In a message dated 4/24/98 1:57:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Sirmoog@ix.netcom.com writes:
> Thanks for the info, but I need more detailed practical info, such as:
> 1) where to get the power - in other words, which wire should I splice into
> 2) what amp inline fuse would I use
> 3) where to ground? The lighter I bought has two connections, one for
> ground,
> and one for "hot". I could really run the ground from anywhere.
> In my car, although I don't currently have a radio, there is a red inline
> fuse
> wire that used to be connected to a radio. Could I just use this for my "
> hot"
> for both this lighter and my future radio?
Sirmoog,
There are about four things to consider when adding a lighter socket:
1) The current rating of the socket has to be AT LEAST equal to the load you
intend to connect to it ( or conversely, never connect a load greater then the
socket rating).
2) The wire feeding the socket must have a current rating AT LEAST as high as
the expected load, and this includes the ground wire.
3) The fuse protecting the wire must be NO MORE than the rating of the wire
(notice I said protecting the WIRE, not the load. The only purpose of the
fuse is to protect the wire, and for this application, the socket can be
considered to be part of the wire. The socket merely supplies power to the
connector, just as the wire does.
4) Do you want the socket to be hot all the time, or only when the key is on?
You can use the existing red wire if it meets all of the above criteria. It
can be used for both the radio and the socket as long as the combined loads of
both are considered in the fuse/wire selection criteria. You may want to run a
new wire all the way back to the fuse box (my recommendation). If you want
the socket to be hot all the time, connect the wire to the fuse with the
purple wires already attached (connect to the same side of the fuse as the
purple wires). If you want the socket to be hot only when the key is on,
connect to the fuse with the green wires (connect to the same side of the fuse
as the green wires). You may want to refer to my previous post concerning
fuses to ensure that your fuse box has the correct size fuses, including the
additional load of the socket (I think I still have a copy of it if you want).
If you prefer, you can just splice to any purple wire that is convenient, or
any green wire, depending on your preference -- purple wires are hot all the
time, green wires are only hot when the key is on.
As for the ground connection, you can either connect to an existing ground
wire, or run the wire directly to a convenient screw somewhere on the body,
dash. etc. Just make sure there is a clean connection to the sheet metal for
a solid ground.
I hope this helps.
Dan Masters,
Alcoa, TN
'71 TR6---------3000mile/year driver, fully restored
'71 TR6---------undergoing full restoration and Ford 5.0 V8 insertion - see:
http://www.sky.net/~boballen/mg/Masters/
'74 MGBGT---3000mile/year driver, original condition - slated for a V8 soon
'68 MGBGT---organ donor for the '74
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