Wiring Cab Light direct to LB

[digitalgypsy]

Hello Bongo friends, seeking your advice again please...

For some reason or other, my cab light isn't receiving enough voltage, the rear and roof lights are fine however. I'm going to wire the cab light straight to the leisure battery unless anyone advises otherwise. Can anyone help with the following questions please:

1. What's the easiest route to get the wire from the LB to the cab light?
2. I'll be buying an inline fuse, can anyone recommend a particular size?

Thanks as always
Steve

[helen&tony]

Hi
If you are running a new wire, make sure the old one is disconnected both ends first !!!!....you don't want any shorting!
Also, if you disconnect the roof light, it MAY affect your alarm if you have a voltage-sensing one!
Easiest route for cable:
Push a stiff wire from the hole for the cab-light towards the windscreen, until it pops out from the headlining in front of the screen....To the other end, tape the wire you are using for the light to the stiff wire, and pull through....allowing plenty to go from the light, across the front screen, down the pillar, and towards the Leisure battery. The wire will just poke up under the front edge of the headlining...EASY...
Pull the rubber door aperture surround off from the headlining down past the dash, and with luck and some jiggling, you should pull the wire towards the gap now visible in the pillar trim Push the rubber trim back on when the wire emerges under the dash.
From under the bonnet, behind the Leisure battery, you will see a big rubber grommet....Poke a hole in this with something, and then push a small funnel into the hole (or a gun-sealant nozzle)...then poke some scrap wire through the funnel, until you can grab it, tape securely to the wire you fed from the light, and pull back through, until you touch the funnel....then withdraw the funnel and wire.
Connect to a fuse, and off you go!
I can't remember the value of the lights, and it's pee-ing with rain, so I'll leave you to find the value of the bulbs and fuse accordingly!
!5 minute job!
I have about 8 wires running to an overhead console running that very route!....piece of cake!
Cheers
Helen

[Simon Jones]

There are 2x 5W bulbs so in normal use you'd be drawing just under 1 Amp. I would probably go for a 2 Amp fuse, but as long as its less than the rating of the cabling you could probably go for something a little higher. Depending who your converters did your electrics, there may be an additional fusebox with a spare connection under the bonnet somewhere. If not, I would get a 4 way fusebox, wire it in and then you'll have some spare capacity if you decide to wire anything else to the LB.

[digitalgypsy]

Thanks Helen for the detailed guide!! I do have a CAT1 alarm but don't think I'll be disconnecting the roof light. Cheers Simon, I shall have a look for that spare fusebox...

[the1andonly]

I just ran a separate feed from LB to cab light via the drivers door post.
( I have put a six way fuse box behind the fusebox /side panel feed from the LB to the fuse 6,7,8 positions.)
a lot easier than expected.
Remove :
cab light (disconnect wire connector)
sunvisor (2 screws)
sunvisor clip (1 screw and press fit plug)
initialy forgot handle used to get in
rubber strip around door
now we can remove the door pillar cover by sliding up
the roof cover can be eased down to facilitate feeding wire in.
as well as feed to cab light could be a water pipe.
on removing the light fitting and attacking wiring with a Dmm 3 wire 12v feed, 12v open door, earth.
It became obvious that mine is not wired as standard with no midddle lamp and a splice on the blue wire.
so the choice I made left and middle (24 led ) on LB (left hand switch only) the rhs 24 led on rhs switch and door switch using exiting wiring on SB. So enough light on LB and normal services if LB removed/ unable and No ECU issues with LB or Alarm door issues not on SB (kills 2 birds with one stone?)
hope this makes sense

[stuc]

Poke a hole in this with something, and then push a small funnel into the hole (or a gun-sealant nozzle)...then poke some scrap wire through the funnel, until you can grab it, tape securely to the wire you fed from the light, and pull back through, until you touch the funnel....then withdraw the funnel and wire.

Love this idea! The amount of times I have struggled to get wires through the grommets, just need to find a funnel and go and but something to wire in.

[helen&tony]

Hi Stuc...
You can't imagine how many times I've struggled...I use a new nozzle off a gun sealant tube, cut at an angle to aid "poke-ability"....it works a treat....I have around 20 wires poking through those grommets...and maybe 60 metres of new wiring in the vehicle....4 new fuse-boxes, and a sheet inside the manual with all the new fuses in ...
Cheers
Helen

[stuc]

Out of interest what have you got wired up in that thing? Sounds like mission control.

[helen&tony]

Hi Stuc...
It IS Mission Control...I'll do a list!....post on Pimp my Bongo soon!
Cheers
Helen

[digitalgypsy]

We didn't wire direct to the LB in the end. Couldn't tell you what was the problem exactly but something to do with figuring out what legs were active for the ON position of the switch. I just watched! Now have some LED strips instead of the fluorescent tube. Thanks all for tips, good to know anyhow

Oh and the LED strips are just as good as the tube + massive energy saving