Tacho install and Crimping..

[needanew1]

Im trying to install an autometer tach with shift light, and i've searched plenty on this site and ive tried google... but when it comes to electrical, im pretty much as dumb as it gets. I found a site that has the way i want to install my tach on it: http://www.hoon.tk/tech_tips/tacho.html
On the site it says:
"We fed the green Auto Meter wire through an existing hole in the firewall, plugged it into the diagnostic tach connector and put the rubber cap back on to ensure our Monster Tach would work properly for years to come."

What do they mean they "plugged" it into the tach connector? the autometer wires are just plain wire with no plug on them... so how do u do this?

Another thing the site says:
"The cruise control switch is a good place to connect these wires since it is only active when the engine is running and also lighted when the headlights are switched on. We crimped these two wires into the OEM wire harness for a reliable connection and wrapped with electrical tape for added security."

How exactly do you crimp these wires into the wiring harness? what crimp connectors do you use? What do they mean by crimp?
Thanks alot, like i said im a jackass when it comes to electrical, and all i found when i searched was people telling other people to "crimp this... crimp it.." never really what they meant by crimping.

jesse

 

[Matt.]

the tach wire is the wire on your driver side strut tower that goes no where. I think its a blue wire.

 

[needanew1]

the tach wire is the wire on your driver side strut tower that goes no where. I think its a blue wire.

yea i know it, but how do u plug the autometer tach wire into it?

 

[Matt.]

go buy wire taps from anywhere, walmart has them.

 

[needanew1]

go buy wire taps from anywhere, walmart has them.

i tried going to advance... there was like 50 different kinds... i didnt know which to choose from

 

[Beelzebubba]

Get Kleins or Channel Lock crimpers. GB crimpers work well too but they will give you carpal tunnel syndrome. Just get the kind that make a dimple in the connector, those cheap WalMart crimpers that just crush the connector suck. A good deep big dimple crimp is often stronger than the wire itself.

Make the crimp dimple opposite of the seam (the split in the metal) You can see the dimple on the ring terminal above.

 

[needanew1]

Get Kleins or Channel Lock crimpers. GB crimpers work well too but they will give you carpal tunnel syndrome. Just get the kind that make a dimple in the connector, those cheap WalMart crimpers that just crush the connector suck. A good deep big dimple crimp is often stronger than the wire itself.

Make the crimp dimple opposite of the seam (the split in the metal) You can see the dimple on the ring terminal above.

man, i almost understand what your saying.. so do i need connectors to do this? if so, which ones? or do i just insert the wires into the harness on my cruise control switch and diagnostic tach switch?

 

[Beelzebubba]

Butt connectors (in Butthead voice) Uh huhuhuhuhuh

although in this pic the sizes are goofy you'll need the blue 14-16 ga. most likely

 

[needanew1]

im just not getting it... sorry, what do i do with the butt connector? on the site it says to crimp the two wires into the OEM wiring harness, how do i do that?

 

[Matt.]

butt connectors won't work. They are basically for taping two cut wires together. Just got a few wire taps for wire sizes 12-18 gauge I think it is. At walmart I know they are a light blue, if that helps.

 

[needanew1]

is the actual name "wire tap" though, i dont want to go all the way out there to get something and not know exactly what i need?

 

[needanew1]

could i cut 2 of the cruise control wires, then twist the autometer wires to one end of the CC wire, then twist that to the other CC wire then use a butt connector to connect them?

 

[1999stockaccord]

T-tap connectors also work well:

Pretty simple to use, Open the blue part, put the OEM wire across it, close it back up with a pair of pliers and crimp the white part (usually they are sold separately and BOTH should be light blue or red) on the gauge wire with the tool posted above. NAPA has the connectors...
make sure you use insulated connectors, and cover them in electrical tape

EDIT:
NAPA part number for the T-taps: 725113 for a 25 pack, they do have them in smaller packs.

 

[needanew1]

T-tap connectors also work well:

Pretty simple to use, Open the blue part, put the OEM wire across it, close it back up with a pair of pliers and crimp the white part (usually they are sold separately and BOTH should be light blue or red) on the gauge wire with the tool posted above. NAPA has the connectors...
make sure you use insulated connectors, and cover them in electrical tape

 

[needanew1]

T-tap connectors also work well:

Pretty simple to use, Open the blue part, put the OEM wire across it, close it back up with a pair of pliers and crimp the white part (usually they are sold separately and BOTH should be light blue or red) on the gauge wire with the tool posted above. NAPA has the connectors...
make sure you use insulated connectors, and cover them in electrical tape

alrighty, what would i do with the autometer wire though? and how would i re-insert it back into the cruise control harness?

 

[1999stockaccord]

Put it in the white connector and clip the connectors together... cover the connection in tape

 

[needanew1]

Put it in the white connector and clip the connectors together... cover the connection in tape

alright, so would i just cut the cruise control wire into 2 pieces, strip them a little bit and twist them, then insert both of them into the blue piece, then put the autometer wire into the white piece then clip them together?

or do i strip a piece of the cc wire bare, stick that into the blue piece, and stick the autometer wire into the white piece and clamp them together?

 

[needanew1]

thats the picture they provide on the site, it doesnt look like they cut any wires

 

[needanew1]

still trying to figure this out, wanna have it done by the end of the day

 

[1999stockaccord]

with the taps i posted there is NO need to cut or strip anywires... just tap into the same wires they did, just before the plastic end, OR take it to a shop and get them to do it for you