Help installing interior neons

alku83 · Post by **alku83** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 11:50 am

Hello,

I recently bought two streetglow neons which I want to install in the footwells of the interior. I want them to light up when the doors are open. I have sidekick panels that light up when the doors up - I dont believe these are standard but I could be wrong (they look a lot like these: http://www.funkyproduct.co.uk/item_deta ... prodID=361). So, what I wanted to do was simply tap into the wiring for these sidekick panels. However, when I do this, the sidekick panels light up very faintly, and the neons dont light at all - so I am guessing the sidekicks are probably not 12V??

So, I was hoping someone could suggest the easiest way to get this working - I'm not really electronically minded so would prefer the quickest and easiest method! No need for a switch or anything like that - turning on with the doors open is sufficient. I found this post from a while back ( http://www.ftoaustralia.com/modules.php ... light=neon ) which suggested tapping onto the ciggy lighter line - but wouldnt this mean the neons are on all the time, when the car is on?

Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Ben.

afterburner · Post by **afterburner** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 11:53 am

No those lighted sidekick panels are not factory - they're an aftermarket accessory.

Sounds like your neons are drawing too much power from that circuit. You might need to connect them to a decent 12v power source which comes from as near the battery as possible, then use a relay from the sidekick panels to activate them. This would basically mean that the sidekick panels are not 'powering' the neons, but just switching them on.

FTO338 · Post by **FTO338** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 12:44 pm

afterburner wrote:No those lighted sidekick panels are not factory - they're an aftermarket accessory.

Well you can get them as an option when FTO was new in Japan. Its in the FTO catalogue list. Mine came with the car, & they are a little bit different to the funky one.

But yeah i wouldn't connect neon to those sidekick panel, I connect mine through the headlight switch, so the neon lights up the interior floor as i'm driving at night.

I connect the neon through the door switch with my old car, but i don't see the point of a neon lights up for few sec everytime I open & close the door. No one will actually notice unless you park at somewhere & leave your door open.

FTOluv · Post by **FTOluv** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:55 pm

Kev, i never realised u like rice so much

FTO338 · Post by **FTO338** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 5:04 pm

Hahahaha i'm an Asian, & with chinese background so i eat rice more then anything else haahahahaha hmmmmmmmmmmmm Special fried rice you like, $2 dollars verrrryyyyllllyyyyy cheap

ehehehe

Anyway i don't think its that bad, as no one can tell what i've done unless you sit in it & only if i turn on everything, even that it still look stockish from the outside. Well at least i got the "go" to match it heheheeheh

Boris · Post by **Boris** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:10 pm

If you want to connect it up to your door lights, then this is what i would do.

You would need to use, a gadget, that i can't remember the name for. All it is, is when there is voltage in one curcuit that is connected to it, it opens up another circuit, which is run from say a better power source such as the battery.

I think it's called a relay. i really can't remember, but they use them for wiring up fog lights and things.

Anyway, i really should stop rambling now..

alku83 · Post by **alku83** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 11:25 am

Thanks for the advice guys, sounds like I need to hook up to the neons to a 12v source close to the battery, and wire a switch relay to the sidekick panels.

However, I'm now thinking Kev's idea is better, I might wire them up to the headlight switch. So, I've got a few questions...please bear with me, I'm a total newbie when it comes to car electronics!

1. Whats the best way to find a 12V source close to the battery?
2. Kev, could you give me a bit more info on how you wired them up to the headlight switch? eg. how did you get to the wires, where are they, and did you just piggy-back the neon lights onto the headlight wires? Or did you set up a switch relay?

Hmm I think thats it for the time being.
Thanks guys.

Boris · Post by **Boris** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:18 pm

alku83 wrote: 1. Whats the best way to find a 12V source close to the battery?
2. Kev, could you give me a bit more info on how you wired them up to the headlight switch? eg. how did you get to the wires, where are they, and did you just piggy-back the neon lights onto the headlight wires? Or did you set up a switch relay?

I think if your just installing a couple interior neons you should be fine just to connect it to your night dash board light circuit. Well that's what i did anyway, and i didn't notice any dimmness on the circuit.

The best place to hook into would be the in the vacinity of the globes that illuminate the ash tray area, so just connect your neons in parrallel i think into that circuit. With mine i used a switch, which i put near where you can automatically move your mirrors.

I wasn't gonne do a diagram, but since i have nothing better to to except play computer games, I made the diagram of how i think i did it.

Let me know guys if there is anything wrong with it, cos i can't remember highschool electronics...

alku83 · Post by **alku83** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 6:36 pm

Thanks for the help guys, I got them all hooked up and working nicely today. I didnt end up putting them in a circuit like the picture above, as they didnt light up fully - no doubt someone with some electronics intelligence can explain why. Anyway, I ended up piggy-backing the two neons onto the ash try light - works great!
Cheers.

PS. Nice diagram