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Acquired An Rx8 Illuminated Shift Knob...

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Old 02-25-2004, 07:51 AM
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i know i can hook it up to the ashtray in the console, but 95% of the time i drive around with my parking lights on. id only want the illumination to work when at night, or when the head lights are on. now my questions is.



what would be the easiest way/place to connect to for it to work like that?



thanks
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Old 02-25-2004, 11:13 AM
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use a volt meter, unless someone knows a lot about the electrical aspects of the 8..



it will probably be a hit or miss situation, till you find which wires provide have output when the headlights are on...



or you could rig it to the headlight fuse.. hehe.. no.
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Old 02-25-2004, 12:40 PM
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Originally Posted by treceb' date='Feb 25 2004, 06:51 AM
i know i can hook it up to the ashtray in the console, but 95% of the time i drive around with my parking lights on. id only want the illumination to work when at night, or when the head lights are on. now my questions is.



what would be the easiest way/place to connect to for it to work like that?



thanks
By far the easiest - the illumination ring around the lighter plug receptacle. I tapped my boost gauge illum into that, works like a charm! Dims with the dimmer too! Just T-Tap them sunsofbitches.
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Old 02-25-2004, 12:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Sinful7' date='Feb 25 2004, 10:40 AM
By far the easiest - the illumination ring around the lighter plug receptacle. I tapped my boost gauge illum into that, works like a charm! Dims with the dimmer too! Just T-Tap them sunsofbitches.
the illuminator around you lighter dims ? sweet.. that would make it much easier..



on my car (not a 7) it stays constant, and doesn't dim with the dimmer switch
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Old 02-25-2004, 01:17 PM
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Oh ****, yeah.. we talking about an FD here?
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Old 02-25-2004, 01:24 PM
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umm yeah, thanks. lets see...so turn on the parking lights and dim them...easy enough.



does the ashtray light also dim?? i guess i can check when i get off work.



what about to the fog light switch. the fog lights only go on whne the headlights are on.



ohh yeah how do i take the console out??
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Old 02-25-2004, 01:39 PM
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The center console (shift boot, fog switches, etc) is removed:

1) Unscrew the shift ****

2) Grab the console (I grab the plastic through the shift boot, at the shift boot lip), pull the rear up first, then the front. You may have to unclip the fog light switch and warning light harnesses if you want to remove it entirely, otherwise, just pull it up and set it to the side.



Oh, and now that I re-read your post (I'm a 'tard), I see that you want it on only when the headlights are on, but not when the parking lights are on. I forget if the foglight switch is a siwthed +12 or a switched GND.. if it's +12V, you can tap the fog light. Just get a test light and start testing for which wire becomes hot when the headlights are engaged. I would expect that the RX8 shift **** doesn't draw nearly enough current to cause concern for the circut. If it's a switched GND, use a multimeter to test for continuity to GND when the headlight switch is flipped (BE SURE you've tested for +12V before testing for ground continuity, don't want to blow your meter fuse!). A switched GND would work the same, just find a fused +12 from a KeyON source.
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Old 02-25-2004, 02:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Sinful7' date='Feb 25 2004, 11:39 AM
Just get a test light and start testing for which wire becomes hot when the headlights are engaged.
what i was trying to say..



but im dumber
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Old 02-25-2004, 07:21 PM
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I have run a jumper wire from the fog light fuse to the

headlight fuse, not sure if there are sepearate fuses for that

on a FD, but I have done this on many different cars to solve

the factpry fog lights only coming on with the headlights

or going off when you hit the high beams
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Old 02-26-2004, 07:39 AM
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ok so i took out the center console last nite. unplugged the plug for teh fog lights, 4 wires, now i cant recall if one is hot with the key on or not, but one is only hot when the headlights are turned on.

so if i take my time and double check everyhting i can switch a few wires and have the fog lights go on with either teh parking lights and/or the ignition and have the **** illuminate only when the headlights are on.



my other question is at club theyre saying that the red is a bit on the bright side or redder than the rest of the instruments lights. i could wire in a potentiometer to adjust the brightness or is there an easier way if it can be done at all?



thanks
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