I am trying to illuminate my gauges that I have recently installed, but I have run into a tiny issue. The tachometer and everything slowly fade on, and this causes a problem for my relay that I have installed to illuminate my gauges. It makes a bzzzt sound (like the magnet clicking or shorting out because of the lower voltage of it fading on?) The lights do come on after the lights have faded fully on. There is no REAL issue here other than that it is annoying to hear that every time I turn on and off the lights. Is there any way to stop the fade and make the lights come straight on? I have tried tapping into different wires (but the same color) and no luck.

 

You are correct, the buzz you hear is the contacts in the relay being pulled in slowly. Do you have several gauges that you are trying to illuminate? If not, you probably don't need the relay at all because the lights are of such small wattage. I'd put an inline fuse in with the aftermarket gauges to protect the main system and call it good.

 

Thanksya. That's probably what I'll end up doing. There are 3 gauges but it should be fine. I just like mah relays, yah know?

OOooo do you think a capacitor would work, I just thought of this.

 

well technically all of the wiring for the lighting is pulse voltage from the BCM, so if you tapped into something with lights with a relay, the relay will click since its seeing this pulse. I would either find something else for power or remove the relay. same thing happens with my V1 till the car turns on. but once its on with the slightly higher voltage, it stops.

 

I like relays too. Especially to protect low voltage circuits. I don't know if a capacitor would work, unless it would indefinitely store voltage when the lights are off until they are turned on again.

 

I re-routed the wiring around my relay to bypass it, and now the lights fade in and out with the interior lights. Pretty neat!