Adding to the fusebox

[SimonR]

Well, I've got half way through fitting my stereo to A335 and am now stuck :(

I've added two new fuses (one permanent 12V and one switched) and run two wires down to the radio but don't realy know what to do with the other ends. Obviously one needs to go to a switched supply, the other a permanent one but where...?! I remember someone saying that I could just solder the new wires to the ignition switch terminals but I've taken a look and it all seems a little dodgy doing that.

I want to do a proper job with beefier wires than the ones originally used, so I can't just bodge it by using something ike the cigarette lighter supply and the exixting radio switched 12V.

Has anyone any ideas?

Many thanks

Simon R.

[Alan the Vanner]

I reckon that if you want to put beefier wires in, then to get a permanent supply would mean making a connection to the battery (making sure you fit fuses in the circuit of course). I have been doing a similar thing for my accessory lighting circuits. I have a main wire that runs into the cab (connected to a home-made connection strip fitted to the outside of the heater body), and then, as a switched circuit, runs back to the engine bay where I have fitted a mounting rack with all the necessary relays. Probably a job best suited for a complete vehicle re-build like what I'm doing, but it will do the job and looks good!:cool:

[talkingcars]

The switched feed does not have to be thicker than the OME feed as it only trips the power switch in the headunit.

I would (and have) run a fused cable from the battery to supply my headunit, amps and alarm although one can take a supply from the positive supply to the ignition switch.

James

[MGTurbo]

Just run a nice thick wire to the battery, fused, use the existing switching wire to turn it on, and wrap the new wire in insulating tape to the existing loom so it doesnt look out of place.

[Simon]

If it's just a case of linking the wires to the fusebox you'll need to carefully unscrew the existing box and pull it gently away as far as you can to expose the back. You'll see some red locking strips which need to be slid out by gripping the end with pliers and disengaging the locking tabs. The locking strips can then be slid out sideways. What you then need to do is, using pliers, pull away the unfused and fused terminals that you need to extract, after first removing the relevant fuse between them. Make up your "beefier" leads in the correct colour if possible (Switched: light green; permanent live: purple - cable weight 28/030) and solder these leads to the old terminals having removed the old crimped wires carefully. Assembly is the reverse of removal, as they say!

Not hard, just fiddly and a bit scary at first.

[SimonR]

Nearly got it sorted now - as it happens my fusebox is of a different design without the slidy red clips that later cars had. The wiring it pretty much in place, all I've got to do now is run a wire from the fusebox to the battery.

I still have a couple of questions tho (sorry!)

1. can I just run the wire to where the +ve lead attaches to the starter motor or is it best to get a ring type connector and add it directly to the battery contact?

2. Thanks for your advice, James - I didn't realise that the switched supply only trips the headunit on. Is it true for all headunits that they takes their power from the permanent 12V (marked 'Memory' on my intermediate loom bought from Halfrauds)?

Hopefully It'll be working nicely by the end of the week!

SR.