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[amba]

My auto electrical skills are modest to say the least but I usually get by but would welcome some proper advise on this.

I wish to add a ignition position 1 live feed and with the help of my trusty multimeter have located fuse 13in the fuse box under steering column as being dead with ignition key removed,but live when key is turned to position 1 and full ignition.

How do I "tap " into the wiring as assume I need to pull fuse box out to get to the back but am then expecting lots and lost of wires.Do I cut and resolder with the extra wire attached or is there some clever way of not needing to start spliting existing wires.

Help as always greatly appreciated

[05omegav6]

Identify the side of the fuse down stream of the battery, ie only live when the fuse is in place... fuse out and ign on one side will be live, tother won't.

Carefully liberate that terminal.

About two inches along, strip 5mm of insulation.

Wrap the stripped end of the wire you wish to add around the bare section and back on itself, twist up and solder.
. Be sure that the solder penetrates the core wire.

Slide an inch long heat shrink tube over the fuse terminal end of the wire and position it centrally over the join.

Heat carefully to shrink until snug.

Refit fuse terminal.

Do what you need to at the other end before refitting fuse.

There's an earth ground terminal on the steering column and one on the A post towards the top of the drivers kick panel.

Bish, bash, bosh

[amba]

Cheers for the concise advise,Al 

How do I "liberate" the down fused wire from the back of the fuse box..does it just push in on a spade type fitting or is it more complex ?

[05omegav6]

The terminal is simply clipped into the fuse panel. Undo the two phillips screws and the panel unclips and pulls out then all will be revealed...

I have a fuse panel here, so bear with me and I'll have a look to confirm

[VXL V6]

There's an earth ground terminal on the.......

0V Al 

[05omegav6]

There's an earth ground terminal on the.......

0V Al 

[05omegav6]

Firstly, the following pics are a rough guide for what  is needed to liberate a terminal from the cabin fuse box. As stated earlier, you need to be sure of the wire you need and be absolutely certain to  tap into the correct side of the fuse in order that the new circuit is protected. It might also be prudent to fit a fuse holder with a lower rated fuse than the one in the box where you tap into the existing loom...

Pics as promised...

Back of fuse panel...
http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y486/05omegav6/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20141022_130118_zpsri1ztkza.jpg

Locate the wire of your choice, then prise out the relevant grey locking bar...
http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y486/05omegav6/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20141022_130241_zpsmoylauhk.jpg

Then from the front, insert a thin probe (precision screwdriver/rivet tail/Stemos willy) to the side of the relevant terminal and apply pressure away from the terminal, repeat on the opposite side to release the lock tabs...
http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y486/05omegav6/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20141022_130508_zpseq0uhz7b.jpg

Once done, refit the terminal in its space...
http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y486/05omegav6/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20141022_130538_zpsrhs12afz.jpg

Refit the grey locking bar and job's jobbed

[zirk]

My auto electrical skills are modest to say the least but I usually get by but would welcome some proper advise on this.

I wish to add a ignition position 1 live feed and with the help of my trusty multimeter have located fuse 13in the fuse box under steering column as being dead with ignition key removed,but live when key is turned to position 1 and full ignition.

How do I "tap " into the wiring as assume I need to pull fuse box out to get to the back but am then expecting lots and lost of wires.Do I cut and resolder with the extra wire attached or is there some clever way of not needing to start spliting existing wires.

Help as always greatly appreciated

Or you can use Scotchlocks Splice Connectors Scotchloks, they work well, different colour represent wire thickness / gauge, (the blue ones are for normal thinner Auto wiring). -

 

They also do in line fuse holders that work on the same principle. -

[amba]

Cheers Al and Chris .

Your help and concise details are very much appreciated and I now feel qiote confident in being able to carry out the work .

Just a word though Chris...thought scotchlocks were frown upon as cable joiners ?

[Nick W]

Scotchlocks work. Sort of, some of the time and for a while. They are best avoided unless they are the only option, or are required for an instant, short-term lashup.

[05omegav6]

Soldering is preferred  Scothblocks are ok providing there isn't any slack in the loom to allow the wire to move and potentially fray... not great with a live wire

Also, as you have probably noticed, there's alot of wiring stuffed into that space, and scotch blocks generally don't agree with being twisted/crushed. On the flip side, they are a damn sight quicker to fit

[zirk]

Cheers Al and Chris .

Your help and concise details are very much appreciated and I now feel qiote confident in being able to carry out the work .

Just a word though Chris...thought scotchlocks were frown upon as cable joiners ?

Ive never had any problems Andrew, and I know loads of specialist equipment installers that use them or Buses, Trains, etc.

