Dolphin Quad Gauges - Not Recommended

I love the fact that E-Z brought back a 3 1/2 year old thread bashing their **** so the people that missed it the first time could read it. They seem to be about as slick as their product.

 

But in their defense, I am glad to know the exact fix to the problem. It could help someone, and they could have just let this lie and not brought back the thread and opened it to the bashing. Not saying anything good or bad about their stuff, just saying that customer service has to start somewhere and I'm glad it did get started.

 

After reading the original post, adding a resistor to the speedometer lighting to make it as bad as the quad, doesn't seem like much of a fix

 

I'll admit I have not read all 3 pages of this 4 year old post. I did however notice it's the First post from E-Z-Wire. Welcome! I have bought and installed over 20 of there kits. I had 1 issue due to a nut falling in behind the fuse panel and shorting against the Firewall. Thank God for fuseable links. I can't blame that on E-Z-Wire. They have always given me grate service when needed (2 times). I have a set of the Quad gauges but oddly enough do not have the lighting issue, Can't explain that. I have there wire kit in my 51 Ford (my avitar) no problems. My F-100, no problems. All cars I have installed them in have left and not came back for electrical issues.
There gauges I've been told are aircraft quality. I have yet to have a failuer. Maybe I'm just lucky, maybe I just do things totally different than others, Maybe it's how I talk to them on the phone that returns different service,,,, I don't know. What I do notice is how much this post reminds me of a something my Dad used to say a lot. "A poor craftsman will always blame his tools. I never understood that till I was past 40. Not saying you guys don't know what your doing, just that you can also read the same kind of remarks about all the other electrical kit suppliers out there if you just surf around a bit. They can't all be junk.
I'm going out on a limb here and saying now that E-Z-Wire is here on the H.A.M.B. that they will do as much as possible to stay on the good seller list and maybe even help out some of you that aren't pleased with there product.
The Wizzard

 

****.... the truck I just bought has brand new Dolphin gauges and I was pretty happy to have a 60 year old truck with all working gauges. Oh well, will run them till I find something else.

 

Being I'm just South of you maybe it's one of the many F-100's I did. If that's the case your O,K,
The Wizzard

 

I am sorry that I am laughing at your expence- but stupid,gay dophins are about the most funny thing that I have ever heard of so far on this board, and ther are some funny people on here!

 

The price was right and the EZ wiring help was first cl***. I'd do it again.

 

"To each, his own" To me, Dolphin gauges are lame in cars. I did put an EZ-wire kit in my 65 C-10. I converted from an "idiot light" dash to a "gauges" dash and the only guage that I couldn't get to work was the factory amp gauge. I needed the shunt, which is basically a parallel circuit which sends a limited amount of current through the amp gauge, so as to not "burn-up" the amp gauge with full current. I didn't have the shunt because my truck wasn't equipped with it originally. Every time I tried to talk to people about this shunt, a *****ic look came over their face. I'm betting the people that are bashing EZ wire, and especially those that had their cars "burn-up" have that *****ic look on their face most of the time. I'm planning on putting an EZ harness in my Plymouth, and I'm not concerned with their customer ***istance because I don't need it, and if you do, you shouldn't be wiring a car.

 

they have been in my 38 for 8 or 9 years along with there wiring ,no problems so far they even have green bulbs that match my radio. speedometer was spot on never touched it. i just bought another wiring kit will be my third one after two expensive painless kits. will probably buy there guages. i just cant handel over priced products.

 

Customer asked if I could install his Dolphin gauges. I asked why he chose those, he gave me some rag-tag tale of 'bought 'em by mistake'...

I thought he bought 'em 'on porpoise'! yuk, yuk...

 

Made that mistake 9 years ago in my first 36 ford them gauges are junk!!!!!!

 

Quote" "I'm not concerned with their customer ***istance because I don't need it, and if you do, you shouldn't be wiring a car. "

I half to agree here with Plumbid. Electrical is not the place to be practising.
The Wizzard

 

I've put Dolphin gages and EZ wiring harnesses in the last four cars I've built. I like the looks of the individual gages very much. If properly installed, the gages and harnesses are as good as almost any on the market. Never had a minutes trouble with any of them.

 

Let me add that the HAMB is the best customer service center that you can find. You can get 10 different answers/opinions in about 10 minutes. What's even better is that you don't have to be an alliance member to get that service, but sooner or later you realize that it's the right thing to do.

 

I always thought the dolphin drawing was gay. For that reason alone, I said I'd never have them in any car of mine.

 

I'm just gonna add here that I don't have the gauges so I don't have a dog in this fight--HOWEVER I can say from expereince that the tech support offered by EZ Wire/Dolphin is second to none. they're why I keep buying their wiring harnesses.

 

Let me clarify my comment. The product I was refering to is the Dolphin line. I installed a set in my neighbors '63 chevy truck. All went well... Until he slammed the drivers door. The needle on the speedo fell off. He had several other problems in the first two weeks. Autometer soon took their place.

As far as the E-Z wire kits, I have installed 16 of them. Never had a problem. One vehicle has over 150,000 miles on it.

I have never needed to call customer service so no comment there. But, I still think they should have let this sleeping dog lie.

 

Not to prolong the issue but the "Fix" promoted by EZ Wire in the reply is the same "fix" they suggested to me when I initially contacted them for an acceptable resolution. Reducing the lighting level of the speedometer bucket to match the very dim gauge bucket lighting is a pretty poor "fix".

My initial purpose of this thread this was for others to learn from my experience of using their quad gauge set.

I am still waiting for EZ to contact me directly to solve the lighting issues instead of skirting around the problem.

I also used their wiring harness in my 54 and have no issues with it. I would not hesitate to use another. However I do not think I will use any of their gauge products on my 58 Cameo project.

 

IMHO, Autometer makes the most accurate and best gauges.


Ago

 

HEY E-Z WIRE!

The E Z WIRE kits I've installed ALL had the flasher wires reversed, which goes unnoticed unless you run an electronic flasher. I've also found a couple where the headlight sockets were miswired.

Just letting ya know.

I always use REBEL WIRE in mine and my customer's vehicles now.

 

If Dolphin gauges are popular with hot rodders then what's the boating community
running?

 

Estate sales, baby.
I picked up a set of Stewart Warners and a bunch of "Little Books" for just under $20.00.

 

What do dophins have to do with hot rod gauges?
I dont care if theyre giving them away, thats just wrong ugly ****,
but some people like em... You know who you are.
The ones with the naked lady siloettes and " back off"
Yosemite Sam mud flaps!

 

Dolphins are for boats. Why don't they leave it off the face of the gauge?

 

The Dolphin gauges I have used worked fine, and the backlighting was even too so maybe that has been fixed. If you dont like em dont use em, I am amazed how nasty some people get over something so trivial. I think I will buy some more and leave the pile of old SWs in the shed just to make people really mad!

 

Thanks for the heads up....

 

'Interesting. One of the gauges is too dim, so their "solution" is to make both gauges too dim so that they'll match. Unbelievable.

Any idiot can see that the bucket on the left needs to be brighter...

 

Don't know about their gauges, but their harnesses are as good as any others I have used, and are priced reasonably. Their schematics are very simple to understand as well. Is there any way to take the gauge apart to install a brighter bulb or fix it to where the light shines more on the face of the gauge?

 

For anyone who cares to know what cl***ic charges to retrofit stock gauges...I was quoted $3200 for my 53 Chevy. Needless to say I went another direction.