Underdash neons
#4
Originally Posted by sk24iam
What is everything I will need to put a set of neons under my dash? Where is the best place to buy this stuff and does andone have any pics of there car with this mod?
#8
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no i have the blue, red doesnt look as good.. i guess if you had a red interrior or a red car but blue looks the best, i can show you a pic if you like tommorrow or do you have to have blue? i mean u cant get 4 new neons 15 inch for 30 bucks soo its your choice..
#9
Anyone got wiring and install instructions (its more the wiring thats phasing me) I like how everyone is putting the switches in the ash tray... is that easy? what company neon tubes are you using?looks awesome, any advice would be nice
#11
This is how I wired mine
I have street glow neons so i'm not sure what color the wires are for other brands.
1) Cut off the cig adapter and tap the silver wire on the positive terminal on you battery and copper wire on your battery's ground. This should light up your neons, try it switching the wires around on the battery terminal if they do not light up.
2) Run the Silver (+) wire to the ACC connection on a toggle or rocker switch.
3) Run the copper (-) to the ground on the switch
4) Run an additional wire from the ground terminal on your switch and ground it to any metal bolt on your car. I used the dash bolts behind the plastic cover underneath the steering column.
5) Run a power wire from the switch to your fuse box. (locate the acc 15a fuse and tap into the right terminal)
*Pull the fuse and insert the wire on the right side. THe reason you are using the right side is because you wires will be protected by the fuse itself. If it overloads, it will blow the fuse and not you electrical system. If you tap into the left side, there is a constant flow of power when the key is turned to the acc position.*
6) Flip the switch and see if your neons light up before you mount them. As for the switch, you can mount them wherever you want. I mounted mine on the fuse box door, but used my ashtray to house my switches.
If you need me to clarify anything, please let me know. Be very very careful when working with electrical components on your car. I almost fried my electrical system doing this. It was my stupidity and now I know better.
For additional pictures, please check my website. Leave some feedback too. Thanks.
I have street glow neons so i'm not sure what color the wires are for other brands.
1) Cut off the cig adapter and tap the silver wire on the positive terminal on you battery and copper wire on your battery's ground. This should light up your neons, try it switching the wires around on the battery terminal if they do not light up.
2) Run the Silver (+) wire to the ACC connection on a toggle or rocker switch.
3) Run the copper (-) to the ground on the switch
4) Run an additional wire from the ground terminal on your switch and ground it to any metal bolt on your car. I used the dash bolts behind the plastic cover underneath the steering column.
5) Run a power wire from the switch to your fuse box. (locate the acc 15a fuse and tap into the right terminal)
*Pull the fuse and insert the wire on the right side. THe reason you are using the right side is because you wires will be protected by the fuse itself. If it overloads, it will blow the fuse and not you electrical system. If you tap into the left side, there is a constant flow of power when the key is turned to the acc position.*
6) Flip the switch and see if your neons light up before you mount them. As for the switch, you can mount them wherever you want. I mounted mine on the fuse box door, but used my ashtray to house my switches.
If you need me to clarify anything, please let me know. Be very very careful when working with electrical components on your car. I almost fried my electrical system doing this. It was my stupidity and now I know better.
For additional pictures, please check my website. Leave some feedback too. Thanks.
#16
This is simple. Go to Wal-Mart. The light glow stuff is cheap, doesn't come in 10" rods, and isn't very bright. The 54 Studio stuff that they sell is very bright and is about $1 an inch. I have six all around. Two 10's under dash, two 10's under seats and 2 15's in trunk. Buddy off of the cig lighter power. Then put a switch wherever you want. I put mine in the coin holders in the center console. Also, if you want red, be patient Wal-Mart is dumb and orders equal numbers of each color. So there is only purple on the shelves. Make em get of their azzes and find it in the back.
#19
I've found those sizes to be kinda big...unless you want something very bright. I have 3" under each side of the dash, and 10" under the back seat and its just enough for me, not where I'll get pulled over since you cant see it from outside of the car.
#20
I bought the new OptX series by Streetglow from Advance in blacklight. Installed 20" under each dash in front, and 10" under the back of driver and passenger seats. Looks pretty good imho. I'll admit it is a little ricey, but when I did my switch LED mod, I turned on the neons and it matches perfectly. The blue LEDs look kinda blacklightish. But here is how I wired mine:
1) Ran power wire directly from + terminal of battery
2) Fused it about 6in from terminal with 20amp inline fuse
3) Ran power wire to toggle switch mounted in console next to cup holders
4) Routed all power leads from neons to one electrical connector that plugs into ACC on switch
5) Routed all ground leads from neons to electrical connector
6) Ground point at the bolt on the Airbag control module (dont go bangin on this or anything unless you want a face full of airbag
Thats it! Oh, and I also used some wire loom just to tidy everything up Too bad nobody will see it except me Neons were mounted with zip ties. I had to use scissors and poke holes through the fabric under the seats to mount the 10" neons. Wish I could take some pics, but my digital cam wont pick up the blacklight.
