Installing new circuit in fuse panel?
#1
11-20-2013, 10:12 PM
Installing new circuit in fuse panel?
We're putting in heated seats.
I've seen videos of people putting these in and just splicing into the circuit of something else in the car, but this seems like a *really* bad idea to me. I'd like to do things as properly and safely as possible which, to me, means putting two new lines in the fuse box.
This seems like something that must not be too hard to do (presumably a lot of aftermarket stereo installers would need to do this). But after (disconnecting the battery and) removing the insanely long bolt that I thought was holding the fuse panel in place, it didn't budge at all. :-\
How do I go about running a new wire off an unused space on the fuse panel? I've seen lots of folks recommend "add a circuit" type solutions but thought I'd check how hard it would be to just put it in properly.
Is there any way (other than trial and error) to figure out which spaces on the fuse panel are keyed and which are always live?
Thanks!
Colin
I've seen videos of people putting these in and just splicing into the circuit of something else in the car, but this seems like a *really* bad idea to me. I'd like to do things as properly and safely as possible which, to me, means putting two new lines in the fuse box.
This seems like something that must not be too hard to do (presumably a lot of aftermarket stereo installers would need to do this). But after (disconnecting the battery and) removing the insanely long bolt that I thought was holding the fuse panel in place, it didn't budge at all. :-\
How do I go about running a new wire off an unused space on the fuse panel? I've seen lots of folks recommend "add a circuit" type solutions but thought I'd check how hard it would be to just put it in properly.
Is there any way (other than trial and error) to figure out which spaces on the fuse panel are keyed and which are always live?
Thanks!
Colin
#2
11-20-2013, 11:24 PM
if you are doing wiring, you better have a multimeter and a test light
Use these tools to find one that is live ONLY with the key on. No reason to allow seat to heat while car is off and key out.
Find a spot, hook up a relay, wire an inline fuse to battery, and wire a switch up for seat heaters
Remember, relays draw minimal power for a signal, the fuse on the battery draw wire keeps it from burning your car to the ground, and good tools make the job go smooth!!
Use these tools to find one that is live ONLY with the key on. No reason to allow seat to heat while car is off and key out.
Find a spot, hook up a relay, wire an inline fuse to battery, and wire a switch up for seat heaters
Remember, relays draw minimal power for a signal, the fuse on the battery draw wire keeps it from burning your car to the ground, and good tools make the job go smooth!!
#3
11-21-2013, 09:47 AM
If I were hooking up seat heaters I'd start with fuse location 40.
#4
11-21-2013, 05:27 PM
I'm afraid location 40 was a bust (it's not switched). :-(
I wound up going through the available circuits with a volt meter and here's what I found:
(EDIT: The reason I'm showing which post is live, is because the add-a-circuit needs to be inserted with the silver post *opposite* its red wire attached to the live side of the socket.)
I hooked together two add-a-circuit units in series (one for each seat):
And put those into Slot 7:
The location of Slot 7 is such that the u-shaped units wrap under the bottom of the fuse box.
Now I just need to get the seats apart to get those heating pads in place!
Thanks
I wound up going through the available circuits with a volt meter and here's what I found:
(EDIT: The reason I'm showing which post is live, is because the add-a-circuit needs to be inserted with the silver post *opposite* its red wire attached to the live side of the socket.)
I hooked together two add-a-circuit units in series (one for each seat):
And put those into Slot 7:
The location of Slot 7 is such that the u-shaped units wrap under the bottom of the fuse box.
Now I just need to get the seats apart to get those heating pads in place!
Thanks
Last edited by colin_f; 11-21-2013 at 07:46 PM.
#5
11-22-2013, 04:47 AM
I'm afraid location 40 was a bust (it's not switched). :-(
I wound up going through the available circuits with a volt meter and here's what I found:
(EDIT: The reason I'm showing which post is live, is because the add-a-circuit needs to be inserted with the silver post *opposite* its red wire attached to the live side of the socket.)
I hooked together two add-a-circuit units in series (one for each seat):
And put those into Slot 7:
The location of Slot 7 is such that the u-shaped units wrap under the bottom of the fuse box.
Now I just need to get the seats apart to get those heating pads in place!
Thanks
I wound up going through the available circuits with a volt meter and here's what I found:
(EDIT: The reason I'm showing which post is live, is because the add-a-circuit needs to be inserted with the silver post *opposite* its red wire attached to the live side of the socket.)
