Under Dash Neon Question

[EllenD]

I tried to install 2 10-inch neons under each side of my dash. I wired them into the cigarette lighter and a switch, and everything worked correctly including the switch, they came on, but they were really dim. You could hardly see them. Just wondering what the problem might be.

[Excelcier]

One potential is that they are not receiving enough current. Opposed to popular belief, the cigarette lighter has very small gage wires running to it so it doesn't take much to overload them.

I highly reccomend running a power wire from either the battery ( alot of work ) or if you pull the panel off under your steering column, look for a thick solid red wire. This runs to your ignition switch and is a heavier gage wire and will provide cleaner power.

There is one other possibility. You could have a ****ty ballast for the neons. Do this test: Run 2 thick wires ( long wires ) by opening your drivers window and opening your trunk using a couple thick alligator clips and hook it right to your battery. Cut the neons power to the ballast from the cig. lighter wires and use these 2 wires you just ran to power the neons as a quick test. If they still suck, get a new pair. If they work well, my first suggestion is the key.

[Lukydogg]

Did you try one tube by itself off a single power source?
I had 4 sets of 10" blacklight tubes running off 4 seperate converters, and they were bright, but if I combined the tubes to single converters, then no show- Also check the wiring for cuts, a bad ground also causes dimming. The ends of the tubes can have breaks in the soldering from wire to neon housing. AND watch your fingers, they can give a sharp sting from the current.
If you run 2 seperate neons with one power converter, it will dim depending on output of converter. Some neon tubes require more current, and adding another tube to the same power source cuts that power drastically. Unless your using a multi- outlet source which is suited to run additional tubes....

[01blkcat]

I originally ran three neons off my cig lighter before I went hardwired, and never had a problem. What kind are you running? Sounds almost like you have the wiring reversed on one of them, causing a reversed polarity to kill the current off, or even a weak fuse somewhere... I'd pull them out, and go test them directly under the hood - touch the positive first, then the negative and see how bright they are. If they are the same, then take 'em back, otherwise, pull out your trusty voltmeter/ampmeter and find out whats coming off of the cig lighter.

[EllenD]

I think I have the wires from the neons reversed...someone said the wire with the stripe was the negative and I think I have it as the positive...I figured that would be the positive, but I guess not. I'll try that and then check back.

[01blkcat]

Originally posted by: EllenD
I think I have the wires from the neons reversed...someone said the wire with the stripe was the negative and I think I have it as the positive...I figured that would be the positive, but I guess not. I'll try that and then check back.

Normally the marked wire is the positive, and the solid is the negative, but it's possible that they are reversed. Otherwise, I'd try the direct battery thing and see where you go.