Hope this helps a bit!
bluemaxdriver4
1) Ran power wire directly from + terminal of battery
2) Fused it about 6in from terminal with 20amp inline fuse
3) Ran power wire to toggle switch mounted in console next to cup holders
4) Routed all power leads from neons to one electrical connector that plugs into ACC on switch
5) Routed all ground leads from neons to electrical connector
6) Ground point at the bolt on the Airbag control module (dont go bangin on this or anything unless you want a face full of airbag
Thats it! Oh, and I also used some wire loom just to tidy everything up Too bad nobody will see it except me Neons were mounted with zip ties. I had to use scissors and poke holes through the fabric under the seats to mount the 10" neons. Wish I could take some pics, but my digital cam wont pick up the blacklight.
Hope this helps a bit!
bluemaxdriver4
#21
Hey guys, and thanks bluemaxdriver4 and EteRnity059, the write ups were great but of course me being so thick, i still have some questions . First, would both your methods work well as a permament set up? bluemaxdriver4, you install sounds easier, and i dont have to mess with the fuse box *phew*. Secondly, im pretty sure (well, kinda sorta) wat an ACC is, can you elaborate? and finally, and you tap into the positive and negative of the cig lighter? running a line to the positive battery terminal sounds pretty hard, is there really a direct route ? since im not amazing with wiring, the easier route is best, but i want it to work, thanks a lot guys, i wouldnt even attempt this without some org support
#22
Well, mine is pretty permanent... hehe!!! When I wrote ACC, I mean the accessory connection on the switch, you will see it when you buy a switch its clearly marked. You can just tap into the + of the cig lighter if you dont wanna run a line from the battery. The only reason I did this, is I didn't want to pull too much off the cig lighter, because I run a radar detector and cell phone charger off it already.
But, if you want to make it extra simple, just use a wire tap and tap into the + on the cig lighter for the power to the switch. I would also put an inline fuse in there too. In between the cig lighter and the switch. Instead of tapping into the - on the cig lighter, I would just take all the - leads from the neons and crimp them in an electrical connector and ground them on some bare metal along with the ground from the switch.
Very easy job once you get started!
But, if you want to make it extra simple, just use a wire tap and tap into the + on the cig lighter for the power to the switch. I would also put an inline fuse in there too. In between the cig lighter and the switch. Instead of tapping into the - on the cig lighter, I would just take all the - leads from the neons and crimp them in an electrical connector and ground them on some bare metal along with the ground from the switch.
Very easy job once you get started!
#23
Mine is a little bit different, I didnt use the battery or the cig. lighter for power. I have indiglo gauges and those use power from the dimmer switch for all the lights on the center console, I used this for my neons. This way the neons can only come on when the headlights are on, and if I shut the lights off, the neons go off too. The neons are also on a switch so they dont always come on w/ the lights. Plus, the blue on the guages and the neons match great!
#24
Originally Posted by EteRnity059
This is how I wired mine
I have street glow neons so i'm not sure what color the wires are for other brands.
1) Cut off the cig adapter and tap the silver wire on the positive terminal on you battery and copper wire on your battery's ground. This should light up your neons, try it switching the wires around on the battery terminal if they do not light up.
2) Run the Silver (+) wire to the ACC connection on a toggle or rocker switch.
3) Run the copper (-) to the ground on the switch
4) Run an additional wire from the ground terminal on your switch and ground it to any metal bolt on your car. I used the dash bolts behind the plastic cover underneath the steering column.
5) Run a power wire from the switch to your fuse box. (locate the acc 15a fuse and tap into the right terminal)
*Pull the fuse and insert the wire on the right side. THe reason you are using the right side is because you wires will be protected by the fuse itself. If it overloads, it will blow the fuse and not you electrical system. If you tap into the left side, there is a constant flow of power when the key is turned to the acc position.*
I have street glow neons so i'm not sure what color the wires are for other brands.
1) Cut off the cig adapter and tap the silver wire on the positive terminal on you battery and copper wire on your battery's ground. This should light up your neons, try it switching the wires around on the battery terminal if they do not light up.
2) Run the Silver (+) wire to the ACC connection on a toggle or rocker switch.
3) Run the copper (-) to the ground on the switch
4) Run an additional wire from the ground terminal on your switch and ground it to any metal bolt on your car. I used the dash bolts behind the plastic cover underneath the steering column.
