Need some re-assuring or setting straight

[hud697]

Im in the process of wiring my dad's 55 Bel Air. I'm using the American Autowire kit for the car, using the Dakota Digital gauges, and a LS based engine. The question i have (first of many i'm sure) is the Dakota gauges use their controller and senders with wiring for their gauges, the standalone engine harness also has wiring for engine's senders for the pcm, so the wiring for the factory 55 senders and gauges in the AAW harness will not be used and can be removed, right?

[hud697]

Anybody out there?

[camcojb]

Yes, you will use the Dakota Digital box/harness/senders for the gauges, and use the computer harness and senders for feedback to the computer. This is assuming that the DD setup is self-contained with it's own harness, and only needs power/ground. The gauge wiring in the Autowire kit would not be needed, though things like the dash lights and dimmer wires from the light switch will want to stay to connect to the Dakota box. But anything like oil pressure, water temp, fuel level, etc. that is already in your Dakota Digital dash could be eliminated.

The Dakota Dash I put in a friends Chevelle wasn't like what you are describing though; it had it's own box, but you still had to run the factory wires to it. In other words, it needed the factory fuel level wire hooked up to one terminal, factory turn signal to another and so on as inputs for their controller. If yours is like that then you will not want to eliminate the AAW dash gauge wires, but simply run them to the DD controller box instead of up to the stock dash.

[hud697]

Thanks for the feedback. I do have the factory turn signal indicators, high beam indicator, and everything to do with lighting running to the DD box. I just unplugged the wires for the senders from the harness. I'll save them just in case

[64pontiac]

If you are using the new VHX gauges, box and sender, you can actually program the box to accept a factory sender for temp, so you could use the factory engine temp sensor, and tie in the dakota digital harness lead instead of using two senderd in the engine.

The american autowire green temp wire in the harness (assuming you have a classic update) simply runs from the guage disconnect plug through the firewall and is a flying lead with the engine group of wiring. You dont have to use it, or you can use it to tie in to the factory sender.

I am not sure about Dakotas LCd style gauges, but the VHX allows you to select the type of sender for the inputs when you power it up.

hope you have an answer from one of us!