12v Lighter socket installed - LED always on - power drain question

[Solidstate]

Hi,

I've just installed a nice waterproof 12v lighter socket for my Tomtom. I wired it directly to the battery terminals for three reasons 1) That is what the instructions said I should do. 2) I have no idea what other wires to splice into (and don't like the idea), and 3) I thought that I could use the socket to charge the battery if necessary.

Unfortunately the lighter socket I purchased has a red LED light that is always on. I have ideas to fix a switch to it that can be operated from within the left pannier. But in the meantime - would a single LED drain my battery - or could I just leave it on for weeks? - Oh and whilst I'm here - if I do splice in a switch, do I put it into the wire that goes to the + or - terminal on the battery.

Apologies in advance if anyone is kind enough to answer and I don't immediately respond - I'm off to bed now (11pm UK time).

 

[Phil Tarman]

Solidstate,

I think it would take a looongg time for a single LED to drain your battery, but I think you'd be better off to have the lighter socket on a switched circuit. I did this by purchasing a Fuzeblock auxiliary electrical connection box. It has six possible circuits, and any of them can be either switched (on only when the bike's key is turned on) or unswitched (on all the time like your lighter socket).

The Fuzeblock's only limitation that I can find is that each single circuit is limited to to 10A.

I don't know if you can buy the Fuzeblock in the UK, but I'll bet there's something like it. I'd add one of those and hook the lighter circuit up to it.

 

[RedLdr1]

Oh and whilst I'm here - if I do splice in a switch, do I put it into the wire that goes to the + or - terminal on the battery.

Put the switch on the + Positive side if you decide to add one. The bad thing about having any unswitched power point is sooner or later you will forget and leave something on when you park and kill your battery. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt...:redface: :rolleyes1:

 

[taldric]

Just got my Fuzeblock delivered today so that I can wire in a couple power plugs myself. Need something to power my iPhone and heated gloves. I thought about using a direct wired outlet, but I too am nervous about forgetting and leaving something plugged in and coming back to find my battery drained. I know that a simple LED isn't going to drain the battery very quickly (the clock is probably pulling more power), but no reason to take the chance.

 

[Solidstate]

Many thanks chaps, very helpful advice, I really appreciate it.

After having a look at the fuzeblock it looks like the way to go long term - but I don't understand the wiring. I looked at the other thread and it quickly moves past the wiring section and this is the bit that worries me. I can see that I attach one wire to the battery and then assume that I would use posi-locks on the other two and tap them into somewhere, but would someone be kind enough to point out the right wires to splice into. I'm reluctant to just go cutting into any old random wire.

Oh and there is a UK supplier - nippynormans.com

 

[DirtFlier]

Although it's a pain to gain access, the wire for the license plate light is perfect for the "switch wire" in a key ON
system with relay and accessory fuzes. Others have successfully used a taillight wire but to me it lives in a very
tight bundle (at extreme rear once the seat is off) so I chose the wire for the license plate light which has 4-5" of
unrestricted access to adding a Y-connector. Unfortunately, the rear fender has to come off to access that
wire. There are wires up front that will do the same but since my accessory fuze panel and relay were under
the seat, I wanted something close to that point.

 

[Chucksklrst]

Although it's a pain to gain access, the wire for the license plate light is perfect for the "switch wire" in a key ON
system with relay and accessory fuzes. Others have successfully used a taillight wire but to me it lives in a very
tight bundle (at extreme rear once the seat is off) so I chose the wire for the license plate light which has 4-5" of
unrestricted access to adding a Y-connector. Unfortunately, the rear fender has to come off to access that
wire. There are wires up front that will do the same but since my accessory fuze panel and relay were under
the seat, I wanted something close to that point.

Real easy if you remove the rear fender. 6 screws and a bit of finagling, and Walla the rear fender comes off.

 

[CoolNT]

What some have done and includes me, is use a posi-tap on the positive battery cable (one of the red wires on the left side of the bike connecting to the positive battery harness very close to the battery terminal). For switched, you can use one of the wires under the fuse box which is very close to the battery AGAIN WITH POSI-TAP ONLY - DO NOT SPLICE. The safest method is to also use a test light for switched power confirmation (which will continue to use from time to time when doing electrical stuff).
Also, take a look at the HOW-TO.

 

[Warren]

What some have done and includes me, is use a posi-tap on the positive battery cable (one of the red wires on the left side of the bike connecting to the positive battery harness very close to the battery terminal). For switched, you can use one of the wires under the fuse box which is very close to the battery AGAIN WITH POSI-TAP ONLY - DO NOT SPLICE. The safest method is to also use a test light for switched power confirmation (which will continue to use from time to time when doing electrical stuff).
Also, take a look at the HOW-TO.

Are all of the wires under the fuse box switched ?

 

[CoolNT]

I don't for sure, but at least with a test light, the red one I picked was.

 

[Solidstate]

I'm probably beginning to sound really stupid here.....but let's see if I have got this right.... the lighter socket I have has two wires - one should be attached to the positive on the battery (directly screwed into the battery terminal) and the negative should be posi-tapped into one of the twenty or so wires coming out of the bottom of one of the two fuse boxes.
The fuse box on the left has one black wire, four red&green, one red&black, one thick red, one thin red, one red&blue, one blue and a red&White. The fuse box on the right has four thick red&black, a thick red&white and a load of other thin wires.

