neilcmusic · Jun 9, 2015

I have a spotlight and PowerPoint running directly from negative / positive connection on battery through the firewall into the cab , they are both fused mid wire nearer to the battery , I have also used proper battery connectors ( not crocodile clips) is this OK ? , looks a bit messy but hoping I've installed it safely

oxides · Jun 9, 2015

Should be fine, but a picture would help. Messy wiring can be tidied up nicely with spiral wrap.

neilcmusic · Jun 9, 2015

I'll get a picture thanks

neilcmusic · Jun 9, 2015

Thanks , hope this OK

oxides · Jun 9, 2015

Running the wires alongside the existing loom is a god idea, you can tape or spiralwrap them together to make it neat.

trax · Jun 9, 2015

no need for a fuse on the neg.

also don't use random coloured wires for pos or neg, you'll end up forgetting and causing havoc.

neilcmusic · Jun 9, 2015

Yeah thanks only reason I used extra wire on the + was that the + wire was nowhere near long enough and I had some spare from another job so used that , socket now working but just hanging in cab , trying to find somewhere to position it so that gearstick doesnt collide with it when changing gear.

tnseal · Jun 9, 2015

When you run wires, try to keep them away from any devices or the body where they might wear through and short. If you use black wire on the positive, go and get a roll of red tape or use a red touch up paint stick to dot along the wire. This way you cannot get them mixed. Everywhere seems to sell the black tape for a negative wire. Do not rely upon a earth to the body as a means of return on the negative as these can be trouble.

neilcmusic · Jun 9, 2015

Thanks , not using chasis/body as earth , just 2 wires one from positive and one from negative on battery directly to socket , positive wire has mid wire fuse , hope this is ok.

trax · Jun 9, 2015

neilcmusic said:
Yeah thanks only reason I used extra wire on the + was that the + wire was nowhere near long enough and I had some spare from another job so used that , socket now working but just hanging in cab , trying to find somewhere to position it so that gearstick doesnt collide with it when changing gear.

i meant you have a black and a red wire going to that post. red is expected to be live, black earth

trax · Jun 9, 2015

tnseal said:
When you run wires, try to keep them away from any devices or the body where they might wear through and short. If you use black wire on the positive, go and get a roll of red tape or use a red touch up paint stick to dot along the wire. This way you cannot get them mixed. Everywhere seems to sell the black tape for a negative wire. Do not rely upon a earth to the body as a means of return on the negative as these can be trouble.

i disagree here. i think body earth is fine.

just maintain the earth straps and have a set of dedicated earthing points you hook into.

so your not earthing from any random body bolt.

oxides · Jun 9, 2015

Permanent live is usually brown, earth return is black. If you use any other colours write them down in your manual.

TooMany2cvs · Jun 9, 2015

If you're going to be adding a few things, add a little fusebox, driven from a single +ve from the battery - it helps keep things tidy, and tidy is safe. Put any inline fuse as near to the battery +ve as possible, definitely before any potential chafing or sharp edges. If you take the wire through a hole, or past a sharp edge, or past anything moving or hot, protect it.

I'd go with a body earth, too - after all, it's how everything electrical on every metal-bodied car of any type is earthed...

As for wire colours, I'm not too anal (I'm used to old Citroens, and they seemed to just use one colour of wire with different colour sleeves at the terminals - all of which faded to off-white), but I'd love to find the person who used green-and-yellow for live wiring on a friend's camper van... <facepalm>

Landy-ads · Jun 11, 2015

Make sure all the wires are tidy and secured, not hanging around or stretched across stuff. After I did my Tdi upgrade the MOT man failed it on 'untidy wiring under the bonnet'. Apparently a new rule that came in last year, along with numerous other pernickety ones......

TooMany2cvs · Jun 11, 2015

Landy-ads said:
Make sure all the wires are tidy and secured, not hanging around or stretched across stuff. After I did my Tdi upgrade the MOT man failed it on 'untidy wiring under the bonnet'. Apparently a new rule that came in last year, along with numerous other pernickety ones......

Not sure I'd call it "pernickety"... "Common sense", more like.

REASONS FOR REJECTION
1.9 Electrical wiring:
a. insecure or inadequately supported so that it is likely to become damaged
b. damaged or deteriorated to the extent that it is likely to cause a short circuit or become detached
c. insulation damaged or deteriorated to the extent that bare wiring or connectors are exposed.

m4s01000901

neilcmusic

Active Member

oxides

Well-Known Member

neilcmusic

Active Member

neilcmusic

Active Member

Attachments

oxides

Well-Known Member

trax

.

neilcmusic

Active Member

tnseal

Active Member

neilcmusic

Active Member

trax

.

trax

.

oxides

Well-Known Member

TooMany2cvs

Active Member

Landy-ads

Active Member

TooMany2cvs

Active Member

Similar threads