So I installed my battery yesterday and changed the Alta boost gauge sender to the water proof sender. Everything seems to be working but I have a couple concerns. 1. When your car is on idle should the needle be at 0? Mine is at the bottom, I think at 20??? 2. I had it set up before when if my dash light was on the brightest setting it would be orange and when I turn the lighting down 2-3 brightness the boost gauge would turn white. Now, when I turn it down the entire boost gauge shuts off. Did I install the two connectors on the back of the boost gauge wrong?

 

Your boost gauge at idle should be reading vacuum. Usually around 20 when your car is warmed and 10-15 ish when you cold start it. As far as the lights go, I don't have an answer for you because I still don't have my backlight set up on my boost gauge but I'd say it sounds like a connection problem.

 

Thanks spuudy, so this is how your idle looks?

 

Yes sir ( that is minus the back light )

 

http://altaperformance.com/attachment/74764-.pdf

I have the same boost gauge, I (mostly) followed these instructions when I installed mine.

Since the gauge came with the plug n play wiring it's really easy to disconnect the gauge and look at the connector, to see if it's even possible to plug it in improperly.

In my experience, the gauge will turn back to white if I dim the dash low as well. I would check all the wiring if it's not the connection at the gauge.

If your sender is mounted in the engine bay, I'd also check it out to see if it's gotten wet or anything.

On a side note, I opted to run the vacuum tube through the firewall plug and into the cabin, and mounted the sender near the OBDII port. I think that's more sensible than leaving a sensitive part like that exposed to the elements as they make it into the engine bay.

 

Mister- mine was like yours. I had it orange when dinner is on high and white white dimmer is maybe 3-4 clicks. Do you happen to know how your connectors are at the back of the gauge?

 

Yes, I'll post a photo some time tomorrow for you

 

Sry this is a day late.. life and so on.

 

The vacuum readings for N14 and N18 are different. Like people have said the N14 at idle pulls a lot of vacuum while the N18 pulls almost none, ~0-1 inches of vacuum (except during cold start conditions where it is about 20 inches).

 

Mister, Does both connectors have three wires? I think both of mine have three, but I did see a white one on mine that looks like it's there just but not made to connect. Wondering if I pulled it out when I was unplugging them. I'll look at it when I get home.

 

Got it! Stupid me, didn't push in the connector till it snapped in.