Gauges in vents!!!
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Winchester, IL
Gauges in vents!!! Hey im looking into putting 3 gauges in my a/c vents in my 97 trans am can anyone give me some step by step instructions on how to do this and where to run the wires and any other helpful information.
so you want to freeze your *** off in the winter? losing 3 of the 5 main vents is a bad idea if you ask me.
but if you really want to do it then step 1 is to pull the dash apart because there are several things you need to do.
Remove vent tips (the pieces that let you point the air)
get into the duct work and PERMANENTLY block off air flow to those 3 ports (you don't want the "super heat" these cars put out when the heater is on blowing against the back of the gauges)
while the dash is apart run the wires as needed for whatever your new gauges are.
but if you really want to do it then step 1 is to pull the dash apart because there are several things you need to do.
Remove vent tips (the pieces that let you point the air)
get into the duct work and PERMANENTLY block off air flow to those 3 ports (you don't want the "super heat" these cars put out when the heater is on blowing against the back of the gauges)
while the dash is apart run the wires as needed for whatever your new gauges are.
check out 6litre designs, they make custom gauge bezels for fbodys.. i would recommend getting the dual gauge bezel, it has vents cut out on the sides.. if you go with anymore gauge holes there will not be anymore room. I personally went with the dual gauge bezel.. looks good and you can still use your heater/AC.. AND no it doesnt get too hot for your gauges.. Wiring is the least of your problems, very easy to hide everything
No need to pull apart your dash by any means to do gauges in the vents. Depending on the size of your gauges you could get away with Fernco PCV couplers from lowes or home depot. I went this route for my gauges and couldnt be happer. Cost less than $10 for home made "Gauge Bezels" that grip the gauge cups and hold them SECURELY. As stated by bestlude there is not enough heat generated to hurt the gauges whatsoever.
The air vents/directors simply pull out. Just get a good grip and give it a pull.
To wire my gauges I opted to pull the radio out, drill a small hole through the hvac ducting (slowly and with a vacuum hose nearby to suck up any debris, go slow enough and you wont get a single bit of debris down the ductworks) You can seal up the hole around the wires once they're ran with some silicone or you can buy a gromet if you can find one that works for your wires.
Takes about 20min to install the gauges and route the wires. Dont worry about PERMANENTLY blocking off your ducting. The gauges will block the airflow and in turn divert the air more towards the side vents.
The air vents/directors simply pull out. Just get a good grip and give it a pull.
To wire my gauges I opted to pull the radio out, drill a small hole through the hvac ducting (slowly and with a vacuum hose nearby to suck up any debris, go slow enough and you wont get a single bit of debris down the ductworks) You can seal up the hole around the wires once they're ran with some silicone or you can buy a gromet if you can find one that works for your wires.
Takes about 20min to install the gauges and route the wires. Dont worry about PERMANENTLY blocking off your ducting. The gauges will block the airflow and in turn divert the air more towards the side vents.
i have all three of the vents filled with gagues. Have no issues with heat and the blocked vents. Ac might be a different story(mine happens to be broken) but more air comes out the side vents and i really dont see an issue. It does look killer and for the most part people that really dont know the car have no idea there were vents there and think it came stock that way...
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The outer 2 gauges are prosport gauges. 52 mm if memory serves me. The middle wideband af gauge was another brand altogether. I dont remember who its made by but when I bought the prosports I bought a 3rd gauge, cheapest one they had that matched and I gutted it to make my wideband match and not stick out. I'm thinking about replacing these with prosports halo series gauges. They look awesome and have alert features. Their evo series also look sweet if you're into digital gauges.
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