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Wiring stuff up to car 12v Help!!

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TOM M
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PostPosted: 19:08 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Wiring stuff up to car 12v Help!! Reply with quote

Not sure which section to post this, so ive stuck it in general chat.

Right ive got 4 blue neon lights that i want to fit in each of the front footwells and under the front seats to light up the rear footwells in my fiesta.

Now each light has a ciggerete lighter plug, but i dont want to use the ciggie lighter as the massive plugs look shit.

I want it to be wired in with a switch so i can turn it off / on as and when.

How would i go about doing this?
I need to connect all 4 up to one then wire it into the car with a switch?

Its a 97 mk 4 fiesta

Cheers
Tom
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carvell
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PostPosted: 19:10 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

If they're going in the footwells then the obvious place to get the 12v from is the permanent 12v connection on your radio. Remove the radio and whatever else you need to to get to it and you can use a terminal block (or spade connectors if you want to do it properly) to tap into the permanent 12v.

Just add a switch in series and put it wherever you want.
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TOM M
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PostPosted: 19:12 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

carvell wrote:
If they're going in the footwells then the obvious place to get the 12v from is the permanent 12v connection on your radio. Remove the radio and whatever else you need to to get to it and you can use a terminal block (or spade connectors if you want to do it properly) to tap into the permanent 12v.

Just add a switch in series and put it wherever you want.



So i pull the radio out, add a connection to the power supply. Then attach somehow the neons to this connection??

Does it need to be fused?

Will it affect the cd player at all?
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 19:18 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

Best to fuse it (in case the wiring catches on something under the dashboard and rubs through).

Check the current they draw. Presume not much. But if in any doubt use a relay fed directly from the battery. Maybe use the switched supply for the stereo to trigger the relay (so it only gets power with the ignition on).

Stereos often have 2 power feeds. One on all the time and one just on when the ignition is on.

All the best

Keith
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carvell
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PostPosted: 19:31 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

TOM M wrote:
So i pull the radio out, add a connection to the power supply. Then attach somehow the neons to this connection??

Does it need to be fused?

Will it affect the cd player at all?

It won't affect the CD player, no.

As Keith says, you're best to fuse it. You don't want to short your battery out.

The easiest way for you to connect them is to cut the 12v line going to your radio and screw both ends into a terminal block. You can then screw the + lead of your neon things into this terminal block. You could wrap it in insulation tape to be extra safe, but I doubt you have any, so I wouldn't bother, just don't have exposed wires hanging about.

The leads you are looking for would probably be red and black, you should really check them with a multimeter before lamping your lights onto them.
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 19:38 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

I could tell you exactly what to do and draw you a circuit diagram but I'm not going to on general principle.

What you are doing is tasteless and tacky in the extreme. I wouldn't have posted but I feel someone needed to tell you.

It's a bit like walking about with your flies open and your cock hanging out. Everyone notices but they're too embarassed on your behalf to say. When you realise later on, all you can think is "Why didn't somebody tell me?".

Wink Razz
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carvell
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PostPosted: 19:44 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Meh it's his car!

(Let's not turn this this thread into a "neons are shite" thread - we'll leave it here!)
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0ddball
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PostPosted: 19:56 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wire them in parallel using a fused feed straight from the battery running though a suitable amperage switch. It's usually possible to push the wire though an existing bulkhead grommit.

It's a bit more work but avoid tapping into existing electrics if possible.
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xlfive
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Joined: 26 Nov 2003
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PostPosted: 20:04 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

SpannerMonkey wrote:
Wire them in parallel using a fused feed straight from the battery running though a suitable amperage switch. It's usually possible to push the wire though an existing bulkhead grommit.

It's a bit more work but avoid tapping into existing electrics if possible.


Thumbs Up good post,as you are fitting them into the footwell theres always a risk of someone catching them with there feet and shorting them out with the dedicated fused supply you it aint going to blow anything else
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binge
Emo Kiddy



Joined: 03 Jul 2004
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PostPosted: 20:16 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Before you go choping off the Ciggy lighter plugs, Check that they dont have resistors in them. I made this mistake, Choped off mine, hard wired it into my boot in my mini to light up the sub build, and the tube just went pop.

The best thing to do if they are resisted is to buy one of these...

https://www.r4us.co.uk/toys/product_images/dfg8.JPG

Chop the end off of that one, and hard wire that to your battery (Directly) with a switch and an inline fuse. You will need to calculate the ampage for the suitable fuse.

Then simply plug in and play. Hide the extention unit behind the dashboard or where ever.

That way, when you do realise the are cheesey, you can easily remove them.

<|ben|> Thumbs Up
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TOM M
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Joined: 18 Mar 2005
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PostPosted: 20:27 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
I could tell you exactly what to do and draw you a circuit diagram but I'm not going to on general principle.

What you are doing is tasteless and tacky in the extreme. I wouldn't have posted but I feel someone needed to tell you.

It's a bit like walking about with your flies open and your cock hanging out. Everyone notices but they're too embarassed on your behalf to say. When you realise later on, all you can think is "Why didn't somebody tell me?".

Wink Razz



Tbh im not a big fan of them either. Im shit at electrics and its a relitivly easy small project for me to learn on.
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Phil_G
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PostPosted: 23:42 - 07 Nov 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

TOM M wrote:
stinkwheel wrote:
I could tell you exactly what to do and draw you a circuit diagram but I'm not going to on general principle.

What you are doing is tasteless and tacky in the extreme. I wouldn't have posted but I feel someone needed to tell you.

It's a bit like walking about with your flies open and your cock hanging out. Everyone notices but they're too embarassed on your behalf to say. When you realise later on, all you can think is "Why didn't somebody tell me?".

Wink Razz



Tbh im not a big fan of them either. Im shit at electrics and its a relitivly easy small project for me to learn on.


Why not learn how to wire in a useful accessory then?

Something like a phone charger, lead for a sat nav etc. same principles involved, but much more tasteful Smile

Also with the gauge of wires involved in car electrics you can find that these terminal blocks (if tightened overzealously) can actually cut through the wire core and, given vibration, lead to live wires hanging loose (ive seen this done). Dont bother with scotchlocks either - best place for them is the bin.
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