assistance from a learned electrical bod

Post by **sproggy29** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:19 pm

Can some body explain how I would wire up a switch directly from the battery, what I would need in terms of supplies and how I would go about it?

I need to run a separate wire through my dash due to my cigarette lighter being bust and thought I might use a blank and stick the usb through it so I can connect all manner of gubbins to it, I tried using the stereo live and earth but they little led I used to test it stays on all the time and I have no clue where I would start to wire a switch etc, or even what a switch would look like, I really need this asap as my trip to the land of Scots is due and my sat nav will die sooner than my fuel will run dry.....

Post by **indigolemon** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:22 pm

How is the ciggy lighter bust? I assume you've checked it's not just the fuse?

The stereo has two live feeds, one is on all the time to allow you to save radio stations etc, the other is switched through the ignition. You'll find them both with a multimeter. Usually yellow and red on the loom for an aftermarket stereo.

Post by **sproggy29** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:24 pm

indigolemon wrote:How is the ciggy lighter bust? I assume you've checked it's not just the fuse?

The stereo has two live feeds, one is on all the time to allow you to save radio stations etc, the other is switched through the ignition. You'll find them both with a multimeter. Usually yellow and red on the loom for an aftermarket stereo.

no mate, I have detailed the mess in my build thread, the wires look like they were force pulled from the housing there's no connection socket basically its a mess in there so I figure I would try a different way

Post by **indigolemon** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:27 pm

Fair play, could be worth someone getting the colour codes for the ciggy socket wiring on the 5th? If you can trace the cable in the dash you'd have your switched live ready to go?

Post by **sproggy29** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:28 pm

Yeah but for a complete incompetent like me electrics are my nemesis and so a simple solution is required.

YouTube · Post by **Sailor** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 1:15 am

You can't just wire up a USB port to the battery, so I'm assuming you've got a device that the USB plugs into but now needs a 12v feed.

If so, take a line from the battery earth to the minus side of the thing you want to hook up. Then run a line from the other side of the battery to the plus. Don't connect it to the battery just yet. Instead, cut it at the point you want the switch to go. Get something like this ...

... and connect the cut cable to either side. Now you can connect to the battery and try it.

Adding a 12V dc in-line fuse to the same cable would give you piece of mind.

Even easier:

Buy a replacement socket from ebay for £4 and wire it up using the cables from the back of your existing socket.

Post by **sproggy29** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:34 am

Sailor wrote:You can't just wire up a USB port to the battery, so I'm assuming you've got a device that the USB plugs into but now needs a 12v feed.

If so, take a line from the battery earth to the minus side of the thing you want to hook up. Then run a line from the other side of the battery to the plus. Don't connect it to the battery just yet. Instead, cut it at the point you want the switch to go. Get something like this ...

... and connect the cut cable to either side. Now you can connect to the battery and try it.

Adding a 12V dc in-line fuse to the same cable would give you piece of mind.

Even easier:

Buy a replacement socket from ebay for £4 and wire it up using the cables from the back of your existing socket.

the reason I have to do this is because of this......

there is nothing for it to plug into.all been ripped out