5) Run a power wire from the switch to your fuse box. (locate the acc 15a fuse and tap into the right terminal)
*Pull the fuse and insert the wire on the right side. THe reason you are using the right side is because you wires will be protected by the fuse itself. If it overloads, it will blow the fuse and not you electrical system. If you tap into the left side, there is a constant flow of power when the key is turned to the acc position.*
#25
Originally Posted by SXN
so wait... running it to the positive in the first step, is that just to test it, or do you use a line from the battery? Later you talk about tapping a fuse for power, wouldn't that give you power? i only had to read it like 400 times to get it. whats the fuse for? and do i remove the fuse entirely, or just put the wire in with the fuse? thanks again... slow learning curve
The first step is just to ensure the neons work and to find you + and - wires. Just tap the wires from the neon on you battery terminal.
tapping the fuse for power is to have a safe fused circuit. You can chose whichever fuse you want. I chose the ACC fuse because it will not supply power unless you have the key turned to ACC. So if you leave you neons on, it will not drain you battery.
As to how to tap into the fuse box.
1) pull the ACC 15a fuse (blue)
2) Run a wire from you power terminal of your switch into the right side of where you fuse plugs into.
3) Replace the fuse to complete the circuit.
The reason you have to tap into the right side is so that you have a fused wire. When you take out the fuse, it looks like your front teeth with two roots. The fuse panel, where you pull out the fuse is like you gums. Look at the fuse panel and tap a wire into the left side (with the key turned to acc) and you neons should light up. You DO NOT want this. You stick the wire in the side that has no power. When you proceed to replace the fuse in the socket, it completes the circuit and will power up your neons. If and when you have a short or overload, you fuse will blow, not your electrical system.
The way i wired it is the same as blumax. The difference, I used a different power source and didn't have to run as much wire, nor did i have to get in wire fuse. Either way will work. Sorry if this isn't clear, I just woke up.
If you have additional questions or need help with how I did it, feel free to IM me. I just walked someone through it last night.
Baldie059 is the sn
#27
All neons are essentially made the same, I would stay away from Kmart craptastic brand though. Tried them before and they only worked half the time. As far as switches, Advance has some plain ones, but Autozone has Pilot brand switches which look a little fancier imho.
Have fun!
bluemaxdriver4
Have fun!
bluemaxdriver4
#28
real quick simple, yet important, question. Should i disconnect my battery while doing this install? I figured i wouldnt have too, but i dont want to pop a fuse either, thanks guys.
#29
wow...lots of rice talk here
anywayZ i'll join in. this weekend i will be picking up 2 more 10" blue neon rods for my trunk. araffio told me to link up the power from the trunk led. so the trunk pops the neon will turn on.
yaYy for rice!
anywayZ i'll join in. this weekend i will be picking up 2 more 10" blue neon rods for my trunk. araffio told me to link up the power from the trunk led. so the trunk pops the neon will turn on.
yaYy for rice!
#31
I used screws to secure them. Some people have been able to use zip ties. I found that if you want to screw them in on the driverside, just take off the bottom panel to the steering column. For the passengerside, get on your back and bear the pain.
#32
ive helped a few buddies install theirs, and there are a couple ways you can. Zip-tying it to the underside of the dash is the best plan of action. there may be a crossmember of panel you can zip tie to already, or else your going to need to drill 2 small holes, and zip tie it to that.... ive seen people use tape etc. but i think this is more secure and permament.
#33
Sounds good, anyone got pics of them secure under the dash? How are two of these? WIll they fit ok? http://www.sounddomain.com/sku/STGAN15RD
#34
Originally Posted by happyricefob
i have neons for a bit over a year, and they are LiteGlows. i have two 15" tube both under driver and passenger.
#36
Originally Posted by SXN
ive helped a few buddies install theirs, and there are a couple ways you can. Zip-tying it to the underside of the dash is the best plan of action. there may be a crossmember of panel you can zip tie to already, or else your going to need to drill 2 small holes, and zip tie it to that.... ive seen people use tape etc. but i think this is more secure and permament.
#37
I just wanted to thank EteRnity059 again... because today during a install gone bad, he was the voice of reason. Thankfully it wasnt MY car (it was my friends little 92 integ), but something wasnt right with the switch (marked all crazy) and we had already popped 2 fuses, the on in there and the spare, by the time we broke down and asked for help. Eternity was willing to help, and the advice was killer... thanks man!
#38
I'm in a 97 GXE, and 20" tubes fit perfectly under driver and passenger dash. At least in my opinion they do. They fill the floor with light much better than a 10" would. If you use zip ties and tie them under there securely, you shouldn't have a bit of problem. I just noticed the other day that my foot hit the driver's side one, but if you don't have boat feet (size 13), then you probably dont have to worry about it!
bluemaxdriver4
bluemaxdriver4
#39
12 1/2 feet and i didnt hit them in my friends tiny little acura with 15 inch tubes. Heres the attempted install on the integra http://www.geocities.com/hampst25/integra.htm