2G Where to get power under hood when key is on

[rhodes2010]

Hey everybody, I searched the forum - but did not find.

Under the hood of the 1996 Eclipse GSX (all stock) I want a source of 12v power that comes
on only when the key is on.
After searching the fuse box with a volt meter and finding nothing that comes on only when the key is on I am thinking of adding a wire to the solenoid (starter) or maybe bringing it from the cabin back to the engine bay.

The key on only power will trigger a relay that will then activate two of the fuses in the under hood fuse box.

I have a drain of almost 3 amps when everything is off, and it is coming from the radio and courtesy/interior lamp circuit. Eventually I will find the source of the drain and fix it. With the fuses in as normal my battery dies in 4 days or so. With fuses out on these two I can go weeks with no drain on battery and car starts as expected.

So I figured I would add a relay that is triggered when key is on, the relay will complete the circuits so that I can have interior lights and more importantly some radio.

Any input from anyone on a circuit that is on only when key is on (car running) or maybe you have an idea about what is draining on the interior lamps or radio circuit.

Thanks all.

 

[DogWhistle]

Power coming into the fusebox is always on. The fuses there "distribute" the voltage to the circuits through the fuses, and then head into the cab, and into the ignition switch, or other control switches.

To make your idea work, you will have to either run an always-hot wire into the cab, through a switch, and then back into the engine fusebox to feed the radio and courtesy circuit, or, tap into a 12v feed at the ignition switch, and send a new feed out to those circuits.

If/when you do find the cause of the drain, please share your results, as that is a common circuit for DSM drains, ourselves included.

 

[RamenPride]

Easiest way would be to run a wire from the ignition switch in the cabin into the engine bay. I suppose you could also tap into the wire going to the starter solenoid instead to keep all of the wiring under the hood.