Getting wired

[CeeAre]

Could someone please direct me to the stewpid qwestyun department?

The installation of an Escort Smart Direct wire is pretty simple, right?

I mean...you ain't got to have a degree from MIT or nothin', and heck, I was an FTG in the Navy (meaning a lot of E&E) but I'm kinda stumped.

Yes, I watched Roy's tutorial. Yes, I used an add-a-circuit. Yes, I made sure I had the radio fuse (pulled it, turned the car on, no radio...pretty sure that was the radio fuse, and the book says so too).

Attached the ground, plugged it in, and...IT CAME ON!

It ain't SUPPOSED to come on with the ignition off! The dad-burn radio don't come on with the ignition off, how come THIS is coming on with the ignition off?

Sure, I can power down before unplugging and stowing it, but the beauty of using that radio fuse was that it's NOT (supposed to be) hot without ignition.

Could it be something as simple as reversing the polarity of the add-a-circuit (i.e. just flip it over)? I know, sure, I could just climb back under there and try it, but...it's a REALLY small area, and I'm OLD, and my KNEES HURT, and I got a BONE IN MY FOOT, and...I'm lazy...and...if anything, flipping it would be more likely to stop it from working AT ALL versus functioning properly. My antiquated training says that if I flip it, the "hot" side would be to the ground side of...ummm...I mean, that would make it cold/cold, not cold/hot, right?

Right now it's hot/hot...I need cold/hot.

*Sigh* I can already "hear" the answers..."Grow a set and get yer butt back under there and try flippin' it...we ain't yer momma!".

Y'know, there was a time when geezers got respect...but I think that time ended right around my 60th birthday.

Anyway...any pearls of wisdom would be appreciated.

Ride safe,

CR

Addendum: Before posting I bit the bullet...and flipped it...and I think I ruptured something. Is feeling like a rebar is shoved about a foot up into your coccyx normal? No? Then yeah, I done broke something that's gonna leave me walking with a lisp. And flipping it didn't change a thing. Still hot/hot.

Ratz.

[CJR238]

Sounds like you have the add-a-circuit connected to the radios main constant power as apposed to ignition/remote power that turns on the device when the ignition is turned on. Select a fuse that goes off when the car is turned off.

[CeeAre]

Sounds like you have the add-a-circuit connected to the radios main constant power as apposed to ignition/remote power that turns on the device when the ignition is turned on. Select a fuse that goes off when the car is turned off.

Main constant power? It has "main constant power"? But it won't come on until I turn on the igni...waaaaaaait a minute here.

Crap. I just grokked. Every time I pulled the fuse on the radio to futz with this, it reset all the digital settings on the radio, defaulting to AM and none of the presets saved. Meaning that it HAS to have constant power to it to keep it's "memory" working.! Duh! Great catch!

Which is all about the more modern radios...the analogue ones (mechanical versus digital push buttons would be a clue) wouldn't suffer such, and would work just fine per the video tutorial.

Meaning, thanks to you, I only have to go back under there ONE MORE TIME...which, I think, is about all I got left...

In my defense, that E & E training I mentioned was back in the 'Nam days..."digital" meant counting on yer fingers back then...

"How many toes you got?"

"I dunno...let me digitalize it..."

THANKS and ride safe,

CR

[CeeAre]

Ummm...by the way CJR...not fer nothin' but...

I asked for the stewpid qwestyun department.

You not only responded, but had the right stewpid answer.

No judgement here...just sayin'...

HAR!

(Thanks again!)

Ride safe,

CR

[CJR238]

Sounds like you have the add-a-circuit connected to the radios main constant power as apposed to ignition/remote power that turns on the device when the ignition is turned on. Select a fuse that goes off when the car is turned off.

Main constant power? It has "main constant power"? But it won't come on until I turn on the igni...waaaaaaait a minute here.

Crap. I just grokked. Every time I pulled the fuse on the radio to futz with this, it reset all the digital settings on the radio, defaulting to AM and none of the presets saved. Meaning that it HAS to have constant power to it to keep it's "memory" working.! Duh! Great catch!

Which is all about the more modern radios...the analogue ones (mechanical versus digital push buttons would be a clue) wouldn't suffer such, and would work just fine per the video tutorial.

Meaning, thanks to you, I only have to go back under there ONE MORE TIME...which, I think, is about all I got left...

In my defense, that E & E training I mentioned was back in the 'Nam days..."digital" meant counting on yer fingers back then...

"How many toes you got?"

"I dunno...let me digitalize it..."

THANKS and ride safe,

CR

Ummm...by the way CJR...not fer nothin' but...

I asked for the stewpid qwestyun department.

You not only responded, but had the right stewpid answer.

No judgement here...just sayin'...

HAR!

(Thanks again!)

Ride safe,

CR

Glad i could be of assistance and save you some pain. Yes the good old days of push button radios and abacuses.

O if we could only turn back time.

[CeeAre]

Sounds like you have the add-a-circuit connected to the radios main constant power as apposed to ignition/remote power that turns on the device when the ignition is turned on. Select a fuse that goes off when the car is turned off.

Main constant power? It has "main constant power"? But it won't come on until I turn on the igni...waaaaaaait a minute here.

Crap. I just grokked. Every time I pulled the fuse on the radio to futz with this, it reset all the digital settings on the radio, defaulting to AM and none of the presets saved. Meaning that it HAS to have constant power to it to keep it's "memory" working.! Duh! Great catch!

Which is all about the more modern radios...the analogue ones (mechanical versus digital push buttons would be a clue) wouldn't suffer such, and would work just fine per the video tutorial.

Meaning, thanks to you, I only have to go back under there ONE MORE TIME...which, I think, is about all I got left...

In my defense, that E & E training I mentioned was back in the 'Nam days..."digital" meant counting on yer fingers back then...

"How many toes you got?"

"I dunno...let me digitalize it..."

THANKS and ride safe,

CR

Ummm...by the way CJR...not fer nothin' but...

I asked for the stewpid qwestyun department.

You not only responded, but had the right stewpid answer.

No judgement here...just sayin'...

HAR!

(Thanks again!)

Ride safe,

CR

Glad i could be of assistance and save you some pain. Yes the good old days of push button radios and abacuses.

O if we could only turn back time.

"...if we could turn back time." Man...I wish I knew how to navigate this forum better...what a great place to post a picture of a Cher female impersonator...

Anyway, here's the "final chapter" on this:

After much cogitating and ciphering (and enlisting the help of my brother-in-law, a retired Chief Laser Engineer with 35 years at Northrup Grumman), it was determined that the 10 amp circuit (ten amps being all that the add-a-circuit is rated for) that runs the rear window defroster is only on WITH THE CAR ACTUALLY STARTED. No, not on ACC, don't need it then...if the car is off and parked...not sure why I would need a RD.

But it's now off unless the car is actually running...PERFECT! Start the car...*BEEP-DA-BEEP!". Turn the car off, and it doesn't "Power down", it just "scrams".

Friggin' rear window defroster don't work anymore, but what the hey...I don't go backwards that often anyway.

(Authors note: That last was a (weak) attempt at humor. The rear window defroster works just fine, think yew vera mooch.)

Ride safe,

CR

[CJR238]

Good to here you found the right circuit to tap into. I don't drive backwards that much ether.