I hooked together two add-a-circuit units in series (one for each seat):
And put those into Slot 7:
The location of Slot 7 is such that the u-shaped units wrap under the bottom of the fuse box.
Now I just need to get the seats apart to get those heating pads in place!
Thanks
I have had no problem connecting to the AUX circuit right at the outlet. I have had other stuff plugged into the AUX at the same time with no problem.
Installing pads is easy when you have Classios. Worst part of the install is what to do with the miles of wiring. Just don't look inside my console.
#6
11-22-2013, 09:44 AM
Each seat heater is rated to draw no more than 10A so if I tie them together they'd need to go through a 20A fuse in the add-a-circuit. Otherwise, the two of them would blow the fuse. But that would also mean each *individual* seat-heater could draw 20A, which could (?) start a fire.
Hmm... now I guess I could use an inline 10A fuse on each seat heater and then put the combined lines through a 20A fuse in a single add-a-circuit. I guess that would have saved me a few dollars on the extra add-a-circuit, though this arrangement with two will be a *little* tidier since I won't have the inline fuses dangling.
(I should mention: I got my add-a-circuits at Canadian Tire for $15 ea. because I'm trying to get this finished sooner rather than later, but you can find similar gizmos on e-bay for about $3 + $3 delivery to Canada (and much cheaper in quantity).)
I'll report back on how the seat install goes (in a different thread) if there's anything helpful to report; I'm not expecting it to be difficult to go under the factory seat covers, but I guess we'll see! (The Clazzios seem nice but were a little expensive for my needs -- my last car was 13 years old when I sold it and the seats were in fine condition. I might need to put a blanket down in the back seat since I have a 5-year old, though! :-) )
Re: Extra wire
LOL! I guess they have to plan for the person whose putting the switch somewhere other than right in the side of the seat (though that seems like the best place, to me). A few zip ties should keep it out of the way under the seat. I'm going to need to run an extra 5' of 12 or 14 gauge wire under the dashboard to reach the passenger seat heater. (All that extra wire is between the switch and the heaters, not the switch and the fuse-box.)
One of the weirdest things about this project was learning that the 'negative' side of the circuit is just *anything* grounded in the car (which is just about anything metal). DC is a very different world from AC. :-)
What's the "AUX circuit right at the outlet"?
Thanks!
-Colin
Hmm... now I guess I could use an inline 10A fuse on each seat heater and then put the combined lines through a 20A fuse in a single add-a-circuit. I guess that would have saved me a few dollars on the extra add-a-circuit, though this arrangement with two will be a *little* tidier since I won't have the inline fuses dangling.
(I should mention: I got my add-a-circuits at Canadian Tire for $15 ea. because I'm trying to get this finished sooner rather than later, but you can find similar gizmos on e-bay for about $3 + $3 delivery to Canada (and much cheaper in quantity).)
I'll report back on how the seat install goes (in a different thread) if there's anything helpful to report; I'm not expecting it to be difficult to go under the factory seat covers, but I guess we'll see! (The Clazzios seem nice but were a little expensive for my needs -- my last car was 13 years old when I sold it and the seats were in fine condition. I might need to put a blanket down in the back seat since I have a 5-year old, though! :-) )
Re: Extra wire
LOL! I guess they have to plan for the person whose putting the switch somewhere other than right in the side of the seat (though that seems like the best place, to me). A few zip ties should keep it out of the way under the seat. I'm going to need to run an extra 5' of 12 or 14 gauge wire under the dashboard to reach the passenger seat heater. (All that extra wire is between the switch and the heaters, not the switch and the fuse-box.)
One of the weirdest things about this project was learning that the 'negative' side of the circuit is just *anything* grounded in the car (which is just about anything metal). DC is a very different world from AC. :-)
What's the "AUX circuit right at the outlet"?
Thanks!
-Colin
#7
11-22-2013, 03:35 PM
I have inserted some comments
Each seat heater is rated to draw no more than 10A so if I tie them together they'd need to go through a 20A fuse in the add-a-circuit. Otherwise, the two of them would blow the fuse. But that would also mean each *individual* seat-heater could draw 20A, which could (?) start a fire.
... The Aux circuit is 20 AMP so I was OK connecting both there and there is the inline 10 amp on each seat.
