hey guys, anybody know the best place to find a 12v connection in our car where it's only on when the key is on.

I know i can tap from the fuse box in teh engine bay but i'm trying to avoid that. Any other place?

 

What are you trying to install? You can tap from behind the radio, what you are looking for is referred to as a 12v switched. It is usually orange in color. Don't tap off of the yellow, it is 12v constant and is always on. To get behind the radio, go under the pocket, take the two screws out, pull all of the climate control knobs off, unscrew the two behind the big knobs, then pull the dask piece off and viola.

 

I tapped from the cigarette lighter to run my inverter (cause my laptop battery sux and I need to tune!!)

 

Any chance you could take a pic of where and how you did it?

 

i jst went to a hardware store, bought a switch for like 3 dollars and hooked it up 2 tht...on/off whenever i want...theres also a fuse panel behind the "personal storage box" or whtever its called on the drivers side...u could jst tap into tht

 

i tap off my clock and cigarette lighter

 

i use the radio.

 

If its under the hood tap off the corner markers, those are switched.

 

^but only if you have your headlights on all the time

 

only when you have your running lights on

 

Depending on what kinda power you are going to use, I'd say just tap the cd player's harness. If it takes a lot of power you might need to use a relay and find a good constant line while tapping the cdplayer's switched source.

 

No pics. You take the console off and then tap positive to the red wire and negative to the black wire that comes out of the lighter base. For console instructions search for shifter base bushing replacement. It's basically a couple screws in the big compartment and a few screws.

enjoy.

 

Hear you go... this is the back of your clock


ACC = ignition only
ILL = lighting only (turns on with running light, gauges, ex...)
GND = chassis ground
BAT = constant 12V

easy way to wire.......

on when ignition is on.
light_____ ( + ) _______________________________________ACC
|______ ( - )________ground (almost ALL metal surfaces)


on when guages are on.
light_____ ( + ) _______________________________________ILL
|____________ ( - )______ground


on depending on swich.
light __________( + )__________<switch*>________________BAT
|_______( - )_____ground

most swiches have 2 or 3 prongs (3 if it lights up). the packs usually lable the prongs, but when wired like this, treat ACC, ILL, or BAT as 12V source.

...and of course this works for anything that can run on 12V including radar detectors (that wire hanging from top to bottom is just not sensible... run it to ACC!)

HAPPY WIRING