Still no luck with this panel. Got it all hooked up and this is what happens.... The left most needle (bright one) flickers on and off. What could be the cause of this? I have it wired into the 12V source (via the back of the cluster like the tech article says). Then it goes through the inverter to the 6 EL panels. None of which light up. I have no idea what else to try. An independent 12V source and then a new inverter is all thats left i think...... got any other ideas gents? Matt.
Have you got the positive and negative wires around the right way? El panels are like LEDs, they dont work when wired in reverse. Failing that the inverter is cactus. For one to fluctuate, there must be a busted cap inside the unit.
Sadface. Iv tried every combination of everything and nothing works. Do you think i could take it to some electrical guru to figure out? Do those kinds of people even exist? haha. Matt
Lol, yes they're called auto electricians. Or...OR... nerds from the internets. If you're a member of OCAU post up what you're doing there and surely someone will help. After all its the same stuff they put into their PC's. Do what i said in the other thread. Open up the inverter case and take a few angled pics for us. This sort of stuff isn't rocket science, it either works or it doesn't. If it doesn't and there is a fluctuation problem, its usually the capacitors that have died/dying.
Yea. Well i had confirmation that the inverter had been re soldered or something and working fine when sent to me. Ill fiddle alittle more then ill probably take it to an auto elec.
The auto lecks will most likely only work on sorting the wiring and testing to see if there is infact an outputting voltage from the invertor. They wont bother spending time on "reworking" the invertor to work. They will simply just get another one from somewhere and charge you a lot more than what you would have sourced it yourself for. If you know of someone that has a simple invertor from either a pc setup or el wiring, or where ever, try that as a test. It will most likely only work on one circuit, so no daisy chaining the EL panels.
Oh and if the previous owner had resoldered the components prior to selling.... why was this required in the first place. Sounds like its a shagged inverter to me.
Sorry for being a bit off topic, but got any better pictures of that dash? What is it exactly? MoulaZX
Electricial gremlins are the worst. I will happily pay an auto sparkie pro a few hundred to fix and issues.
Well.... I ran power from a 12V battery through the inverter and measured the output. Battery was giving off 12.6V at the terminals. Through the inverset to the first sequence plug it was giving a reading of 12.5V. Wouldnt this mean the inverter is faulty? I assumed it purpose was to dull down the power so the EL could handle it or something to that effect....
Do me a favor and post up a pic of the complete inverter, wires and all. (make it so i can see them entirely and follow them in my head) And also the reverse of the cluster. Those plugs look no different than the std run of the mill inverter plugs... Pics lardy, pics!
same unit as mine, for those who want to know mine has a power and an earth in and the rest is plug and play (its own loom), so long as I got the right polarity hooked up there was nothing to hook up wrong. Do note that I can only really see mine at night, makes stuff all difference in day light.
you probably want something like this http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/el-dial-luminious-dial-inverter-12V-WRX-STI-EVO-CIVIC-/150624216493?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2311e725ad That's just with a quick ebay search. Surely there are others cheaper Have 2 inverters that arent fitted atm, but are destined to be so with the parts I have. Could offer to lend 1 to you to ascertain that yours is U/S, but am in the middle of bumphark county.....hence why they arent fitted yet.... life is full of catch 22's
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-x-EL-Wire-5Ft-Light-Glow-Rope-Red-12V-Inverter-/270816858589?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f0df151dd cheap as. Dont waste your time with resoldered/repaired inverters. Not worth your time pulling the cluster again if they break
Michael, it needs to have 6 plugs not 1. http://www.speedhut.com/product_detail-AUTO_NUMBER-873.htm I have one of these on the way. It should work because it has an independent dimmer switch. @Chris- potentiometer If, after this new inverter is hooked up and still doesnt work ill start looking at power supply and running an outside 12V source in just to eliminate that. ....If all that doesnt work then it will be a problem inside the EL panels themselves which i wont be able to fix...but i doubt thats the problem. Matt :zlove:
Number of outputs isn't essential when choosing an inverter. That the rated output is sufficient to drive the potential load is. Unfortunately, it's hard to ascertain as neither the dials, nor the inverter have their rated loads and consecutive outputs listed. Nothing to say that a single output inverter isn't capable of driving all gauges (simple matter of splicing all gauges into the 1 plug (which arent polarity conscious) or fitting the 6 output plugs from your stuffed inverter to the replacement. confused you further yet? Essentially, however unlikely it could be, based on the assumption that the dials individually draw SFA, there is the possibility that any replacement inverter could fail.
Haha Matt, glad you're now learnerd. That there is a true potentiometer on that speedhut one. You'll have to fit your knob somewhere inconspicuous...haha. Failing that, the one that OZX linked second would do the trick too. The speedhut unit looks to be a bigger inverter than what would have probably been supplied with the initial EL gauge kit. As for it to be daisy chained, that would require a fair whack of juice to make them iluminate. Just remember also to not keep playing with the ilumination control (pot). As the less bright you make it, the more the invertor tries to compensate and loads up the circuit more...you could after a lengthy period upset the caps (as no doubt they'll be cheap and nasty)... Think of the system the same way as what a HID systems do. Probably lucky that you didnt fry your volt meter when you were testing the borked unit. haha. Anyways... Be sure to update us with a result.
Beat me to it ozx. However, i thought El lighting was polarity conscious. I recall some (back in the day might i add) neon and glow wire that i was playing with, had issues firing up when i wired them in reverse.... unless thats purely for neons... too long ago to remember. All i recall is the inverter getting very unstable and heating up mighty quick and buzzing profusely. Up until i wired it correctly, than it was happy and worked fine.
Im always inconspicuous when i put my knob into places Will post up results and pics when/if its concluded lol. Matt.
