12v power?

[MrCoffee]

is there an extra 12V cord stashed up under the dash or anywhere in the front of the car? I'd like to get some street glow neon lights, and use their little switch thingy to control it. I know I could use one of the cigarette lighter wires, but i'd really just like to use wire with no use.

[Camaro3.8L]

Why not just hook it up directly to the battery?

[OneQuickV6]

Could wire it into fuse box easily....Strongly suggest fuses of appropriate ratings regardless of where you get the 12V from though.

[MrCoffee]

so there is no extra wire? I can just use the aux. power supply (2nd lighter) down by my passenger's side. I'm that is fused. I just wanted to find out if there was an extra wire just chillin inside the dash not being used.

[nikon]

no but you could just splice it off of any 12v....anywhere, as long as its sufficient gauge wire....

[MrCoffee]

yea I guess thats what I'll have to do. I didnt really think about the gauge of the wire, so do you think that the cigarette lighters would be sufficient enough?

[nikon]

of course its thick enough but if you wanted to do it "right" youd buy a relay that activates when a low amount of current is applied to it...then you could run the neons right off of the battery and run like 22 gauge wire in your car...thats what I do so I dont have to bother with "good" thick wire....remember to use a fuse...I learned the hard way, ESPECIALLY if your running strait off of the battery, I know you dont want battery acid all over your engine ;)

[CD]

My minivan has both a tach lead (used on autogauge) AND battery (16GA) under the dash unused. :D

[MrCoffee]

so do you all think the cigarette lighters are fused? I mean i know how to splice wires, so thats not a problem. relays and all that other stuff I know nothing about. But I'm sure the aux power output and the lighter is fused, so splicing into those would be nothing. Do y'all suggest that?

[Brian Dieckman]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MrCoffee:
so do you all think the cigarette lighters are fused? I mean i know how to splice wires, so thats not a problem. relays and all that other stuff I know nothing about. But I'm sure the aux power output and the lighter is fused, so splicing into those would be nothing. Do y'all suggest that?<hr></blockquote>

Everything is fused... the cigarette lighters are usually fused through the accessory circuit. (some are on their own circut since they're always on)

At any rate, I would use that lead. It seems the most convenient.

-Brian

[nikon]

yup definetley fused....everything is....like he said

[MrCoffee]

alright, thanks guys