If I attach the positive of the battery to the wrong wire I assume that I would damage something, so could someone who is feeling charitable confirm the correct wire out of those listed please, many thanks.

 

[CoolNT]

I suggested using one of the positive wires (from the fuse box next to the battery compartment in the NT) to use as a switched source for your FUZEBLOCK that you'll be purchasing.

So the steps are:

1. To power/connect the FUZEBLOCK to your bike (1st step before even the 12v accessory socket is hooked up), you'll need to connect the positive side from the FUZEBLOCK to one of the positive wires connected to the battery terminal using a posi-tap.

2.For the negative to the FUZEBLOCK, you can connect the negative wire to the battery negative terminal directly or posi-tap.

3. You'll also need to connect a switched source from the bike to the FUZEBLOCK. This is where you connect what I've mentioned in the first sentence at the top.

4. After all is done and you've tested your FUZEBLOCK for functionality, you can then connect your 12v accessory socket.

5. Negative wire from 12v accessory socket to negative bus on FUZEBLOCK

6. Positive wire from 12v accessory socket to positive bus all on FUZEBLOCK without wiring anything directly to the battery.

7. Now make sure that on the FUZEBLOCK, you use the appropriate fuse size i.e. 2 amps and plug it into a switched side so your socket is energized only when the bike's ignition is on.

Hope this clarifies. If you're still unsure of what you need to do, then please either consult here with us or for simplicity, go with your original plan for now and then add a FUZEBLOCK at a later time.

 

[Solidstate]

CoolNT - I really appreciate you taking the time to type all that up for me.

I will be going down the fuzeblock route in the future - but for the time being I just want to get the 12V socket wired up. I really feel like I'm going stupid here because I can't seem to comprehend this seemingly simple thing that everyone else seemingly understands perfectly.
If I have my 12V socket with the two wires - and I want it only to power up when the engine is on - which wire goes where? My wires are terminated in loops - so I thought it would be easiest to just attach one loop to a terminal on the battery, no need to posi-tap that one - but the other wire is the mystery to me - what wire under which fuse box does it posi-tap to?

 

[Phil Tarman]

Solidstate said: "I can't seem to comprehend this seemingly simple thing that everyone else seemingly understands perfectly."

Relax! 12V DC current, which is probably the simplest kind of electricity there is confuses me every time I mess with it.

If I were you, I'd attach the ground wire (almost certainly the black one attached to your lighter) to the negative terminal of the battery (if the ring terminal is big enough to fit over the battery post). Then, do you have a shop manual? If so, identify a hot wire going to something like the ... oh, for lack of a better term the parking light on the left side... then posi-tap into that since it's a switched circuit.

 

[Solidstate]

OK Phil thanks - well I'm looking at a wiring diagram and it appears that the black/brown wire that goes into fuse box A attaches to the License Plate lamp - so would this be the one that I should posi-tap my positive wire into.

 

[CoolNT]

Solidstate. I advice to you is to purchase a test light. They're cheap and very simple to use. Typically, you attach the lead end to the battery negative terminal or any ground connector on the bike and then poke a very tiny hole in one of the wires with the tip of the test light. If it lights then you know you have a positive wire and when you turn off the ignition, and the test light turns off, then you know you've found the right one. This is the safest, quickest and troublefree way to find the wire/connection you need.
If you're not comfy with the test light idea, then use a multimeter and a posi-tap to achieve the same results. Hope this helps.

 

[Solidstate]

Thanks CoolNT, I'll go and buy a test light today whilst I wait for my posi-taps to turn up from EBay. Thanks (to everyone) for your patience and excellent advice.

 

[DirtFlier]

In regards to a test light, it's probably just as cheap or even cheaper to buy a small multimeter from Radio Shack.
I have one in my bike's "traveling stuff" bag and on more than one occasion it's come in helpful to friends who had
electrical gremlims. It can measure DC & AC volts, ohms resistance (continuity), etc., while a test light has only
one function. My only gripe with the cheepie Radio Shack multimeter are the very short leads so I need to make
up some longer wires while there is still snow on the ground.

 

[elizilla]

Another vote for the Radio Shack meter. I have a digital one that is designed to travel, it's in a spiffy hinged case and the wires pack inside. It has six or eight functions but the ones I use all the time are the DC voltage and the continuity. The continuity is especially handy - it makes a sound when you have continuity, so you can be head down in a wiring harness and not have to even look at the meter. I use it all the time, in my electrical farkling and my troubleshooting.

I've had it for at least ten years now, carried it all over the country, and never even had to change the battery. It's been super reliable. I think it cost about $20. Perhaps Gandalf can find us a part number.

 

[Solidstate]

Just a quick update.

My posi-taps turned up and I spent 20 mins today sorting this out and thanks to you chaps I now have an ignition switched 12v socket for my GPS.

For any people like me who just want an idiots guide to the wiring, here it is....

The negative wire from the socket gets attached to the negative terminal on the battery.
The positive wire gets attached (using a posi-tap) to the brown and black wire that comes out of the bottom of the right hand fuse box.
That's it.

I will think about an upgrade to the Fuzeblock, when funds allow, but I'm not sure what else I would need to power - so this may be sufficient.