Ok I started the install of my gauge overlays . Now im stuck I have instructions but there for an install on 98-01 Explorer , it state to splice the red power into the White wire with black stripe for power from light switch but I can not find any wire like that can anybody tell me the wire that give power off the dimmer if that makes sense .

 

should be the brown wire, i used scotchloc's at first, but wire for the overlay was to small and kept shorting out, so i ended up using butt connectors.

if you get smaller scotchloc's (red) you should be ok.

i also used the black ground wire for the headlight switch illumination light as the ground, it is the really small black wire you can see in the picture.

 

On a 01 it's a light blue with a red stripe from the IPD module to the insturment cluster for the dash illumination. Back probe at the IPD or the dash connector with a test light until you find the correct wire.

 

you don't want to use the wire that dims with the lights, you want to use the wire for the parking lights.

it will cause the "power inverter?" for the overlay to stop working.

 

Forgive me here REV but can this be explained in english im not very good at wiring , and Dont have a test light .
I thought there was a thread that had a description for every wire but could not find it .

 

take my advice, you should be fine.

 

If the overlay only needs to see a power signal that you've turn on the lights then I would suspect you can use the brown wire for the park lamps as 5speedin2.3 is recommending, but if it needs to use the vehicles dimmer control you'll need to find the wire between the instrument panel dimmer (IPD module) and dash cluster.

Does the overlay have its own dimmer control?

 

Yes sir it does , Im going to the hardware store now to get the splices im guna hook up to the brown wire and see what heppens , Thanks for the quick responses .

 

not a problem.

hook the red wire to the brown wire, and the black to the black.


goodluck.

 

Be sure to post up pics when you're done Nick. I wanna see how it turns out!