Inky

I need a couple of extra 12V jacks in my xA. I had a two-port splitter plugged in where the cigarette lighter goes. It was powering a radar detector and my (somewhat large) satellite tuner. It has twice blown the 15A fuse, cutting power to the two aforementioned items as well as to the radio and side mirrors control. I would like to tuck an auxiliary jack to the right of the center console. I would also like to put one inside the rear hatch to power a cooler.

Any thoughts on the best way to do this? I thought about clamping directly to the battery with jacks that use in-line fuses. Is this a good idea? Where is the best place to pass the wires through the firewall?

djct_watt

It depends on how many amps you plan to draw. . .Radar detectors seldom draw a large amount of power. . . and I have no experience with Satellite tuners. . . but it's a bit odd that it's blowing, unless the Sat. Tuner draws a lot of power.

You could tap another power source from within the car, but you do run the risk of blowing that circuit's fuse as well, depending on the current draw. The best (safest and most reliable) way to draw power would be to tap the battery and use in line fuses. You can check the amp install guides (search) to find the plug to get through the firewall.

Inky

It's probably the satellite tuner that's blowing the fuse. It has a fairly big backlight LCD screen and puts out a bit of heat overall. I wish I had a smaller one...

I'll serach the threads for ways to get through the firewall.

Thanks!

Cuppajack

There are a couple of ways to do this... There is a thread somewhere were someone used an AMP hook-up ket to run fused power from the battery into a home-made distribution-block under the drivers seat. He could then run additional lines off that to accessories or switches or whatever.

Alternately, (and this is the road I'm going to take) is to use a "mini add a fuse" to run fused power to a 12v socket (also for a cooler.)

Inky

I like the idea of a distribution block beneath the seat. What is "mini add a fuse"?

Cuppajack

I actually think they are called "Mini Add-A-Circuit." Whoops.
http://www.amazon.com/Littelfuse-LIT.../dp/B0009U64H4

I found some at Pep-Boys.

They are an adapter that plugs into the in-cabin fuse-box. There are two slots on the adapter, one for the fuse who's slot the adapter is now using, and a second slot that fuses a positive lead that runs off the adapter. This way you can find a factory fuse-location that behaves the way you want it to (Always getting power or power when the key is in "ACC" etc) and then "piggyback" a new circuit (that is independently fused) from the stock-location.

A pretty neat little item, mine ran me about $9.

djct_watt

Distribution blocks are a bunch of phooey in my book. . . but I'm not an electrical engineer either. From what I understand, parrallel wiring is parrallel wiring, so long as the fuese, taps, and the wires are of sufficient gauge to handle the load. . .

. . . and you don't really need an amp hook up kit. You could make the necessary parts (cutting, crimping, and wire stripping is all the "making" you will have to do). . . and it would only cost a couple bucks.

Inky

Maybe I'm picturing it wrong on the distribution block idea. I was thinking that the block would allow one set of heavier wires to be brought in from the battery and multiple sets of lighter wires to be distributed to various accessories.

What I like about the idea is less clutter under the hood and easier to do add-ons inside the cab.

foxtrot685

i wired mine to the battery and used inline fuses

djct_watt

You're not wrong actually. . . distribution blocks are fine. . . but they are more show pieces than something necessary. You don't really NEED one, but they do make things a little easier. But they aren't cheap, considering that you can have the same functionality out of something that costs about a buck or two in parts, if that.