Installing neons - quick and easy

[ND4SPD]

Quick and easy for you guys.... but not me :tongue:
Basically, i'm a electrical fool... i know nothing... heh!

A friend of mine asked me to help him install 2 6" neons under his dash... no problem i said, we'll get a generic on/off switch, mount the neons wire them to that switch... and boom, no problem

now, i have no problem mounting them or anything,

but could someone give me a quick "wiring 101" lesson?
i just run 2 wires to the switch (one on either end) and then tap into any existing power wire... and then everything should work?

i think its GOTTA be more complicated than that... please, let me know! :)

thanks!

[EllenD]

I'm assuming you're using a neon that has the cigarette adapter that you cut off? If so the one with the stripe is the power and the other is the ground. If there is only 1 wire it's the power. Run the power from the neon to the accessory prong on a 3-prong switch, and if there is a ground on the neon just ground it to a metal bolt/screw. This should leave you with 2 prongs left on the switch, the power and the ground. Run a wire from the ground prong to another metal bolt/screw or an existing ground wire. Then run a wire from the power prong on the switch to your power source, either tap into an existing power line or to a fuse in the fuse box.

[01blkcat]

Originally posted by: EllenD
I'm assuming you're using a neon that has the cigarette adapter that you cut off? If so the one with the stripe is the power and the other is the ground. If there is only 1 wire it's the power. Run the power from the neon to the accessory prong on a 3-prong switch, and if there is a ground on the neon just ground it to a metal bolt/screw. This should leave you with 2 prongs left on the switch, the power and the ground. Run a wire from the ground prong to another metal bolt/screw or an existing ground wire. Then run a wire from the power prong on the switch to your power source, either tap into an existing power line or to a fuse in the fuse box.

That's it in a nutshell.

[99CouGSweetRide]

OR if you're using a two-prong switch, one wire comes from the battery to one of the prongs, and the other prong connects to the wire for the neon's positive wire :)

Mike

[ND4SPD]

Originally posted by: EllenD
I'm assuming you're using a neon that has the cigarette adapter that you cut off? If so the one with the stripe is the power and the other is the ground. If there is only 1 wire it's the power. Run the power from the neon to the accessory prong on a 3-prong switch, and if there is a ground on the neon just ground it to a metal bolt/screw. This should leave you with 2 prongs left on the switch, the power and the ground. Run a wire from the ground prong to another metal bolt/screw or an existing ground wire. Then run a wire from the power prong on the switch to your power source, either tap into an existing power line or to a fuse in the fuse box.

heh, whoa whoa whoa... i'm totally confused :(

first - yes, it does have a cigarette adapter that will be cut off...

i'm going to guess that its 2 wires aswell.

so lets see if I understand :tongue:

1- i take the power wire, and run it to the 'off' side of the switch? -the switch is just going to be a simple 'on/off' one... no third option... so i'm a little lost as to what an "accessory" prong would be...

2- take the ground wire (if there is one) and just put it to the ground... like... i could attach it to one of the seat bolts or something? or do i have to drill a hole in his car for a new one or what?

3- then i gotta run a SECOND wire to a 'ground'?

4- attach the power wire to another wire that has power...


i feel like im a 6yr old here... totally clueless about something that is pretty simple...

[topgunz1]

most switches have three prongs, power (constant) accessory (when the switch is flipped it sends power to your accessory, in this case the neon) and ground (keeps everything...grounded?) check your switch, chances are its like this, and should tell you which is what

[99CouGSweetRide]

wrong. Three prong switches are the ones that light up. They need their own ground because well, they have a bulb in them that lights up. The three pronged ones attach to a power, accessory, and ground. You must ground the accessory as well in this case to a bolt or something else. With the two prong switches, you just attach the positive and the accessory wires, and ground the accessory somewhere else.

Mike

[ND4SPD]

oh, well ****, i dont care about having a switch that lights up! :tongue:

heh, ok... i'm going to just go ahead and say that we are using a 2 prong one... the cheepest kinda switch you can find.



so in that case - 1 wire ties into a power wire... and the other wire is 'grounded'??

and what the heck is 'accessory'? heh!


Edit - never mind everyone :)
I just installed them, and brought it to another friend who was a wiring wiz - it all worked.

Thanks for your help though guys!