Okay this is a follow up to my previous post... i purchased some cold cathodes to hook up in my car with an add-a-circuit thing, and now i have a question about the wiring... i cant quite figure out which wire on the cathodes is for power and which one is the ground wire. At first i thought it was the generic red/black, but there is a yellow wire that seems to be the one connected to the big white plug. anyone have any idea about this? I'd like to try to preserve the switch....look at the pics here...sry theyre kinda big, i just wanted you to be able to see the wires...

http://petitcoeurs.net/car/cathodes.html

 

Another quick question...for my piggy back fuse-ing, should i use the 3 amp fuse for the lights? theyre 12v

 

To preserve the switch, cut the long yellow and black wires at the Molex connector, the big plastic PC connector. The black is your ground. The red is your power, so is the yellow. The switch turns the power on and off, that's why it's in the middle of the power wire.

Does that make sense?

 

yeah it does. i knew why the switch was there i really just wantedt o know about the yellow wire cuz im a newbie at the DIY electronics... thanks for the help

 

Just use the yellow wire for power.

 

I believe that this is correct. at least it is how I just hooked up mine.

 

3amp fuse is what i used. you want low amps running .

 

wise words from Fujiz.

When I hooked mine up I found a new slot in the fuse box and got a 3 amp fuse for that slot and then I have a 30 amp fuse for the inline.

Thanks Fujiz for the help on mine.

peace,
Mark D

 

Thanks for all your help guys. I did the install today, it only took me about 45 mins, and luckily it worked. here are some pics of the finished product




thanks again!

 

ok im a n0ob to electrical things and i got some cathodes as well? and i looked at the diagram thing and done a quick search to see how to install and what wires to disconnect an splice from the ones they came with? anyone with and updated diagram? or wheres the link for a one on one how to?

 

 

so i cut the black and yellow off from the group?

 

yes just like i circled in the picture....yellow =power, black = ground

 

The kit you bought was designed for a computer. They use a yellow wire to keep the color code corect inside the machine. Just cut off the connectors and hook the yellow lead toa fused positive 12v source.

 

yeah i got the computer kits since the price was cheaper.
oh ok just cut the rest off from the main sources then hook it up to a fuse box with a 12v source? so theres no main hookin it up to an existing wire? for say when i open the door? the lights come on? or can it be done? so i wouldn thave the switch unless i have it for the doom light perphaps and let that be the switch?

 

it can be done, you have to find the wiring for the door lights, and quite frankly i have no idea where they are. i just bought a GSW-45 switch from lowes, it fits in the switch panel, and it was only 5 bucks

 

is it possible to hook the wires up so i can run it off the battery? and any pics of where u had the wires running? how did u have it runnin from the fuse box?

 

here ill tell you how to do it

 

First, you cut the two wires like i said earlier....


Then get one of these.



they are called "add-a-circuit"s made by Littlefuse. It comes with extra fuses(3amp,5amp,7.5amp,10amp). You can find them at autozone or something. The blades in that pic are too wide, so get the one with narrower and longer blades, because those are the only ones that fit.

You take out a fuse already in the fusebox. I chose the 10 amp "stop" light fuse that is always on.

this is a tC fusebox but you get the idea


....plug it in, put a 10 amp fuse in for the original device, then put in a 3 amp fuse for the cathodes. The wire that comes out of the add-a-circuit is for power.

Then you mount your cathode inverter somewhere in the space in the center console between the driver and passenger sides. You can pull the passenger side cathode wire through the center because theres a lot of empty space down there, so use a stick and push the wire through to connect it to the inverter.

Strip some of the yellow wire and put it inside the blue part of the add-a-circuit wire, and crimp it. Then you strip the black wire and ground it to a screw or something and tape it off.

Viola!Now you have power.

If you are adding a switch other than the little one thats already on the cathodes, its a bit different...

Take some spare wire and hook it to the add-a-circuit's power wire. Run that wire to one termial on your switch. Clip the yellow and red wire from the original switch..

(you dont need the yellow one anymore, unless you want to use it for extra wire)
...and mount the red onto the other terminal of the switch.

Mount your black ground wire, and you're done.

*WARNING*
I dont recommend attaching the cathodes to the inverter until youre done with the wiring...I've broken a few tubes while trying to work on it.


If this is confusing and you want more detailed pics, lemme know and I'll do it.

 

not sure if this is right plez send pices.