Which wire?

[vwfreak]

I want to tap into my dash lights to illuminate some add-on gauges. What wire off the light switch operates the dimmer for the gauge cluster lights?

I'm working on a 1967 F250 with no electrical modifications to this point.

[HIO Silver]

C'mon now... Mr. Fordification has provided schematics on this page: http://www.fordification.com/tech/schematics_h.htm

Here's the schematic
: http://www.fordification.com/tech/wiring/wiring-1967interiorlights.jpg
Blue with a red stripe.

Nice lights, nice bumps.

[vwfreak]

That lit a fuse for sure..... My wife has banned me from Fordification!!

Seriously, blue with red stripe #19 it is. Also, it looks as if I tap it right out of the light switch that I am getting it before it's fused. Is that the case? If so I probably ought to add a 2A fuse in my line to the gauge light, correct?

[HIO Silver]

That lit a fuse for sure..... My wife has banned me from Fordification!!

Seriously, blue with red stripe #19 it is. Also, it looks as if I tap it right out of the light switch that I am getting it before it's fused. Is that the case? If so I probably ought to add a 2A fuse in my line to the gauge light, correct?

).... Just a lil entertainment..!

Correct... it'll be a non-fused tap so yeah, add one.

[mrollings53]

Or, you could get it at the end of it's run after it's fused. Check around the cigar lighter. There should be a blue/red wire with a female bullet connector hanging around somewhere there. It might be attached to a light on top of the lighter housing. You can splice in here without adding a fuse. Don't throw too many lights on though, or you will blow the fuse. You can probably get away with using a 4 or 5 amp fuse instead of the 2 amp one. This isn't an issue if the new lights are LED's.

[vwfreak]

I'll check it out mrolling53. Thanks. Am adding 4 AutoMeter gauges but didn't get the LED upgrade.

[Nitekruizer]

Or, you could get it at the end of it's run after it's fused. Check around the cigar lighter. There should be a blue/red wire with a female bullet connector hanging around somewhere there. It might be attached to a light on top of the lighter housing. You can splice in here without adding a fuse. Don't throw too many lights on though, or you will blow the fuse. You can probably get away with using a 4 or 5 amp fuse instead of the 2 amp one. This isn't an issue if the new lights are LED's.

One more caution. This wire is controlled by the rheostat in the headlight switch so that the dash lights can be dimmed. If you connect too many bulbs, you can overheat and burn out the rheostat dimmer control.

[mrollings53]

Or, you could get it at the end of it's run after it's fused. Check around the cigar lighter. There should be a blue/red wire with a female bullet connector hanging around somewhere there. It might be attached to a light on top of the lighter housing. You can splice in here without adding a fuse. Don't throw too many lights on though, or you will blow the fuse. You can probably get away with using a 4 or 5 amp fuse instead of the 2 amp one. This isn't an issue if the new lights are LED's.

One more caution. This wire is controlled by the rheostat in the headlight switch so that the dash lights can be dimmed. If you connect too many bulbs, you can overheat and burn out the rheostat dimmer control.

If you use anything more than a two amp fuse then yes. Otherwise the fuse will blow before too much of a load is put on the rheostat.

[vwfreak]

Or, you could get it at the end of it's run after it's fused. Check around the cigar lighter. There should be a blue/red wire with a female bullet connector hanging around somewhere there. It might be attached to a light on top of the lighter housing. You can splice in here without adding a fuse. Don't throw too many lights on though, or you will blow the fuse. You can probably get away with using a 4 or 5 amp fuse instead of the 2 amp one. This isn't an issue if the new lights are LED's.

One more caution. This wire is controlled by the rheostat in the headlight switch so that the dash lights can be dimmed. If you connect too many bulbs, you can overheat and burn out the rheostat dimmer control.

If you use anything more than a two amp fuse then yes. Otherwise the fuse will blow before too much of a load is put on the rheostat.

Okay, are you talking fuse the new instrument light run after the cigar lighter wire, or did you mean tap in at the light switch and fuse it there, OR did you mean no fuse after the cigar wire tap and use a 2A fuse in the fuse box for whatever circuit the instrument lights are on...? Sorry for being dolt.... Trying to understand so I don't screw up original, fully functioning parts!

[Nitekruizer]

Okay, are you talking fuse the new instrument light run after the cigar lighter wire, or did you mean tap in at the light switch and fuse it there, OR did you mean no fuse after the cigar wire tap and use a 2A fuse in the fuse box for whatever circuit the instrument lights are on...? Sorry for being dolt.... Trying to understand so I don't screw up original, fully functioning parts!

When I did mine, I scraped a little insulation off of the blue/red stripe wire where it plugs into the back of the cluster and tapped into the circuit there. I didn't actually cut the wire. Looking back, it would have been easier to just splice or, even better, plug into the wire at the cigarette lighter. I left the 2 Amp fuse in the fuse box alone. I just wanted to be able to dim the bulb in my tach , so I had no problems. You should be okay if you're just adding 3 or 4 small bulbs like #53's, #194's, ect. If you use the wire at the cigarette lighter, you can run an inline fuse as an added measure of protection after that point if you want to. I would leave the 2 Amp fuse in the fuse box.

[ToughOldFord]

The '67 is sort of an odd-ball year so ignore if this doesn't apply to you. I no longer have a '67 and cannot verify this.

There is a fuse marked "inst" on your fuse-box that powers the instrument lights. It's wired between the light switch and the lights. Just tap into that fuse and you are good to go.


HIO, if my bump had headlights like that I'd drive it a hellofa lot more@

[vwfreak]

So what I did was to attempt to unplug the bullet connector at the cigar lighter today.... That joint has probably permanently fused itself after 46 years.... So I ultimately ended up scraping some of the black insulation off the lead after the blue/red stripe bullet connection and I soldered a wire in to jumper over to the tach and three gauge console. All works well.

TougholdFord, you are correct: there is a tiny litle fuse marked "Inst" with no amperage designation (I assume 2A) in the center of the fuse box.