Wiring question- Im lighting my center taillight - Fuse ?

[EclipseTrbo420A]

Like it says I am lighting the center taillight because it looks sweet. I am using 3 H3 bulbs that are normally used in our foglights. I want to just splice into the taillight/parking lights for power but my question is will that be safe or will I have to use a fuse for each extral light? I want this to be safe ya know?

I know I could run wire from my stock fog location ( dont have anythere now ) and they would work off of my switch but I think it would be easier to just stay in the back with all the wiring so tell me what I have to do...Thanks. Ill post some good pics when Im done and make a how to as well.

EDIT Heres a pic I photoshop'd Pretty sweet eh'

 

[PieEyedPiper]

I think that looks great!

If it were my project I'd just wire into the existing plugs/wires for the tails. Definitely fuse it though, with 3 more lights you could be pretty close to the end of the line with the stock wiring.
I'd start with small fuses, like 5amps or something and if they keep popping put in 10's and so on but I'd not go higher than 25amps, if you find you need to I'd say thats an indication that you're overburdening the wiring.

Maybe an "actual" electrical engineer could chime in with some suggestions.
Actual numbers, including max draw of each light, draw of the tails as they are now, and the capacity of the stock wiring would make my guesses on fusing above much more meaningful. I don't have that info at the moment though.

 

[knighteclipse1]

I've seen in other threads where members have used L.E.D lights across the entire center piece. It was sweet, I'll try to find a link to the thread for you.

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

where are you mounting the bulbs? i dont have a 2g so i have no clue how it would mount but im jus curious....i may do this to my 1g

Ill post up pics when Im done and I found I use a 15 to wire all 3 or A 5 each...its goona be sweet,

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

I did it guys it looks great too and cost me ZERO dollars haha. Ill post some night pics and the pics I took today later. Maybe a write up If people actually care to do this.

 

[Locke]

Well, lets see how it turned out, then!

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

hang on im studyin

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

heres 2 more then I gotta study...Ill get a nice write up this week end...but this week has been a killer at school. Doing this mod was what calmed my brain haha anyway here ya are

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

looks great...i want to do it to mine...and were did u get your turbo thing

I made that too

 

[drewbe121212]

Looks nice, man! I am definately going to do that when I get my eclipse back up and running! Did you use any fuses or not? Did you run it through the other tail light wires?

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

Hey I did use a fuse and I just got power from the tail light parking wire. Super simple and looks clean. Im going to make a write up now.

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

Tech article is submitted, should e approved soon. Ill post the link when it comes through.

 

[1FASTRICE]

How bout a picture of the back side of the bulbs.. Did you just use some urethane or somethin to make it hold?

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

Yea sure heres a pic of the back side...How to do it is all in the article. I bumped it up to a 25 amp fuse and strengthen'd the ground because the fuse was getting HOTT. After doing those 2 things all is well...I let the car idle for 20 minutes with the lights on and there was no Ill effects. Heres a back side pic. It looks liek that but now there is a better ground under the screw as well.

 

[redeclipse7782]

looks good, I would have hooked the wires up to the break light wire, and used them as the third break light.

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

looks good, I would have hooked the wires up to the break light wire, and used them as the third break light.

I was thinkin that but havin them on all the time looked really good so I figured I would just do it.... I will eventually get to the junk yard and get some turn signal harnesses and see ### I can do with those...

 

[roadrunner2176]

Looks good.

If it were me, I would put in a relay for those extra lights. Watch out for the wire getting hot, and a 10 amp fuse should be more than enough. If your fuse was just getting hot, your not getting enough current, if it were blowing, your drawing too much current.

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

Looks good.

If it were me, I would put in a relay for those extra lights. Watch out for the wire getting hot, and a 10 amp fuse should be more than enough. If your fuse was just getting hot, your not getting enough current, if it were blowing, your drawing too much current.

Any advise on how to do the relay ? I was also going to wire in some resistors to dull the lights a bit...they are alittle bit brighter than my laft and right tails.

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

Ok so I have been reading and this is what I got from it... I would put a relay from the wiring to bulb to activate a direct power source from the battery to the lights. That sounds right ? So now there will be minimal draw on the stock wiring, but the lights will be pulling directly from the battery through the relay that sound right....

If so would I beable to wire in a resistor between the battery and relay so they arent as bright? I hope I got this right Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[redeclipse7782]

I was thinkin that but havin them on all the time looked really good so I figured I would just do it.... I will eventually get to the junk yard and get some turn signal harnesses and see ### I can do with those...

Yup, make the best of both worlds, get the stock turn signal/parking light bulbs from the headlights, they use 2 phase bulbs. Theres 3 wires on them 2 positive and 1 negative. Ground the negative, hook up the low positive to the parking lights (like you have) and hook the high positive to the brake lights, that way when you brake the center brake light gets brighter too.

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

I might have to do that. also it wont be as bright haha

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

Thanks...ill have to make some changes to it, but it should go though soon I hope.

 

[roadrunner2176]

Wiring a relay is quite simple. You will need to run a power line from the battery, to the relay. The relay will have 4 terminals, power from battery, power from signal source, power to the accessory, and ground.

The power goes to the relay
Signal cource--tail lights is where you will tap into to get your signal (lights on, relay engaged, off, relay off)
Accessory--what is to be turned on by the relay
Ground--ground

As for installing an inline resistor, that is more for led's. Installing a resistor inline with an auto bulb will make it burn out faster, where as with an led it will make it dimmer or brighter, and minimally effect bulb light.

To keep things simple, your best bet would be to get either some clear or red 1157 tail light bulbs. Or get some of the license plate bulbs (cannot remember number for them) and wire them in. Their not as bright as a fog light, and they wont take up as much space either.

Oh, and whenever you do any wiring, remember to fuse it. 1.00 vs car fire is a big mistake.

If you have any troubles with the relay, they also sell relays with wiring harness to simplify things.

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

Wiring a relay is quite simple. You will need to run a power line from the battery, to the relay. The relay will have 4 terminals, power from battery, power from signal source, power to the accessory, and ground.

The power goes to the relay
Signal cource--tail lights is where you will tap into to get your signal (lights on, relay engaged, off, relay off)
Accessory--what is to be turned on by the relay
Ground--ground

As for installing an inline resistor, that is more for led's. Installing a resistor inline with an auto bulb will make it burn out faster, where as with an led it will make it dimmer or brighter, and minimally effect bulb light.

To keep things simple, your best bet would be to get either some clear or red 1157 tail light bulbs. Or get some of the license plate bulbs (cannot remember number for them) and wire them in. Their not as bright as a fog light, and they wont take up as much space either.

Oh, and whenever you do any wiring, remember to fuse it. 1.00 vs car fire is a big mistake.

If you have any troubles with the relay, they also sell relays with wiring harness to simplify things.

Thanks for the input and I have a feeling that this will fix the problem of my dull tails and brighter center. When the middle is lit the left and right are 50% less bright than when I disconnect the middle. I will deffinately fuse it you think a 15 amp between the battery and relay and also one between the source and relay? Thanks again.

 

[50ul H4ck3r]

use the same lights that you use in you taillights...they work perfect