Best place to tap 12V from???

[swooopeno]

I call upon the forum. . . again:


So if anyone recalls, I'm installing external DVD and LCD screen. Couldn't install screen in small compartment near shifter, so I am putting it in the glove box w/ rail glides. Anyway, I need some advice on where to tap into power. I need a battery tap, accessory tap, and ground. I took the dash apart last night, and located the needed wires that come off the main stereo plug. Can I use these? Do I need to somehow add another fuse for these items and run the wires to the fuse block near the driver's side door? As discussed in the FM mod. thread, there is an accessory wire (brown/white) near the shifter. Can I use this for accessory wire?

Any help will be VERY appreciated!

Also... can anyone recommend a place to purchase blitzsafe from?

 

[waskillywabbit]

Fuse box

Install an auxiliary fuse box and run all your 12V plug ins from there. Simple and inexpensive and it keeps your wires nice and neat. I got a write-up on what I did on my website under the write-ups section.

Good luck!

:guitar2:

 

[swooopeno]

Looks like a good mod, but that's getting into "I have no idea what I'm doing" land. I was hoping for a wire location that I can use easy "tap" connectors to tap into. I'm quite a novice at this electrical stuff.

It seems that the dvd player only takes 3A. so I can't imagine the screen takes that much. Please tell me I can just tap into an existing wire. Can I use the battery wire from the stereo, or will that put too many "amps" on the fuse???

See.. I don't even know the terminology.

 

[Iman74]

When I installed my PIAA lights and needed a power source for the switch I used one of those clips that you plug the two wires into it, and the clip pinches them just enough to create a bridge. That worked out quite well.

 

[waskillywabbit]

Fuse box

Looks like a good mod, but that's getting into "I have no idea what I'm doing" land. I was hoping for a wire location that I can use easy "tap" connectors to tap into. I'm quite a novice at this electrical stuff.

It seems that the dvd player only takes 3A. so I can't imagine the screen takes that much. Please tell me I can just tap into an existing wire. Can I use the battery wire from the stereo, or will that put too many "amps" on the fuse???

See.. I don't even know the terminology.

An easy mod to do for even the people who have no idea about electrical stuff. I did it and it only took me 2 months to quit twitching...

:guitar2:

 

[my04runner]

Funny and :iagree:

You are much better off running the new line. Keep in mind the amount of amps the radio may be using up, and to power two other devices from the same line might be pushing it. A small simple fuse block would be your best choice. There really is not much involved.

 

[swooopeno]

Ok.. couple more questions, then you all have convinced me of a new fuse block.


1. Can't I use an empty slot in the existing fuse block near the driver's side kick panel???

2. What if use the wires coming out of the radio, and just put a large fuse in the existing fuse block. (i.e. if there is a 15A fuse for the radio, I'll put in a 25A fuse).

This seems too easy... can it be done???

 

[Ghost Rider]

I call upon the forum. . . again:


So if anyone recalls, I'm installing external DVD and LCD screen. Couldn't install screen in small compartment near shifter, so I am putting it in the glove box w/ rail glides. Anyway, I need some advice on where to tap into power. I need a battery tap, accessory tap, and ground. I took the dash apart last night, and located the needed wires that come off the main stereo plug. Can I use these? Do I need to somehow add another fuse for these items and run the wires to the fuse block near the driver's side door? As discussed in the FM mod. thread, there is an accessory wire (brown/white) near the shifter. Can I use this for accessory wire?

Any help will be VERY appreciated!

Also... can anyone recommend a place to purchase blitzsafe from?

Got my Blitzsafe here...

http://www.logjamelectronics.com/toyauxdmxv2.html

 

[rando]

Ok.. couple more questions, then you all have convinced me of a new fuse block.


1. Can't I use an empty slot in the existing fuse block near the driver's side kick panel???

2. What if use the wires coming out of the radio, and just put a large fuse in the existing fuse block. (i.e. if there is a 15A fuse for the radio, I'll put in a 25A fuse).

This seems too easy... can it be done???

1. Probably not.

2. DEFINITELY NO! In general, you should never replace a fuse with a larger fuse unless you plan to light a fire using your truck as the match.

Here's the deal. Fuses protect wiring and to a lessor extent, equipment (radio, accessories, etc) from overload and/or short circuit conditions. If no fuse, or too large a fuse, is used for a given size wire, the chance of a fire increases. Any time you tap an existing circuit and step down from a larger wire to a smaller wire, you should install a fuse. The fuse should be placed as close as possible (inches) from the tap and be sized appropriately to protect the smaller wire.

Assuming that each circuit in the 4R is already designed and sized according the equipment it will handle, it's generall not a good idea to attach additional accessories to those circuits. Doing so is unlikely to damage any components though you may blow fuses when the OEM devices and your new devices are used concurrently.

As the others have said, the BEST solution is to run an entirely new circuit for your new accessories. This would start at the battery (with a fuse) and then branch to each of your devices (one fuse each if you change wire size). If you need a switched power lead, then run the new circuit through an automotive relay and trigger the relay with an ignition wire.

If you still want to use existing circuits, I'd stick with the radio and/or cigarette lighter circuits. Those aren't used for anything else so if you do blow a fuse you won't lose any critical systems. The 6 speaker radio is powered from a 20A battery circuit and a 7.5A switched circuit. The 20A probably has the headroom you need but remember it is ALWAYS on. The other radios have a seperate amplifier and thus use two different 20A circuits. In this case, the radio 20A circuit probably has even more headroom since it's not busy powering an audio amplifier. The always on 20A circuit is the blue wire with a yellow stripe. The switched 7.5A circuit is the gray wire.

I think somebody posted the wiring diagrams around here somewhere. You should download those and take a look a them to make sure you understand what you're doing.

Good luck and don't blame me if you turn your truck into a candle.

 

[my04runner]

Going from your statement earlier on your knowledge of electronics. The fuse I beleive we are all talking about adding is a very simple design, if this helps your concerns. It has the hot wire coming in, then a cylinder fuse and then the line out. Depending on which one you choose you can have 1 line in and 2 out or 1 in and 4 out.

 

[swooopeno]

my04runner:

PM'd

 

[swooopeno]

Hmmm....

So this DVD player I have has a 12V battery and a 12V accessory wire. Is the battery wire just for internal memory purposes? What if I just use the access. wire???