Wiring multiple wires to car battery?

[DIYPTGUY]

I am kind of a newbi when it comes to electrical stuff. Is it safe to connect multiple wires to the car battery? Currently I have subwoofers connected to the battery through an end terminal. I also want to connect neon lights using end terminals also. Is this safe?

[crusierdad76]

well SAFE???? are you running a breaker or some kind of a switch??? I guess if it is always on power the battery is a good place to get ya some

[DIYPTGUY]

There will be switches to turn the lights on and off.

[CREWZIN]

Accoding to your profile, you have a 2002 Cruiser. You have at least 4 SPARE fuses in the fuse box under the hood. At least 2 of them are HOT (always on) and you can use them for whatever accessories you want. I have an Aooga Horn and my under car LED lights to 2 different fuses and they both are hot all the time. Here's what the fuse box looks like under the hood only it's 180 degree backwards but that's the way it's printed in the owners manual. The pink colored fuses are the "spares". You'll have to test them to find out which ones are HOT all the time.

[SRG]

Whoa!!!

Fires in cars cause some really nasty chemical smoke!! If you're a "newbi" to the "electrical stuff" to the point you don't know any better to connect a circuit directly to a battery, step back, and put down the wires!!!

Anything connected to a powersource in a car, (or in a building for that matter) is, or should be, on a circuit that has overcurrent protection (Overcurrent meaning: a short or short circuit).

In cars, that is what the power distribution centers are for (old term: fuseblock). This is where the fuses are. Some circuits are protected by "fusable links" which is a fuse built directly into a conductor.

Why do you need overcurrent protection? Well let's say you have your subwoofer wired directly to the battery terminal. Let's say the wire you used runs through the engine compartment and somewhere comes across a rough edge. All cars vibrate somewhat when running, and sometime after you installed your subwoofer, the insulation rubs off the wire on the rough edge. Now you got a "short", or "short circuit". As long as there is power in the battery, and the wire is shorted on the metal edge, electrical current is going to flow at the full amperage rating of the battery.

The smaller the wire, the smaller the amount of electrical current (amperage) that can go through it without a large buildup of heat. Fuses "protect" a circuit by melting at an amperage that is safe for that size wire. The thickness of the wire determines it's ampacity (maximum safe amperage).

No fuse to melt? The wire now becomes a heating element, yep, just like your electric space heater, running through you car. Over plastic, carpet, fuel lines, etc.

When installing any electrical equipment in your car, you need to either install a fuse in the circuit, or connect to a circuit that is already protected by a fuse. The wire needs to be large enough to handle the amperage on the circuit, and the fuse small enough to keep too much current from going through the circuit.

Sorry for the long post, but please, please, please, consult with someone who knows "electrical stuff" before you install something into your car and someone you care for rides around in it.

srg

[Hooligan]

In the past as a fireman I have attended many car fires that were wired "HOT". Take care, SRG has given you good advice.

[DIYPTGUY]

I was trying to wire the lights to my amplifier power wire and ground, which is protected by a fuse, also the amp has a fuse. The power wire is rated at 550 watts, and the amp is 400 watts. I dont understand why I was blowing fuses because I have extra power in the wire and its protected by fuses.

[DIYPTGUY]

Never mind that last post, I got it confused with my other similar one.