[my_bd]

i would like to mount a soft glowing light under my dash that shines down over the pedal area.

i've been wondering where to tap into for power, i talked to saturn techs, and they recommend the auxiliary power plugs in the console so as not to interfere with the rest of the systems.

i want to hide all of the wiring etc, so i need to figure out where and how to run the wires.

I also want the light hooked into a switch, preferably with the cars ignition or lighting systems, but saturn does not recommend that, they said i should install my own switch.

has anyone else out there already hooked up some lights or other gizmos?
where did you tap into for power?
where did you run the wires, etc.?

thanks.

 

[goofyguy]

well the fuse box is RIGHT THERE. pull the wire from behind the panel and tap off a circuit. Run a switch and your done. Cmon make it easy on yourself.

 

[JPK]

Get a fuse tap and tap into the power windows fuse. (pwr turns on with ign. and off when you open the door). You won't need a switch if you do it that way.

Running the wiring will be easy because you're power wire is already in the dash area.

 

[kazkillinger]

or u can run a wire from the dimmer switch and have it dim and turn off with all the other lights

 

[linenoyz]

Lights? How about no.

 

[JPK]

Lights? How about no.

It's not YOUR car!!!!!

 

[Vita]

i suggest running a fuse in line with the power. and if you're going to be running neons on the interior (which it sounds like), make sure not to use to many, if more than one for each passenger (i.e., some under seat, map pockets, etc.), i'd run a power wire straight from the battery.

just use some zip ties to mount them, but make sure you get all wires tucked away before that step, as much as you can anyway, you don't want them ending up tangled in your feet...

 

[my_bd]

yeah, my initial inclination was to just go ahead and tap into some circuit under there, just as I have done in the past with other vehicles.

but I decided to just run it by the saturn techs, and they said that it was wise to check with them because if I just go ahead and tap into an existing circuit there's a good chance that some kind of monitor thingie in this car (can't remember what they called it) would be sensitive to the extra loads or changes in current, and it might cause the monitoring systems to get squirrely, thinking something was wrong or malfunctioning.

after they spent much time going through their manuals and computers and looking under the dash etc, they ultimately decided that it was safest to tap into the auxiliary plugs, because apparently these plugs are not connected to anything that is monitored for malfunctions.

i dunno...
seems overly complicated huh?

 

[JPK]

Where are the aux plugs at????

I couldn't find any when hooking up my shift light power. I ended up taking out the sunroof fuse and tapping into there. I don't have a sunroof anyway.

 

[my_bd]

hey linenoyz

yeah... yeah... ok...

i knew somebody was bound to say that!

anyhow, i'm not really trying to 'rice up' my car (or whatever it's called these days)

i actually need to be able to see where my feet and legs are with my peripheral vision, i have a neurological disorder which prevents me from knowing where any of my limbs are at any given time, so i rely on my eyes completely.

so, if its completely dark, I can't find the pedals!
and if i do find the pedals,
i have no idea if i am pushing on them or not!

so my 2 choices are to not drive at night,
or put some goofy light under my dash!

and I really like driving this particular car...
so.....

 

[my_bd]

i guess the correct name for the aux plugs is actually 'accessory power outlets',

they are located in the front and the rear of the center console.

 

[linenoyz]

I just like to give people a hard time. I will admit that under-dash lights can look good IF DONE PROPERLY.

This is very rare, though.

 

[clevelander2002]

The part of the center councel around the shifter pops right off, thats where I tapped in my radar detector, it was a piece of cake.

 

[Blue04RedLine]

hey linenoyz

yeah... yeah... ok...

i knew somebody was bound to say that!

anyhow, i'm not really trying to 'rice up' my car (or whatever it's called these days)

i actually need to be able to see where my feet and legs are with my peripheral vision, i have a neurological disorder which prevents me from knowing where any of my limbs are at any given time, so i rely on my eyes completely.

so, if its completely dark, I can't find the pedals!
and if i do find the pedals,
i have no idea if i am pushing on them or not!

so my 2 choices are to not drive at night,
or put some goofy light under my dash!

and I really like driving this particular car...
so.....

This has nothing really to do with the lights, more my own curiosity (science interests me quite a bit). Was this a disorder you were born with, or did some physical trauma cause this at some point, and what is this called, if I may ask?

 

[my_bd]

ok, completely off topic i suppose, but,

it happened to me when i was about 19 (that was about 20 years ago) , i was in peak physical condition at that time, and within a matter of a week i was reduced to being completely incapacitated, lying in intensive care with an iron lung machine by my side.
Spent the following couple of years living in a wheel chair, learning how to crawl and walk again, etc.

the docs never really figured out exactly what is was, it was unique in many ways, and had similarities to a number of syndromes and diseases, like guillain barre, and even MS,

their best guess was that a recent head cold or sinus cold that i had, triggered something that may have been lying dormant in me for years, and then subsequently my immune system went completely crazy after the cold and started attacking the nerves in my body.
and did alot of damage.

basically a freak thing.

 

[louballs]

Wow, thats crazy, sorry to hear that....are you legally allowed to drive if you have all of these conditions? Just wondering.....

 

[my_bd]

yep,

but of course i had to retake the drivers tests etc before i was allowed to drive again.

haha - i remember the guy that took me on my retest, he was so distracted and 'wowed' by my 67 camaro at the time, it was an easy 'pass' for me!

anyhow, been driving ever since,

people adapt