Date:         Sun, 19 Sep 2004 09:30:24 -0700
Reply-To:     jbange <hfinn@INGRATES.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         jbange <hfinn@INGRATES.NET>
Subject:      Re: Oil pressure gage power tap?
In-Reply-To:  <20040919092637.59542.qmail@web53510.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

>I am going to be installing my oil pressure gage this
>week (maybe tomorrow?), and want to know if there is a
>recommended point to tap into for power.

I actually found an "extra" accessory power spade lug on the wiring under
the dash (probably for power windows or some other thing I don't have) but
pretty much anything is fine. The safest bet is usually the radio power lead.

>Thirdly, the conventional location seems to be
>directly to the right of the dash pod, but is there a
>less conspicuous location that is just as easy to
>read?  I was kind of thinking down in front of the
>shifter, pointing up, but this really isn't as
>readable.

I tried putting the pod in all manner of locations, but in the end I put it
in the standard place, to the right of the instrument cluster. Every other
place I tried either required too much head-turning or neck-craning, or was
in the way of something else. I suppose one doesn't need to look at  the
oil pressure gauge all the time, but I'm a strong believer in "paranoid
maintenance" so I have an irrational need to check the oil pressure every
half minute or so. Maybe I'll be able to relax now that I've taken the ol'
White Elephant out on its first long trip and not had a single problem.
I've actually seen someone squeeze a gauge in below the rear defroster
switch by relocating the hazard flasher switch and drilling out a 2" hole
in place of it and the blank switch hole below it. Clean, and nice
visibility, but a little too dangerous for my limited skills, so I opted
for the easy way out.

John Bange
'90 Vanagon "Geldsauger"