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FAQ / REFERENCE => How-To's => Topic started by: LeeThompson on August 07, 2011, 01:09:55 AM
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Before you start, the easiest thing to do, is to remove your radio and your kicker panel stuff and put them on the side. I would also remove that metal knee bolster as well.
Also disconnect the battery please...
I did this more to show off to my friends than anything. It makes for a great story.
I KNOW there is a much easier way to do this. Spice a wire and run it to a switch. But the point was to make a harness I can remove when I sell the car. So if they look under the panel, they will never know it was there.
This is what mine looks completed but not installed. Just to give you guys some sort of Idea since I did not choose to do a write up untill much later.
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3473.jpg)
That short wire is this
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3477.jpg)
I was able to take off the black plastic cover and this is what it looks like with out the cover, however you want that cover
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3476.jpg)
Now First I took an old play station wire, or laptop wire. They both have the wire that plugs from the wall, to the big black box thing that converts electricity. It looks something like this
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3491.jpg)
Now cut the part that plugs into the wall off. Leave as much wire as you can.
Next take the other end and split it in half. You want to be careful not to cut into the wire. Also do not split the wire into two separate wires. You will then have to do a lot of fishing.
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3490.jpg)
Sorry for the lack of pictures at this point. I decided to do the write-up long after I installed it.
Next you want to cut one of the two connector pieces off of the main wire. You do not want to have a lot of extra wire. I feel that I cut mine to long. I would cut about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. You will then have something like this minus the pin
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3478.jpg)
Now this is the fun part. One of these plastic connectors needs to have the plastic coating on, and the other does not. Otherwise they will not fit. I recommend leaving the short wire with the plastic on it, and the main without. You will still have to file down the short wire plastic part until it fits in the main brake light switch in the pedal
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3487.jpg)
Now you will need to find some kind of connector pin like I have shown. I got lucky and a friend who works for my stepdad had something at that shop that worked make sure to get at least two of these pins (if one fits they both will fit). You can use the bare wire (once you strip it back a bit) but it may not stay connected. The short wire will connect from the main switch back to the wire main wiring harness.
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3486.jpg)
Now the main wire. The side that you just cut That short connector off, you want to strip the plastic coating to bare some of the wire. Do not mess with the connector piece you already have except to file it down to fit into the brake light switch.
Now solder the pin onto that bare wire and you now have everything you need to go on the brake light switch and wire harness.
Now for the switch
Take the other side of your main wire, and split them an inch or two. It will make the baring of the wire process much easier. Once you bare the wires, find two spade terminals with plastic coating. I found mine in a old dish box but i am sure you can find them at AutoZone, the same place I got the switch. You will then want to connect the spade terminals to the bare wires
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3474.jpg)
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3475.jpg)
Now you are almost finished
Attach the small wire from the switch to the main harness
From this
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3487.jpg)
To this
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3486.jpg)
It will not matter which side you use, as long as you do not cross wire them. I think even then, it will still work. I put min on the left side because I felt it made everything so much easier.
Next run the spade terminal side of the wire to one of your empty slots on the main dash... I put mine next to the hazard lights. Hook the two spade terminals to two of the prongs. I forgot the name on the back, I will look tomorrow but you want to leave the ground prong open
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/level8driver/IMG_3481.jpg)
Next hook up your other pin and connectors to the other side of the switch and wiring harness.
Test to make sure the brake lights come on and off. Once you do that, flip the switch and make sure they do not come on and off. Once you confirmed the switch works, you can put everything back together. No splice in the wire, can remove whenever you wish. I have had mine in for several months, and it has been to two track events, and it still remains. I will post more pictures of it actually hooked up. I just hate taking out that kicker panel.
Any questions feel free to ask. I will help as much as I can. I will go back through and edit this as needed. I did this a while back and took the pictures a while back. It took me 2 days to get the wiring and stuff right but if you get all the stuff, It should only take about an hour. You will need a soldering iron. I am not very good with one, but I managed to get everything to work. I also recommend shrinking tube. It just makes everything look neater.