Interior Neons

[JaCkNesS]

Hey guys, I just got my car and I bought one of those neon lights that plug straight into your cigarette lighter. I've opened up the plastic case that plugs into the cigarette lighter and there's a little circuit and so on in it. I think there's a transformer in there but I dont know if its a step up or step down. Is it possible to just cut the wires off it and connect the light straight to the anode and the ground wire... or would I need that little circuit board for it to work?

[buymeabmwm3]

Don't know. Some have sound control boards so they flash with the music, in which case you probably could cut it up.
I would say just go for it, it probably only cost $20, and if it didn't work your probably better off cause interior neons looks chincy.

[whiteracer]

keep the transformer. I'm not sure how they work. But i have a neon tube that i think broke off or something from the transformer, and now i have two wires coming out the end of it and they won't work when tested on a battery. I'm not sure how the transformer works, but i assume it has something to do with the polarity or the wires and making one negative and the other positive. So yes, you're gonna have to keep the transformer.

[CivicLeader]

What did the instructions say on the packaging/insie the packaging. In most cases, you'd be able to cut off the cigarette lighter connection and hard-wire it into your internal wiring system but ef. keep any/all parts that come w/the product.
CL

[JaCkNesS]

Well the only instructions read:

1. Mount to desire location
2. Plug directly into cigarette lighter

it's also got a little picture of a cigarette lighter with 12V written on it and its also got some details which include:

-Strong ABS Housing to protect neon from breaking
-Built-In micro transformer
-Buil-In On/Off Switch
-Easy to Install!

no other information about direct connection to the battery.

Well i've taken off the wires from the transformer and circuit board... Just need to try it on a 6V battery to make sure it works without it.

[Mshkttck]

keep the transformer. There is another one built in to the neon lights so that it retains the correct voltage required for the neon lights to work properly. (and to think that you are getting this advice from a 6th grader)

[CivicLeader]

Even the little guys can have good tips every now and then!
Keep it up kiddo...you'll be dangerous someday!
CL

[JaCkNesS]

yeh I've done some soldering and stuff and it works from a 12V source with the transformer... figured it out to be a step up transformer and that it was the wires that cant handle the voltage supplied after the step up. The light worked for like 20 seconds before the wire gave in so its all good. Cheers all...
by the way Im still in school too youngin :P

[CivicLeader]

Originally posted by JaCkNesS
yeh I've done some soldering and stuff and it works from a 12V source with the transformer... figured it out to be a step up transformer and that it was the wires that cant handle the voltage supplied after the step up. The light worked for like 20 seconds before the wire gave in so its all good. Cheers all...
by the way Im still in school too youngin :P

Awesome..they're comin out of the womb w/soldering guns and torque wrench's!
CL

[1gspot]

hmmm well i think the fact that you gotta do this chopping was cuz u f***ed up in the first place. If you are gunna have interior neons u want to be able to tap into anotehr hot wire under the dash and have a toggle switch hooked up somewhere, not a plug u stick in the lighter socket then reach between ur legs and grab...I mean flip a lil switch. Should have looked harder for a neons that more fit what you had planned for the project.

-david ( 16yrs)

[el_loco_civic]

if you were gonna do that, (flip on lights) what would i go bout' doin ?
get the switch.. wire it to lights, ground the lights.. and wire lights to fuse box ?
is tha it ? or wha - feed bak plz

[1gspot]

ya that is the basic idea let me try to draw a pic for ya

Hot wire (cig lighter power) -------------------|power prong on switch
|
ground wire to switch (only for lit switches)-----|ground prong on switch
|
+ wire from neon |----------------------------|ACC prong on switch
|
N|
E|
O|
N|
|
- wire from neon |----------------------------| ground to chassis

[1gspot]

grrrrr ok that one got a lil messed up just aling all of the | with the one above it pretty much. let me see if i can make a better version here.

Hot wire (cig lighter power) -------------------|power prong on switch
.................................................. ..............|
ground wire to switch (only for lit switches)----|ground prong on switch
.................................................. ..............|
+ wire from neon |----------------------------|ACC prong on switch
.......................|
......................N|*| T
......................E| | U
......................O| | B
......................N|_| E
........................|
- wire from neon |----------------------------| ground to chassis

[Mrock]

I had one of those cheap Autozone neons a long time ago, wanting to cut off the plug, and wire it to my 12V system, but was then told you cannot do it with those cheap ones, because the transformer is in the plug, instead of built in (such as more expensive ones, like StreetGlow). I didn't have any luck with that. I plan on doing the same thing I did (recessed neon's...under the dash...), but with StreetGlow next time!