Just got my 4 cathode kits from Oznium (thanks for the speedy shipping).

I want to try and get these in tomorrow (at least phase 1, I need to order 4 more fo phase 2).

I want to have cathodes under the foot well, underthe fronts of the seats and under the backs of the front seats.

I want these to come on any time the dome light is on.

My plan is to centralise everything under the middle console.

I'll place the front transformer under the cubby hole, the rear ones back by the brake, power them all off a single power source (probably taken straight from the battery with an inline fuse).

First Question
Does anyone know the easiest way to get these to come on whenever the dome is lit. I'll be using a relay, but does anyone know a way to get it to fire from one source (i'd like to avoid diodes, personal preference).

Second Question

I have a spare set that i want to mount to the underside of the hood at the front, what weather proofing issues do I need to take in consideration? I was planning on mounting them along the inside of the ridge at the first on the hood underside, and then run the wires under the insulation down to one of the hinges and then to the pin switch and power.

is it safe to ducktape the trasnformer in a plastic bag and attach it inside the the heat proof material - i see the transformer has holes in it, so i'm assuming it's not water proof, or are those breathing holes ( ) ?

Thanks

 

Actually, scratch the second question, I've just picked up 2 12" LED bars, for less than $10, and they are 12v ready and waterproof, so I'll use those underthe hood, and the spare cathode kit in the car under the front seats.

First question stills stands, what'e the easiest way to make it so that if the dome is on (under any circumstance) the cathodes are also?

 

You don't need a diode.

Pin 87a on the relay is not used. Of course, the cathode transformer will need to be grounded with the black wire.

You probably shouldn't extend the white wires on the cathode kit.

 

hey phill,

Is it ok to extend the power and ground wires? I know it isn't a great idea to extend between the transformer and the cathode.. but on the other end of the transformer?

 

you can extend the power and ground wires as much as you want.

 

The problem is that I don't think the dome positive is switched, I think it has like 4 grounds that are switched.

Unless I totally misunderstand the plug that goes into the dome.

 

As someone else has said, the dome lights are negatively switched. I'll see if I can find docs on the wiring of the tC tomorrow.

 

Yeah, I mean it doesn't make much of a difference with a relay which way is switched. The only issue is there seem to be 4 negatives coming off the harness plug that goes into the dome, all of which I'm trying to tap.

Man what a pain.

 

If it is ground switched, then put pin 86 to constant fused power, and put 85 to the ground switched from the dome light.

85 and 86 are the coil. The coil needs a positive and negative to energize and complete the circuit between 30 and 87

 

Can you take a pic or describe which plug you're refering to?

 

I'll answer both these together.

Sure I can take a pix, although not much to see. If you pry the dome light away from the headliner it has a wiring harness that plugs in that has a white plastic plug. This plug has maybe 6 or 7 wires going in, for what I recall only one if hot, all the others a grounds for the dome (in it's various tates), and the two reading lights.

I can't just use one of these to ground teh relay, becuase there are 3 or 4 of them. I would guess there is a ground for the switched on, a ground for the fade out when you lock, and a ground for unlock on until you close the door.

I want them all. But I guess to have all I'm going to need to diode them, unless I can literally tap into the dome before they split (doubtful).

Dang I hate soldering.

 

I need to find me one of these solderless diode holders.

Off to the Shack on my way home today.

 

Maybe use a multimeter to find out which set of wires do what when you open/unlock the doors or turn the light on manually.

 

Right, but even then I think I'm going to be tapping 3 wires for the relay, which will be a pain, 3 wires each with a diode, spliced to a single wire, which I'll run from the headliner down the side under the dash - man that's be a pain.