Just make sure you get the right ones for the Job and or wire spec, make sure there the original 3M, Scotchblok, Hella, etc and not the fake Chinese copies. 

[amba]

Cheers guys.

Think I will stick to plan A , and use the soldering iron and heatshrink then, as dont want to cause further complications.

[05omegav6]

Cheers Al and Chris .

Your help and concise details are very much appreciated and I now feel qiote confident in being able to carry out the work .

Just a word though Chris...thought scotchlocks were frown upon as cable joiners ?

Ive never had any problems Andrew, and I know loads of specialist equipment installers that use them or Buses, Trains, etc.

Just make sure you get the right ones for the Job and or wire spec, make sure there the original 3M, Scotchblok, Hella, etc and not the fake Chinese copies  Helfrods ones

Fixed

[zirk]

Soldering is preferred  Scothblocks are ok providing there isn't any slack in the loom to allow the wire to move and potentially fray... not great with a live wire

Also, as you have probably noticed, there's alot of wiring stuffed into that space, and scotch blocks generally don't agree with being twisted/crushed. On the flip side, they are a damn sight quicker to fit

Not going to disagree with the Soldering side, especially if the splice is to be bundled back in tight spaces or pulled or pushed back through a hole etc, also allows good weather proofing when wrapped with Self Amalgamating Tape and Heat Shrink / PVC, but the biggest problem is (no offence meant to anyone) some people cant solder for love or money. 

[Kevin Wood]

The problem with scotchloks is that you pierce the insulation on the cable without sealing it again, so there is the potential for moisture to get into the cable and corrosion starts to occur. You also have only a small contact patch with the conductor, so the current carrying capacity of the connection is questionable. Maybe not an issue if you know whatever you are connecting is going to take very little current.

They are a bodge, without doubt.

[Nick W]

Not going to disagree with the Soldering side, especially if the splice is to be bundled back in tight spaces or pulled or pushed back through a hole etc, also allows good weather proofing when wrapped with Self Amalgamating Tape and Heat Shrink / PVC, but the biggest problem is (no offence meant to anyone) some people cant solder for love or money. 

Lots of people can't solder for love nor money, which is why most critical connectors these days are crimped. It's much easier to do a consistently reliable and effective crimp, especially if you're doing it up behind a dash. Soldering if done properly is still a good technique but it does have limitations.

[Kevin Wood]

Crimping is, in most respects, better in an automotive application as it can deal with flexing and vibration better than a soldered joint - if done properly and a decent connector with decent seals is used. Vehicle looms are crimped together without exception and failures are pretty rare these days.

But then.. lots of people can't crimp for love nor money - or they do it with a tool they purchased from a pound shop.

[amba]

So just to be quite clear here guys.

Cables can be joined by "crimping" without cutting into the existing cable ? without risk of bad connections and not using scotchlocks...what sort of connecter is used then as this sounds easier thatn soldering and less likely to be an issue over a scotchlock type

[Kevin Wood]

So just to be quite clear here guys.

Cables can be joined by "crimping" without cutting into the existing cable ? without risk of bad connections and not using scotchlocks...what sort of connecter is used then as this sounds easier thatn soldering and less likely to be an issue over a scotchlock type

No.. Sorry - we were rambling. In your position, soldering is the best bet, IMHO.

[Broomies Mate]

No reason at all why you shouldn't cut the cable and use crimp connectors to give you the feed you need.

If you are not happy with soldering, especially when on your back soldering uphill behind the fusebox, then I'd be using crimps all day long.

Scotchlocks are the work of the Devil.

[amba]

Soldering doesn,t worry me as quite handy with a soldering iron,however unsure what you mean by crimping to get a connection on an uncut wire..or am I missing something here.?

Scotchlocks seem to be a "no go"  ...cutting the wire/joining a lead into it with solder and rejoing with heatshrink I understand. ..but "crimping" ??

[Broomies Mate]

Soldering doesn,t worry me as quite handy with a soldering iron,however unsure what you mean by crimping to get a connection on an uncut wire..or am I missing something here.?

Scotchlocks seem to be a "no go"  ...cutting the wire/joining a lead into it with solder and rejoing with heatshrink I understand. ..but "crimping" ??

You will need to physically cut the wire you wish to splice into if using crimp connections.

The benefit of them (if you have a decent crimp tool) is that they are very cheap, very easy to use and already insulated.  They are NOT insulated from moisture though - not a major problem inside a vehicle.

If you are good with the iron, do it properly! 

[05omegav6]

No need to cut the wire for soldering, merely strip a length... now you know how the terminals come out of the fuse box, you could even strip the last 5mm next to the terminal of choice, and make it totally seemless