I installed the gauges in my DSE dash last week and today I wired them using a painless (separate from a muscle car 18c harness) dash harness. The harness is pre wired and has all the grounds and sender wires that correspond with the muscle car harness. It made the install easy, once everything is installed it connects to the 18c harness via a pack connector (I had to supply my own ground). The question I have is this:

On the back of my autometers there are three studs. one for power, ground, and sender. On these studs were a star washer and a brass nut. The dash harness came with blade type push on ends already terminated, and also came with spades with holes in them that slide over the stud on the gauge. Is this spade supposed to go on top of the brass nut or under it on the star washer? I have them set up right now in this order - star washer, spade, brass nut. hope thats right.

now for the second question.

I was really confused when I started on the rear light section of my camaro (69 if that helps). I installed the painless fuse block and ran the wires in there designated areas. I have the rear section leading to the trunk via the rear window just until I figure everything out. I also have a compete factory harness front to back to use as a guide as well as a wiring diagram and a resto book. The painless harness is ONE piece, not a 3 piece deal like the stock one. The whole tail section runs right from the fuse block. With no split at the dash, dome light, or trunk harness.

The wires are very long almost 3 feet longer then the car so I have room to work. I ran the wires to each opening for the tail lights. I came up with this.

left side:
brown brake light (1)
yellow turn signal (2)
lite green reverse (3)

right side:
brown brake light
green turn signal (4)
lite green reverse

also there was a brownish wire for what I think is the bumper light (5) for the license plate.

This is the main question: The painless kit does not supply sockets for the tail lights or quarter panel lights, or any type of grounds. I was planning on using a few inches of the old wire harness and splicing it to the correct colored wires from the painless harness so I can have a pre wired tail harness that can be disconnected like the stock one using the pack-connector that leads to the trunk. The pack-connector that was used on the stock harness has five wires leading from it, the same five I noted above. Do you guys think that will work out well?

I might have gone spade, star, nut, but if the gauges work and the nuts don't loosen up it should work. So, If I've got you right, you planning on using your existing factory trunk harness and connecting it to the Painless wires through the factory pac-connector? It should work. Good luck Kevin

I might have to do the same for the front light harness too. Thats the only drawback to this kit is having to use your old light sockets. It did come with new headlight piggy tails but that about it for the light depot. Other then that I like the kit, but it give you too many options i think. I have so many left over wires! like the whole a/c heat, power windows, eletric fuel pump, third brake lite, and so on. what should I do with the unused wires?

I have used both the guage harness and the painless kit. You need the spade lug then star washer then the nut on the guages. But what you did will work.

On the tail light section you need to purchase a new tail light harness and splice the painless wires to the new harness. If you have the old harness then take the middle section ( the one from the front fuse panel to tail light harness) and cut the plug off. The one that plugs into the tail light harness and splice that into the painless harness. That way you can unplug the tail light harness if you have to. Another thing is you wont have to pull the light sockets all the way to the front of the car if you want to remove the wires. The light sockets also fit the tail lights and the ones at the auto part store always fall out as they wont twist in.

You can use the headlight sockets that came in the kit for the headlights.

Also the best way to do your splices is to use bare butt splices then solder each end and cover with heat shrink. I`ve wired many camaros like this and have had no problems. You can stagger the splices so the are all in one place. Just make sure you have enough wire where you splice at and do one at a time. Before you crimp the butt splice dont forget to put the heat shrink on or you will be cutting off the butt splice and the wire will be to short.

You will end up with extra wires in the back also when you splice in the tail light harness. Just tape the ends up on all the extra wires so you wont have one short somewhere that will be hard to locate. You can also use heat shrink on the spare wires.

Hope this helps

I meant to say you can stagger the splices so they arent all in one place.

awesome looks like Im on track then. I will keep you posted when I do so.