I want to add a new "power line" so I can power some interior stuff. I want know to how. I want to utilize a fuse spot that is unused. How do i go about doing it? I'm thinking about using this new line to power my underbody puddle lights. Any suggestions?

i don't want to tap into any of the existing lines (i actually have it all tapped into it right now) but it's blowing fuses like crazy. I have my OHC lighting, and puddle light light all fused to the dome light.

Any info would help. thanks in advance!



EDIT: oorrr... maybe another spot where i can wire it so all of them will come on when the doors are open. another spot might be better, haha. but i still want to know how to wire a power line

 

i know you dont want to use an existing line but i ran the power to my sirius radio from the 12v plug on the dash to a new plug by the shifter... i dont ever use the power point and i didnt want wires everywhere

 

the power point is always on. i want something that will only turn on when the doors are open. or i push unlock on my key fob. basically, same function as the dome light... but not there

 

Couldnt you use a relay; using the dome light wire as a trigger to set off a power wire, which would of course power your underbody lights? Something along those lines.. adding a power wire is as simple as fusing a 1ga wire from the battery and running it into the cab

 

can you like.. write out how? i don't really understand, haha. maybe a drawing?

 

lol i really dunno if it'll work, im just goin by what I remember from the autolamps wiring, some wires turned on different functions via the relays.. thats where I got that idea from, im sure somebody will chime in on what im talkin about

 

Do it like I did my Sirius radio...

1) Attach a 16 gauge wire via a connector to your positive battery cable.
2) Run it to a 20 amp fuse.
3) Run it into the cab via an existing gromet or make your own hole.
4) Hook that into an SPST automotive relay (pin 87).
5) Run a wire from the acc power wire off the headunit to the relay (pin 86).
6) Run the power from the Sirius radio to the relay (pin 30).
7) Ground Sirius radio and ground the last pin on the relay (pin 85).

Now my Sirius has its own power supply from the battery and automatically turns on and off with my regular radio. Obviously in your case you tap the dome light power wire to pin 86 on the relay and all of your lights to pin 87. That would make all your lights run off the battery and come on with the dome light.

-TJ

 

sorry this isn't any help... but have you got any pics of these puddle lights?? i think it sounds like a classy mod... and would like to possibly do it to my truck.... first i'd like to see some pics of the lights on if possible

 

^i saw this on a sport trac forum that was linked to G-E.. just take some license plate lights and secure them down underneath the rocker panels, tie them into your domelight, that way when you click 'unlock' on the keyfob, they come on illuminating that area.. pretty classy mod indeed.

 

nah.. if you're gonna put lights under there... you gotta go big... put some day lighters under there, lol.

 

its on his avatar!...look under his truck

 

good info. thanks a lot =) I'm going to try this sometime soon, maybe friday.


here are a few pictures

 

ok, question. Can i use an existing open fuse spot to do this? what is mean is... not connecting power from the battery directly, BUT connecting to a spot in the fuse box where there is no fuse, add a 20 amp fuse and then do what the direction says above? are unused fuse spots in the fuse box powered from the battery?

 

I'm not sure why you are so set on wiring it through the fusebox, it's extremely easy to add another wire of heavier gauge, and you can power other accessories from it later. You will likely overload factory wiring by running a bunch of accessories from it anyway. Get heavy duty wiring running from the battery, fuse it in the engine bay, run some wireloom over it to make it look clean, pass it through an existing grommet in the firewall. Buy a cheap fuseblock from Napa or any auto parts store, install it somewhere in the cab. Then you have a spot to add more wiring later. From there, use a relay as mentioned, with the dome light triggering the coil in the relay.

 

because it's less work, haha.

Mr. Wilson, i think your recommendation is the best. I'll try to do that, so i can use it in the future for other things. Thanks!

 

It is possible but not as easy as just adding a fuse.

If you look into an unused cavity in the dash fuse panel, you will see that there is a terminal on one side only. The output terminal to the load is not factory installed unless it is needed.

Also, different 'zones' of the panel have different inputs: hot in RUN, hot in START/RUN, hot in ACC/RUN, hot at all times, etc. You would need to determine which open cavity will be suited to the circuit being added.

Groups of fuses in the dash panel are served by larger fuses in the Distribution Box under the hood. You cannot just add circuits to the dash box indiscriminately or you may reach a combined current that can melt a larger fuse in the Distribution Box.

It is not impossible to power additional circuits from the dash box. I have successfully added 2 low current circuits to my dash fuse panel by disassembling it and installing output terminals and fuses in the correct zone. The terminal pigtails were salvaged from a junkyard fuse panel.

For anything but a low amp circuit, you would probably be better off running a new wire from the source. It is possible to wire it directly from the cable clamp at the battery but, IMO, it is cleaner to come off the bolted positive cable at the front of the distribution box.

It is critical that any added circuit be adequately wired and properly fused near the source.

 

remember, overkill is better than underkill. ALL my accessory wiring i have done - my back up lights, my fog lights, my KC's is all ran with 14awg out door 3 prong extension cord. + - and grnd all in one neat little package.

When dad ran the 2 pwr lines on his truck, he used some wire thats as big as my thumb. tho he runs a winch off it, and a back up alarm, the other cable runs all the added marker lights and stuff.

u can also make your own power distrobution box, which dad also made, ill hafta get pics and post em

 

Do what ever Bob sugest! I wouldn't have had a clue on how to wire using relays had I not read a lot of his mod write ups!

-TJ