finding 12v dc power

[StephanieD]

I want to hard wire in this power source for my mp3 player, phone charger etc: http://www.flickr.com/photos/57329696@N05/5585900832/


I pulled out my tape deck, and can see where the car stereo guys spliced into the tape deck's power to run my XM player: http://www.flickr.com/photos/57329696@N05/5644398655/

(see the red and white wires joined by black tape?)


Would it be safe to splice in there? Or would it be too much current to run the deck, XM, radar, mp3 fm modulator and phone charger off that one line?


Is there a better place to splice into some power?


Thanks!!

[fishexpo101]

One - I'd kick the tar out of a shop that did a splice job like that to my car.

From the photo - looks like they either stripped the insulation off and wrapped the other line around it, finished by electrical tape - of just chopped the wire, twisted together, finished off with electrical tape. That is just an electrical disaster waiting to happen - hot wire with all that ground around it.

As for tapping off the splice (headunit + XM + radar detector + modulator) - that is a lot of juice, plus if you get a short in any of those individual components, you'd likely take out the others as well.

Best to tap directly from the fuse panel. They make automotive fuse taps that run inline with the existing fuse. Just have to run the wire. Another option is to have a bus bar put in to run to your multiple 12V devices. Just make sure you power the bus bar from a circuit that can handle the load.

If that is not possible - the closest and least likely to affect circuit is the one feeding the cigarette lighter/12V power outlet. Some models of Corolla have an auxillary power point inside the center console - that would also make for a nice place to tap power from.

[Buurin]

Originally Posted by fishexpo101

One - I'd kick the tar out of a shop that did a splice job like that to my car.

Back in 2001 I solder spliced into my radio wire too - not anymore, now that I have a cache of OEM plugs, pins and harnesses.

Just plug a 4-way splitter into the lighter jack and run off of it unless you need to be discreet.

Some models of Corolla have an auxillary power point inside the center console - that would also make for a nice place to tap power from.

2001-02 LE, to be specific.

[fishexpo101]

Originally Posted by Buurin

Back in 2001 I solder spliced into my radio wire too - not anymore, now that I have a cache of OEM plugs, pins and harnesses.

Yeah, I've done that before as well. I think almost everyone that has tackled a DIY electrical job has done that at some point. Now we know better (or should know better). I'm just peeved that a shop did that - no sense in taking shortcuts like that, just asking for trouble later, hurts your rep down the road.