First of all thank you for everybody's patients with all the questions I've been peppering the forum with.

I'm going into do my shift or pushing today and noticed these when I pulled the carpet back. This is obviously factory wiring, and I believe these were in every car but simply unused if you didn't order the appearance package that had the center consul. Is that correct?

Before I dig out a wiring diagram does anyone know offhand what these are for?
Thanks!

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Those are for the optional center console gauges.

Yup!

In my case, the OO took it out for leg room to take his 2 girls to work, but I never got it from him after I bought it in Dec `75, so had to buy one in recent years.

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Tom
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Thanks for the confirmation gentlemen.

So I can use those, once I source the proper sender, with this then, correct?

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Unless I'm missing something (it's happened before ) that's the stock, in dash combo gauge. The harness for that should already be in place. The wiring for the center console would not be for any of the gauges or idiot lights in that combo gauge (except for gauge lighting)

Hi there. My car is a 73 and did not come with the combo gauge, I want to install one so I can better keep an eye on the car but not put a center consul in. .

So I think what I'll be doing is reconnecting some existing wiring that's connected to my non-combination gauge to this one plus some of that wiring under the carpet that I took a picture of up to the combination gauge as well.

OK...that makes sense.

I think the only wire you will be able to use from the optional console wiring will be the temperature sending unit to gauge. The others would be for a clock and voltmeter.

Like said above, the only thing useful would be the oil temp wire (green/black), which you could extend up into the gauge cluster to run the combo gauge.


PS: The other end of that wire should be located on top of the engine shelf under the battery tray, next to the hell hole. That's where the temp sensor would plug into.

That's the one I want!

Thank you for the follow up.

Thanks.

That's the green with black stripe, right? There should be a terminal, unused, near win their center mount as well right?

Read my PS ...

So is a dedicated oil temp sending unit required for the combo gauge, or is the original sending signal going to deflect the combo gauge scale more accurately than an idiot light?

There is no "original" temperature sending signal, the only way to get oil temp readings is to install the "Taco Plate" sending unit on the bottom of the engine, which was not standard equipment.

You had to pay extra for that, so if you don't already have a working center console temperature gauge, you almost certainly do NOT have the oil temp sender.


PS: The "idiot" light is oil pressure, not temperature

Hi, thank you for the response .

Yes, I know I don't have the sender but I should have the wiring/connections sitting there unused?

Read my PS ...

Here's the other end of that sender wire in the hell hole. This end is connected to a special 1-wire harness that leads to the taco plate @SirAndy mentioned that covers the sender. Jeff Bowlsby sells those and I've included a pic of the one a made to replace my old crackly one. When you are sourcing a taco plate, try to get those wire brackets as well because I don't think they are included with Jeff's harness.

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The combo gauge is nice to have. Only thing better is a triple gauge so you don't have to look down at the console.

Beyond what has been said, the wiring you found is useful as a source of switched and unstitched power. Wire to the clock is 12v all the time. Wire for the gauge is ignition switched, and the wire for gauge lights is controlled by the light switch. Just in case you want to tap into power for some non-stock item such as an extra gauge or light.

Thanks Brent!

P had a specific cable for connecting the dash mounted combo gauge with the oil temp gauge in it, for the later cars that did not have a center console. I make that too.

Oil Temp Gauge Sender Cable 3

914.612.155.10

1973-76

Cable from center console to dash combo gauge, w/o center console gauges

Here is a photo of the NOS cable I have:

Thanks Jeff

One for @JeffBowlsby (or anyone else): I'm thinking about using at the unused center console harness in my early 1973 to power a 2.4-amp smartphone charger—does this seem feasible?

I guess next question is whether the power wires in these are hot in all cars, and/or tied to the headlight switch.

check the red one

You should put the other combo gauge in.

Pete the clock circuit should be live +12V full time.

Thanks—but I'm all gauged out with the 914-6/2.0 Non-Appearance Package oil temp plus fuel tank gauge in the main cluster and then oil pressure, volts, and outside temp where the radio would normally go.



Ah, many thanks Jeff! Now to see if I can find some of the factory wire ends I've saved over the years…