finding a heavy duty permanent 12v supply

andythediver · Post by **andythediver** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:29 pm

i need to "tap" a permanent 12 volt supply, capable of delivering a serious amount of current.
where can i find such a supply near the rear end of my estate [2004]?
Alternatively, where can i route a heavy guage cable from the battery to the rear of the car?
i cannot seem to find a grommet in the bulkhead other than those allowing access for the heater pipes

Foghorn Leghorn · Post by **Foghorn Leghorn** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:15 pm

Depends what you mean by high current, I used the cigarette lighter feed, but I was only pulling about 3 amps tops (cigarette lighter is a 20 amp fuse if I remember rightly)

I gave up trying to find somewhere to pull a feed through form the engine bay, totla nightmare by the looks of it.

Fog

andythediver · Post by **andythediver** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:26 pm

its to power the electrics in a caravan - 8amps for the fridge, 10 amps for an inverter :- 20 amps is a bit too close methinks
has anyone tried running a cable UNDER the car protected in an old hosepipe perhaps?

Post by **Welly** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:38 am

Most cars are pretty similar in this respect.

My friend relocated his battery to the boot (to free up space under the bonnet) and had to run a *hefty* cable through the car.

The route was down the passenger side inside the car under the carpet/door cill trims and then up behind the glovebox to a high point on the bulkhead. Then access was found into the engine bay by removing the wheel arch liner where we found other cables running through the inner wing area.

It can be done, but don't expect it to take 30 mins

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:04 am

Foghorn Leghorn wrote:cigarette lighter is a 20 amp fuse if I remember rightly

It's 10A. I replace mine frequently (d'oh!)

andythediver · Post by **andythediver** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:48 am

perhaps i'm not making myself clear........

the issue is trying to get a cable through the bulkhead - i can't seem to find a grommet to use as the only thing i can find - high up- is a small cable [6mm?] on the far left [looking into the engine bay] high up and just before the drivers side wing. Can someone tell me specifically, where there is a grommet/hole to get through the bulkhead.

it was my dad's car and he has just passed away - i need to treat this car with the ultimate respect and care - there is no way i can risk damaging it in any way by drilling a hole "blind" in case i hit something the other side or add an "open wound" for rust to get in

As a compromise, is there anywhere i can "tap" a 35/40amp supply inside the car [not that im going to pull that kind of current but it helps with voltage drop to find a heavier than needed supply.]I'm not usually a person to compromise but in this case [see last paragraph] I would rather bin the caravan than mark the car in any way.

Has anyone tried running a cable UNDER the car? are there enough places to cable tie to? [can always protect it in a piece of hosepipe]
it's a deisel so fire hazard not so great but i'm not thinking of running along the fuel line.

Help! holiday looming!!!!

come on guys - how do all you I.C.E. modders do it?

TooT · Post by **TooT** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:34 pm

Im no ICE expert but years ago when i used to read Max Power/Revs magazines all the bass heads had a split charge system on the alternator to charge the engine battery and the ICE battery in the boot.

Not quite what you want i know but its just a thought

Captain Jack · Post by **Captain Jack** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:44 pm

I am running a 10 gauge wire to the amp in the boot from the battery via underneath the car... been like this for 2 years now with no probs.

andythediver · Post by **andythediver** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:09 pm

thanks a lot
but after persisting all week, i finally found the grommet in the bulkhead directly behind the cockpit fuse box i then ran under the plastic sill trim on the drivers side [uk] then followed the trim up over rear wheelarch into the grey trim over the satnav cd - job done

niz406 · Post by **niz406** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 8:15 pm

Look in the Kowledge Base Forum, I posted an How To Article for running power cables in from the engine bay....

Com'on guys you must remember this ????

Captain Jack · Post by **Captain Jack** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 8:42 pm

Yep, I certainly do. If only you wrote it BEFORE I wired my car up

niz406 · Post by **niz406** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 8:48 pm

Captain Jack wrote:Yep, I certainly do. If only you wrote it BEFORE I wired my car up

LOL

But I thought I did.........

Opps maybe not, but the one in there is the second revision

Savvy · Post by **Savvy** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 7:19 pm

I seem to remember that there is a big fat red permanent 12V wire in the boot of my estate 406 which I used to connect my towbar relay. There was a fuse that had to be fitted to the passenger compartment fuse box to make it live. Have a look behind the covers on the left hand side of the back of the boot.

Savvy