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Think horses not zebras
#1

This is yet another tale of how I don't follow my own guidance. 

I installed an Intellitronix digital readout for the outside temperature instead of the analog VDO gauge. I also had to install the outside sensor to work with this gauge. 

Except, I noticed that the warning light for the Engine Preheat had a faint glow when I put it all back together. Now that's odd, I thought. I flipped the switch for the Engine Preheat and two things happened. One, the faint glow disappeared instead of the warning light coming on, and two the new gauge went dark. 

So my mind goes into overdrive trying to noodle out how the two things could possibly be connected. Did Newell install some smart circuit so the Engine Preheat would only operate below certain ambient temperatures? That didn't seem plausible. 

Did I miswire something? Triple check and all is good. 

So last night I start disconnecting what I have done, and nothing really makes sense. I did reach out to a couple of gurus. One said to me, think horses not zebras. 

This morning I discovered that the fuse that supplies the power to the temperature gauge is ALSO the fuse that supplies the Engine Preheat warning light. It was blown. I obviously shorted it out while fiddling with the new gauge. Apparently the wiring was backfeeding just enough voltage to work the gauge through the warning light. I would have never guessed that the two circuits used one common fuse. It never occurred to me that would be the common denominator. And it never occurred to me that I had blown a fuse, because after all the gauge was working just fine. 

Hope you enjoyed a laugh while having coffee while reading.

Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
99 Newell, 512
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home Cool )
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