Question re power source for aftermarket device
10-07-04, 07:58 PM
#1
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Question re power source for aftermarket device
Okay, engin_ear or anyone else who is listening out there, I went tonight to install my am/fm signal booster. I removed the ashtray, disconnected the cigarette lighter, then removed the vents and disconnected the plugs for the clock and the hazard lights, and then realized that I didn't have a 10mm socket to remove the two lower bolts holding the head unit/ac controller in place. I'm just not very bright.
Anyway, before I pieced it back together, I decided to try to figure out where I was going to wire the booster. I thought this would be a piece of cake, but I was wrong. It was completely naive of me to think that the cigarette lighter would be powered by one wire that was connected to a terminal with some electrical tape. Of course, there are 4 wires (green, red, white and white/black) that feed a female plug, which plugs into a male plug on the back of the ashtray. Just for kicks, I tried plugging the wire from the booster into each of the 4 holes (one per wire) on the female plug. No luck. None of them would power the device. I have to admit that I know nothing when it comes to wiring, so any advice here would be greatly appreciated. Engin_ear had suggested that I use the power source running to the head unit as a source of power for the booster, but I'm sure that once I get the head unit out, it will be even more complicated than the cigarette lighter.
Can anyone show me the way on this one? It seems like it would be a relatively simple task. Thanks.
e-man
Anyway, before I pieced it back together, I decided to try to figure out where I was going to wire the booster. I thought this would be a piece of cake, but I was wrong. It was completely naive of me to think that the cigarette lighter would be powered by one wire that was connected to a terminal with some electrical tape. Of course, there are 4 wires (green, red, white and white/black) that feed a female plug, which plugs into a male plug on the back of the ashtray. Just for kicks, I tried plugging the wire from the booster into each of the 4 holes (one per wire) on the female plug. No luck. None of them would power the device. I have to admit that I know nothing when it comes to wiring, so any advice here would be greatly appreciated. Engin_ear had suggested that I use the power source running to the head unit as a source of power for the booster, but I'm sure that once I get the head unit out, it will be even more complicated than the cigarette lighter.
Can anyone show me the way on this one? It seems like it would be a relatively simple task. Thanks.
e-man
10-08-04, 02:22 PM
#2
"I'm just not very bright."
Funny.
I think what you see there is 12V accessory power (2 wires) plus power for illumination of the socket (LED or bulb), which is tied to the illum circuit. You need a voltmeter. First you need to find the ground wire that's tied to chassis (body metal) - you do this with a resistance meter, near 0 resistance means it is connected. This is your 'negative' wire. Then you need to find the +12Volt wire by checking (with key at ignition or accessory on) with voltmeter. Once you find ground and +12V, you can follow the instructions for the booster and wire it up. It would also be good to get someone to help you make the connections, if you haven't done any of this before - you should make sure the connections are good, especially if you still plan on ever using the lighter socket.
You can get a voltmeter pretty cheaply $20 or so at your local Radio Shack, maybe HomeDepot or Lowe's as well.
Funny.
I think what you see there is 12V accessory power (2 wires) plus power for illumination of the socket (LED or bulb), which is tied to the illum circuit. You need a voltmeter. First you need to find the ground wire that's tied to chassis (body metal) - you do this with a resistance meter, near 0 resistance means it is connected. This is your 'negative' wire. Then you need to find the +12Volt wire by checking (with key at ignition or accessory on) with voltmeter. Once you find ground and +12V, you can follow the instructions for the booster and wire it up. It would also be good to get someone to help you make the connections, if you haven't done any of this before - you should make sure the connections are good, especially if you still plan on ever using the lighter socket.
You can get a voltmeter pretty cheaply $20 or so at your local Radio Shack, maybe HomeDepot or Lowe's as well.
10-08-04, 05:08 PM
#3
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Thread Starter
How about this? What if I take the wire from the booster and insert it into the hole on the female end of the plug that corresponds to the red wire (most likely the +12v wire). Then, with the booster wire inserted in the plug, I'll go ahead and plug the female plug back into the other end of the connection so that I have completed the circuit. With the wire wedged in there, I'll know right away if that's the correct wire because I'll be able to power up my booster. If it's not the right one, I can simply unplug the plug, insert the wire into one of the other 3 holes and try again. I'm assuming that green is ground, so that's probably not even worth trying. Also, assuming this works, this will give me a chance to try out the booster to see if it even helps at all. If not, I can return it and my car will be as if I never tampered with it.
e-man
e-man
10-11-04, 06:49 AM
#5
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Thread Starter
Engin_ear -- I went over to a local shop over the weekend. They had a voltmeter and confirmed that the pink/red wire was the correct one. I wired the device up on Sunday and started a new thread about it. Let me know what you think.
e-man
e-man
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