PCGUY112887 Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 I need to find a good place to tap into a 12v switched (only on when car is on) power source on my 96 Grand Prix. It will run my oil pressure guage, and a wideband o2 sensor. The first place that comes to mind with me is radio, but I don't wanna draw too much power away from it with both of these items on it + the radio. EDIT - Apparently my oil pressure guage is too retarted to know when it needs to turn it's light on, so I have to hook it's bulb up to something that gets powered only when I turn on the headlights. So now I need to find a regular ignition switched power source, and a headlight switched power source. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Orange or Brown in the ignition harness. Pull the underdash shroud and look up around the steering column area. They will be heavier guage wires(12 guage or so) compared to all of the other wires you will see (18+ guage). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCGUY112887 Posted September 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Are there any other better ones? I looked around and couldn't find anything... wiring has been messed with used to have an alarm and a sound system and some other shit in here I think. Would using the radio +12v switched be a bad idea to power a wideband, oil pressure, and voltmeter? Along with my headunit heh... I did find a large orange wire hanging down going to something, but the end was cut. Looks like 2 small wires inside. Weird? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Ball Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Grab your cig lighter. Good espically if you dont use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCGUY112887 Posted September 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Cig lighter isn't switched? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meltboy1 Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 I usually tapped off the wiper fuse when I needed a low draw power source only when car is on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutlessSupreme Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Cig lighter's on the courtesy circuit, it's always on. umm. damn I had something in mind because I was looking for something too for my heated O2 sensor. I'll let ya know if i remember. headlight power is easy. just tap into the headlight switch wiring I couldn't tell ya the right wire though, I dunno what'd be for '94+ power windows maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meltboy1 Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 But headlight switch should always have power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutlessSupreme Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 But headlight switch should always have power. read the edit at the bottom of his post. I guess more accurately, I should have said the dimmer switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCGUY112887 Posted September 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Who knew it would be such a pain to pick something to tap into... Just took a closer look, the thick orange wire just hanging free goes up into the steering column along with the yellow wired labeled WARNING SRS CIRCUIT! I looked up in the dash and on the biggest wiring harness in there, there are a few thick wires. An orange one, a brown one, and the biggest being red with a white line on it. I am afraid of just cutting one and splicing something in unless I'm sure I know what it is. What about grounding? Is there any good ground wires to tap into, or am I going to be trying to ground it out to a bolt somewhere? I also have a little plug hanging down that has something plugged into it. All that is plugged into it is a loop of wire that has electrical tape on it? One of the wires is a thin purple wire. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Yes, the orange and brown ones are accessory lines. Believe me, I do this for a job. Use a self tapping screw and screw into the dash frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCGUY112887 Posted September 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2007 Thank you very much. Got my oil pressure, volt meter, and wideband O2 all working now! I found these line tappers at Walmart, made by 3M. Made it so easy to tap into the ignition wire, you just put this little plastic piece on the wire and stick your new wire in the other side and crimp down on this metal blade and close a cover on the piece. I spent a good long time with a soldiering iron and heat shrink wiring all 3 gauges into 1 main positive and 1 main ground wire to go all the way down, then literally spent a few moments taping into power! I also wound up using a bolt on the column to ground instead of drilling in my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted September 16, 2007 Report Share Posted September 16, 2007 Thank you very much. Got my oil pressure, volt meter, and wideband O2 all working now! I found these line tappers at Walmart, made by 3M. Made it so easy to tap into the ignition wire, you just put this little plastic piece on the wire and stick your new wire in the other side and crimp down on this metal blade and close a cover on the piece. I spent a good long time with a soldiering iron and heat shrink wiring all 3 gauges into 1 main positive and 1 main ground wire to go all the way down, then literally spent a few moments taping into power! I also wound up using a bolt on the column to ground instead of drilling in my own. Coming from an installer, I strongly recommend NEVER using those again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan from Ohio Posted September 16, 2007 Report Share Posted September 16, 2007 Ya them things suck arse. I prefer wire taps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted September 16, 2007 Report Share