There is a plug that goes on the back of the AUX jack. There is no slack to spllce the heater wires into the plug wiring. So I took a short piece of wire 6`and put spade connectors on either end(Male and Female ) to create slack( one end into jack the other into plug). Then I soldered the heater wires into this extra pieces of wire.
Hmm... now I guess I could use an inline 10A fuse on each seat heater and then put the combined lines through a 20A fuse in a single add-a-circuit. I guess that would have saved me a few dollars on the extra add-a-circuit, though this arrangement with two will be a *little* tidier since I won't have the inline fuses dangling.
(I should mention: I got my add-a-circuits at Canadian Tire for $15 ea. because I'm trying to get this finished sooner rather than later, but you can find similar gizmos on e-bay for about $3 + $3 delivery to Canada (and much cheaper in quantity).)
.... Same here. Expensive eh.
I'll report back on how the seat install goes (in a different thread) if there's anything helpful to report; I'm not expecting it to be difficult to go under the factory seat covers, but I guess we'll see! (The Clazzios seem nice but were a little expensive for my needs -- my last car was 13 years old when I sold it and the seats were in fine condition. I might need to put a blanket down in the back seat since I have a 5-year old, though! :-) )
Re: Extra wire
LOL! I guess they have to plan for the person whose putting the switch somewhere other than right in the side of the seat (though that seems like the best place, to me). A few zip ties should keep it out of the way under the seat. I'm going to need to run an extra 5' of 12 or 14 gauge wire under the dashboard to reach the passenger seat heater. (All that extra wire is between the switch and the heaters, not the switch and the fuse-box.)
One of the weirdest things about this project was learning that the 'negative' side of the circuit is just *anything* grounded in the car (which is just about anything metal). DC is a very different world from AC. :-)
What's the "AUX circuit right at the outlet"?
... The wiring for the AUX outlet ie right behind the jack
Pics here https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...ted-seats.html
bill
Thanks!
-Colin
... The Aux circuit is 20 AMP so I was OK connecting both there and there is the inline 10 amp on each seat.
There is a plug that goes on the back of the AUX jack. There is no slack to spllce the heater wires into the plug wiring. So I took a short piece of wire 6`and put spade connectors on either end(Male and Female ) to create slack( one end into jack the other into plug). Then I soldered the heater wires into this extra pieces of wire.
Hmm... now I guess I could use an inline 10A fuse on each seat heater and then put the combined lines through a 20A fuse in a single add-a-circuit. I guess that would have saved me a few dollars on the extra add-a-circuit, though this arrangement with two will be a *little* tidier since I won't have the inline fuses dangling.
(I should mention: I got my add-a-circuits at Canadian Tire for $15 ea. because I'm trying to get this finished sooner rather than later, but you can find similar gizmos on e-bay for about $3 + $3 delivery to Canada (and much cheaper in quantity).)
.... Same here. Expensive eh.
I'll report back on how the seat install goes (in a different thread) if there's anything helpful to report; I'm not expecting it to be difficult to go under the factory seat covers, but I guess we'll see! (The Clazzios seem nice but were a little expensive for my needs -- my last car was 13 years old when I sold it and the seats were in fine condition. I might need to put a blanket down in the back seat since I have a 5-year old, though! :-) )
Re: Extra wire
LOL! I guess they have to plan for the person whose putting the switch somewhere other than right in the side of the seat (though that seems like the best place, to me). A few zip ties should keep it out of the way under the seat. I'm going to need to run an extra 5' of 12 or 14 gauge wire under the dashboard to reach the passenger seat heater. (All that extra wire is between the switch and the heaters, not the switch and the fuse-box.)
One of the weirdest things about this project was learning that the 'negative' side of the circuit is just *anything* grounded in the car (which is just about anything metal). DC is a very different world from AC. :-)
What's the "AUX circuit right at the outlet"?
... The wiring for the AUX outlet ie right behind the jack
Pics here https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...ted-seats.html
bill
Thanks!
-Colin
#8
11-22-2013, 03:47 PM
Thanks Bill, I get what you mean now.
I was thinking of putting the switches on the outside of the seat (facing each door).
ARGH! I just found out they're GLUED! So much for no difficulty.
I was thinking of putting the switches on the outside of the seat (facing each door).
ARGH! I just found out they're GLUED! So much for no difficulty.
#9
11-23-2013, 04:17 AM
Not sure if like your idea of location of switches. May get stray salt in them. I would go with same as me or near the shifter which looks good.
bill
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
