using red wire to cigar lighter for accessories

mikevenables · Aug 19, 2016

Hi guys

I am new to car electrics and am fitting a range of carling switches to the dash on my 96 300 Tdi for spots, driving lights and rear work light. I have read the threads about wiring them in and get most of it. I know that I need to put ignition + feed to the switches and that I can do that by finding white wire at the dash.

I have taken out the cigar lighter and used the main feed for a 12v socket and a USB socket. I still have a spare red wire which powered the light on the cigar lighter. Could I use that and split it for the carling switches or do I need to tap into another (white) ign + wire and split that?

Many thanks in advance

Mike

pete1987RRC · Aug 19, 2016

Depends on the size of the cable and the amps being drawn by the device

zeaphod · Aug 19, 2016

Best not to use the red wire. It is a low current feed, only designed to power the dash lights, and in the future it would be a bugger to understand any fault. Better to take your feed from the white wire or fuse box. The fuse for the headlights will only be live with the ignition on, and the extra current required to operate the relay will (should) not trouble the existing fuse. You should use separate fused supplies for the actual spots etc.

lynall · Aug 19, 2016

The purple wire to the that leads to the rear of the car has sufficient current for most things but is perm live, so you would have to use a relay to trigger it maybe using the cig socket as the trigger supply?
Sounds complicated but is very easy, learning how relays work and what the numbers on the side mean is a good skill to have.

mikevenables · Aug 19, 2016

Thanks very much guys. will use the white one.

Kwakerman · Aug 21, 2016

Just make sure you use the white as the supply to operate the relays and not actually supply the power the spots. If you use the white to power the spots there is a good chance you will kill your ignition switch prematurely. Use a separate fused supply from the battery as the main power for the spots.

Coffeelandy · Aug 21, 2016

mikevenables said:
Hi guys

I am new to car electrics and am fitting a range of carling switches to the dash on my 96 300 Tdi for spots, driving lights and rear work light. I have read the threads about wiring them in and get most of it. I know that I need to put ignition + feed to the switches and that I can do that by finding white wire at the dash.

I have taken out the cigar lighter and used the main feed for a 12v socket and a USB socket. I still have a spare red wire which powered the light on the cigar lighter. Could I use that and split it for the carling switches or do I need to tap into another (white) ign + wire and split that?

Many thanks in advance

Mike

I'm just in the same throws Mate. If it's just to power the led on the switch it'll be fine. Don't forget to relay and fuse everything too!

mikevenables · Aug 21, 2016

Thanks to all of you again

using red wire to cigar lighter for accessories

mikevenables

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pete1987RRC

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zeaphod

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lynall

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mikevenables

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Kwakerman

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Coffeelandy

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mikevenables

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