teembo Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Can anyone help me save a bit of time on this as I have had the car out and back into the garage the times today because of heavy flash showers ? Been looking at this thread, which makes it sound very simple to do,http://www.lotus7.club/forum/techtalk/12v-socket-wiring-guidance-pleaseit mentions two methods of getting the wires from the engine bay to the dash, firstly through a hole in the transmission tunnel in front of the gear lever. This appears to be where most of my electrics surface as there a fat bunch of cables appear just in front of the gearstick, however how does the transmission tunnel cover come off ? There don't appear to be any fixings, is it likely to be held with just Velcro ?Secondly, the thread mentions a hole in the bulkhead, any idea where this might be, because I can't find it despite contortions and torches ?Otherwise, I reckon I'm nearly there ! I bought a complete socket kit with fuse and plan to run it directly to the battery terminals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted August 20, 2016 Member Share Posted August 20, 2016 Where do you want the socket? (Mine is in the vertical aluminium sheet above the passenger's legs, and I punched a new hole there.)...how does the transmission tunnel cover come off ? There don't appear to be any fixings, is it likely to be held with just Velcro ?If you can't see a pair of screws in the sides at one end it's probably just pressed into place. Try pulling harder. If you want to remove it the handbrake lever needs to be vertical.I bought a complete socket kit with fuse and plan to run it directly to the battery terminals. Do you want USB charging? If so I recommend buying a socket that offers that rather than using an adaptor.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teembo Posted August 20, 2016 Author Share Posted August 20, 2016 I don't want to put a hole in the dash and got a socket that fits a motorcycle handlebar so I can fasten it around the fat bunch of wires ahead of the gearstick.I'm not really bothered about USB charging at the moment, I reckon a cigarette lighter will do for now. I can always change it later if needs be.I'll have a closer look at the tunnel but I don't want to force anything.Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ. Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 I found it was easier to mount the socket(s) on the bulkhead in front of the passenger. On my car removing the battery gave good access to drill a small hole and fit a rubber grommet. The fuse is cable tied to the battery strap then the live wire passes through to bulkhead to the socket and the earth goes to the point near the wiper motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teembo Posted August 20, 2016 Author Share Posted August 20, 2016 Is it better to have the negative lead earthed, then, or is it OK to connect it to the negative battery terminal ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted August 20, 2016 Member Share Posted August 20, 2016 You can do either. Using a chassis earth avoids another cable to the battery terminal.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewB Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 The second and third images in the link here show where I put my 12V socket. Wired to the battery via a fuse so I could trickle charge the battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonL Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 If you have a battery master switch you can take the live feed from that which is easily done. Mine too is attached to the bulkhead on the passenger side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teembo Posted August 20, 2016 Author Share Posted August 20, 2016 Thank you for those replies. AndrewB those are the most useful photos that I have seen, next to the fuse box looks like a good mounting point.JonL I'll have a look at that, I want to use the socket to trickle charge the battery, so I guess I need to take the feed on the battery side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonL Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 I suspect you could. Mines taken from the switched side so I know everything is switched off when i leave the car. But I dont seem to need to trickle charge my battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teembo Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Sorry, I'm still struggling with this. The tunnel cover moves with a little encouragement, how do you get the handbrake lever vertical ? Major adjustment ?JonL how do you access the battery master switch terminals ? Mine are behind a panel that I can just about see behind, but can't remove or gat behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted August 21, 2016 Member Share Posted August 21, 2016 The tunnel cover moves with a little encouragement, how do you get the handbrake lever vertical ? Major adjustment ?You use the handbrake adjustment bits on the cable to make enough slack. (I think the moves are not at all intuitive but they do work.)Would you like an Assembly Guide?JonathanPS: For prolonged use on a 7's battery you need a conditioning charger, not an old-fashioned trickle charger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teembo Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Thanks Jonathan, I think an assembly guide would be useful, I did look for a manual but couldn't find a relevant version. I have a 2003 1.8 VVC SV .I'm using an Optimate for all my batteries and it works well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted August 21, 2016 Member Share Posted August 21, 2016 Please send me a Private Mail with your email address.There are suspicions of problems with Private Mail today. Please can you post here when you've sent it.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teembo Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 PM sent, although I did get an error message as well saying the email could not be sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teembo Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul mel Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 You should be able to thread some cables up through the grommet in front of the gear lever without removing anything. I currently have both cables connected directly to the battery but the socket I have has an led when powered up so I have to remove the fuse to avoid it draining the battery! I'll rewire via the cut off switch at some point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR400D Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 I put my socket in the side of the detachable fuse box cover and ran the wires through the big grommet to the battery. Fuse is close to socket. Works fine for charging battery. Didn't fancy putting big hole in bulkhead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonL Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 The panel covering the battery master switch should be removable (mine is actually cutaway, but the one on the passenger side which covers the wiper motor I did remove). I think you just have to undo some screws and it pulls out upwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teembo Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 ScottR 400 - thanks but I don't have a big grommet in the fuse box or that would have been ideal. JonL - thanks, that's brilliant. I thought at first glance it was riveted in (dark under there !) but the screws came out easily and I'm going to to use the battery live terminal. It too big for the supplied connector, but I'll get round that. Looking around for an earth. There are a couple of nuts on the bodywork but they are awkward and don't want to move. Can I use either of the other two connections on the master switch ? There is a black wire going to a white plastic cuboid about two inches long and then around 180 degrees to the opposite side of the battery master switch. Would that be an earth ?Thanks for all the help so far, I've learned things I didn't know and I'm nearly there ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul mel Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 The white cuboid is a resistor and the end not connected to the master switch should be connected to an earth on the vehicle body which would also be suitable for your earth for the 12v socket. Wiring diagram for the master switch here if that helps. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=battery+master+switch+wiring+diagram&client=safari&hl=en-gb&prmd=isvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjuhaaZvtfOAhVCFMAKHfVFBsUQ_AUIBygB&biw=1024&bih=672#imgdii=O94jsdY7Hp_RyM%3A%3Bef-U4HPQXR_C0M%3A%3Bef-U4HPQXR_C0M%3A&imgrc=ef-U4HPQXR_C0M%3A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teembo Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 PaulMel - thanks very much for that, it is now clear. There are two studs, which look like they are the master switch fixings, one of which supports the white resistor and the other is connected to the resistor and must be the earth. I guess I can use either of these. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teembo Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 All done and dusted, looking good so far.Thanks to all for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted August 23, 2016 Member Share Posted August 23, 2016 Well done.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonL Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 nice work. Fitting one of these was the first thing I did myself on the car and gave me sufficient confidence to then go on an fit shift lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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