Cigarette Lighter help/ Wiring

[Tiki2777]

You guys have been helping me thus far, and i thank you guys. I hooked up my new glowshift gauges in to the cigarette lighter area, but there was a black one with a black clip on the end, a blue wire with a white clip on the end, a black wire, and a green wire. The two clips were on the cig. lighter. All 4 wires were wrapped together. I hooked them up to the black and green without the clips (soldered). But, i only get power to the gauges with my interior looks flipped on (or that with the headlights). I can get them on also when the car is off. I don't know wtf happened. Help (and btw, there was a light bulb attached to wires in my center console, would this be for my cig. lighter light? because that hasn't lit up, ever)

HELP
Someone before me put in a new amp and alpine head too.

 

[Rsawd95dsm]

Yes that light bulb goes to the cigarette lighter to illumiate around the cigarette lighter when the headlamps or interior lights are on.

 

[knochgoon24]

That blue wire with the white clip is a switched 12V source (+12V IGN).

The green wire is for a light.

Either black wire will work as a ground.

So you need to switch your connection to the blue wire.

Didn't you check the wires with a voltmeter before soldering anything to them if you were unsure?

 

[kt239]

Did you test the wires before making the connection to make sure it's the power source you actually wanted? Get a test light or voltmeter and see when that wire gets power and when it looses it.

 

[Tiki2777]

Did you test the wires before making the connection to make sure it's the power source you actually wanted? Get a test light or voltmeter and see when that wire gets power and when it looses it.

Yea I checked it, I'm going to move the ground to the clipped black wire when I get the chance, same with the 12v+ to blue.
Also, where in the interior fuse box is a constant 12v+, I have an add a circuit plug to go there, but I can't seem to find a constant 12vpositive

 

[kt239]

Look for a white or white/red wire in your ignition wire cluster.. Or just test some wires to see what one will do the trick for you.

Worth an add:
In my experience doing 12v installs a constant power source at the fuse box will typically be found on the back of said fuse box. Not saying that's not where you were looking but if you wernt that would be the place you find it.

 

[Tiki2777]

Look for a white or white/red wire in your ignition wire cluster.. Or just test some wires to see what one will do the trick for you.

Worth an add:
In my experience doing 12v installs a constant power source at the fuse box will typically be found on the back of said fuse box. Not saying that's not where you were looking but if you wernt that would be the place you find it.

that is some seriously useful info, thank you. But, how exactly would you go about splicing into one of the ign. wires and how would you go about splicing into the back of the fuse box? Once again, thank you for the help.

 

[knochgoon24]

Personally, I ran a piece of 10ga wire from my battery into my car. From there, I split it into 2. One goes to a fused distribution block that is constant 12v. The other connects through a relay on that blue cigarette lighter wire and goes to a distribution block that provides all my switched 12v. Then I have a third distribution block that I connect most of my grounds to that is grounded in the car and also in the engine bay.

Since doing this, I've never had any electrical problems. Wiring is a simple as adding a wire to the distribution blocks.

 

[kt239]

Most vehicles have them all taped together or loomed and when your real lucky both. If you go the route of taking the 12v from the ignition harness (and by that I mean the group of wires containing the 12v you desire) just drop your crash panel and look for the bunch of wires heading up toward the steering column it should be in that bunch. The fuse box you typically just unmount it if rear access is not easily available and your typically find a nice fat constant 12v wire or two back there. But do not assume that if you find a red one it is +12v always test! I have seen them from red to black/white to blue/red doing installs.

 

[Tiki2777]

Most vehicles have them all taped together or loomed and when your real lucky both. If you go the route of taking the 12v from the ignition harness (and by that I mean the group of wires containing the 12v you desire) just drop your crash panel and look for the bunch of wires heading up toward the steering column it should be in that bunch. The fuse box you typically just unmount it if rear access is not easily available and your typically find a nice fat constant 12v wire or two back there. But do not assume that if you find a red one it is +12v always test! I have seen them from red to black/white to blue/red doing installs.

Yea I finally found and tapped into a 12+ constant wire that went to my amp in the trunk, thanks for all the help.