
|
| kx5inOR wrote: |
| JaimeReyes wrote: |
| i need to buy some new wires to get this all connected. i’ve seen a few different gauges of wire and no idea which size to get? any recommendations? |
16 gauge |
cool thanks! you’ve been a huge help |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
