Is it possible that using too small of a remote signal wire will cause theamp to never power on at all? I think the wiring harness was 16 gauge, but I had a 20 or 22 gauge handy and used it instead since I didn't think it would be carrying much of a load. could this be the root of my problem?

If you have lost the tach signal on your 1999 F250 Super Duty 7.3 diesel with the Astrostart remote starter, there are a few things you can try to get the signal back:

1. Check the wiring: Make sure all the wiring connections are secure and free from damage. If there are any loose connections or damaged wiring, it could cause the tach signal to be lost.
2. Check the tach signal wire: Make sure the tach signal wire is connected to the correct wire on the truck's wiring harness. The tach signal wire should be connected to the green wire with a red stripe on the 7.3 diesel engine's wiring harness.
3. Reset the remote starter: Try resetting the remote starter by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes. This can sometimes help to reset the system and restore the tach signal.
4. Check the settings on the remote starter: Make sure the settings on the remote starter are correct for your vehicle. You may need to consult the owner's manual or contact the manufacturer for assistance with this step.
5. Consult a professional: If none of these steps work, you may need to consult a professional technician or electrician who has experience working with remote starters and tach signals on diesel engines. They will have the knowledge and tools needed to diagnose and repair the issue.

Check the pink wire. It goes from the ignition switch to two circuits in the under-hood fuse box and the ignition coil. One circuit goes to ENG-1, ECM-1, IGN-E. The other circuit goes to GAUGES, FUSE 4, AIRBAG FUSE 10 and TURN/BU FUSE 16.

If all those fuses do not have power when the ignition switch is turned to start or run check the pink wire as it comes from the firewall connection. If you don't have power on the hood side, there may be a bad connection between the two halves of the connector.

If you do have power on the pink wire on the hood side of the firewall then you may have to check it between the coil to the firewall connector and underneath the under-hood fuse box.

I would use a tone tracer on the pink wire while the ignition switch is in the off position. (turning the switch off makes the wire only go in one direction, to the engine compartment) The tool sends a tone signal through the wire (in this case it would be hooked up to the pink wire) and has a receiver that lets you follow the tone in the wire without having to open the wire harness. You can just follow the wire harness and hear the tone signal. if there is a break in the wire or the connection is terminated somewhere in the circuit the tone will stop. Makes it a lot easier to trace a wire.

Not knowing the year or model makes this impossible to answer.

Don't hold me to this answer because I really don't know but I think they are 16 ga wires. So many wires these days are small gauge wires with thick insulation it's difficult to tell.

You most likely have a ground problem somewhere in the turn signal circuit and it is partially using the temp gauge as a ground source causing the meter to move. Could also be a short in the wiring harness between the turn signal wire and the temp sender wire.

Jim

I would suspect if the amp is known to be good, that someplace you have a shorted speaker wire... possibly someplace the insulation is cut through or maybe you have a bad connection with frayed strands shorting out the speaker. Use an ohmmeter to check the resistance between each set of speaker leads and then to ground.

The process is pretty much straight forward for any amp.
This is what you will need to get the job done:
15 ft- 4 gauge power wire (RED) with in-line fuse 3 ft - 4 Guage Ground wire (Brown) 15 ft - 12-16 Gauge Remote wire (Blue) 15 ft - RCA Wires Here are the steps:

• BATT - (Battery +12v) - This will be a 4 guage red wire that you will run directly from your car battery to this Terminal. Be sure to buy a wire a with an inline fuse. This is the main power supply to your amp. Be careful 12 volts doesn't sound like much till you see it in action. I would do this wire last, last thing you want is a hot wire accidentally touching some bare metal.
• GND - (Ground Wire) - This is the terminal you will use to ground the AMP. Run a 4 guage wire from this terminal and fasten it to some bare metal in your trunk. Not more than three feet.
• RCOM /Remote - There will be a small gauge wire from the back of your stereo that will be the remote wire it will be blue, most stereos have this wire labeled. Its purpose is to send a signal to the amp to turn on when the radio is powered on.
• RCA Wires - The location for these is not pictured above, on the back of your stereo there will be amp outputs. Your stereo will send all your low frequencies (Bass) to your amp using these wires. On the amp you will see where these wires will go. They are essential to have a system.

The best way to go about this is hook up the power, ground, and remote and test the Amp to see if it powers up. I have seen so many of my friends skip this step and they paid for it later. I hope this helps if you need any more help let me know.

run a constant hot (from a fused BATTERY lead) most folks will usually use a 0 or 2 gauge wire for "main" power and ground keep the ground as short as possible (it will hit much harder) and a normal I think 16 or 18 gauge for the "trigger" wire from the head (radio) hope this helps :)

Check power converter to the harness. It is possible to wire a standard 4 wire harness into the system and bypass the turn signals. If there is seperate brake and turn signal bulbs, there has to be a converter used to get the signals to work. Also... try http://www.etrailer.com/faq-wiring.aspx. This should help.

first thing if it says protect, check the fuses inside the system they may of blown .When choosing wire gauge, consider the quality of your components and speakers, the overall sound quality you're trying to achieve, and the budget you're working with. Also, keep in mind the distance between your receiver or amp and your speakers long wire runs can cause significant power losses, and thus require thicker cable. You can use this as a guideline
Distance from speaker to amplifier Gauge
Less than 80 feet 16
80 to 200 feet 14
More than 200 feet 12