Posted September 16, 2007 I prefer using strippers, stripping back the insulation, using a pick tool and putting a hole through the wire, push your wire through that hole, wrap the wire, tape, zip tie over tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted September 16, 2007 Report Share Posted September 16, 2007 Slick, why don't you like those tappers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 Slick, why don't you like those tappers? It crimps the existing wire that you are tapping into. I have seen them fail all too many times, or even completely split the wire into two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boulevard Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 It crimps the existing wire that you are tapping into. I have seen them fail all too many times, or even completely split the wire into two. I strongly agree. I like those pics you took also. This is the method I use also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 It crimps the existing wire that you are tapping into. I have seen them fail all too many times, or even completely split the wire into two. I strongly agree. I like those pics you took also. This is the method I use also. Yep, that's how I typically do my wiring when doing installs at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted2bass Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 I did find a large orange wire hanging down going to something, but the end was cut. Looks like 2 small wires inside. Weird? That is your VATS wire. Its for the factory security, the little pellet chip in your key. The car must have had a remote starter at one point. When the car is started it has to see the key is in the ignition, the car reads a resistance from the pellet and allows the car to start. When you remote start the key it has to see that same resistance. You measure the resistance on the pellet, cut that orange (black in some cars) wire in half, strip back the two small wires and solder a resistor in between them coming from the car side. This lets the car be started remotely. Almost all cars from the late 90s till now have some form of this factory security. The VATS system was the first that i know of. Ive seen it on mid-late 80s cameros and vettes. Its also the easiest to bypass when installing a remote starter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted2bass Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Slick its funny that you posted those pics. I put a start in a windstar at work today, when i pulled the dashpanel off i found that there was already a starter in it, a Bulldog pos. Whoever did the install did it just like you do. Thats the first time id seen an install like that. I use scotch locks (which is what PCGUY was describing). 2 of the installers at my work use t-taps and ill use t-taps if the car already has the end on the wires from a previous starter that was in there. Ive seen soldered ones to, but never the way you do it. At that point why not just solder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Slick its funny that you posted those pics. I put a start in a windstar at work today, when i pulled the dashpanel off i found that there was already a starter in it, a Bulldog pos. Whoever did the install did it just like you do. Thats the first time id seen an install like that. I use scotch locks (which is what PCGUY was describing). 2 of the installers at my work use t-taps and ill use t-taps if the car already has the end on the wires from a previous starter that was in there. Ive seen soldered ones to, but never the way you do it. At that point why not just solder? Takes time to heat the gun, heat the wire (I don't cold solder my wires), while trying not to burn yourself with a soldering gun sitting next to you while your laying on your back under the dash. The method I use is tried and true. No high end shop will use t-taps, nor will shops that don't want there customers coming back. Take an extra 5 minutes to do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCGUY112887 Posted September 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 I am curious as to what taps you have used, since what I have doesn't appear to be able to damage the wire, has a nice big slot in the metal that bites into the copper and the piece that closes over doesn't crimp really it just snaps into place. I agree your method is better however. Where my gauges are I did a twist and solider job. As far as my orange wire VATS security goes, that makes perfect since. What did the wire used to hook up to though? Since it just hangs lose with no resistor... seems like the car woulden't start. There IS a resistor soldiered in under the dash however, comes down and connects to 2 small wires, purple and white I believe. Actually has a little plastic connector on the wire, then a bit more wire, then a resistor between them with some tape over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 If you can find pictures of your taps, I would be interested in seeing, but they sound very similar in design to the pretty much all wire taps that I have ever seen. There may be a resistor pack already installed in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted2bass Posted September 20, 2007 Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 Sounds like a scotch lock. Ill take a pic of one at work tomorrow. The wires on those gps are big (12ga. i think) and hard to crimp a scotchlock onto, my 96 was probably one of the hardest to physically crimp the scotchlock on of all the cars ive done. The VATS wire hanging with nothing on it is coming from the ignition and does nothing anymore. The one coming from the cars computer has the resistor. The resistor is tricking the car into thinking the key is being inserted in the ignition even when its not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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