Creating a new fuse kinda

Tiny
ASPEN97
  • MEMBER
  • 1989 NISSAN SKYLINE
  • 2.0L
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 90,000 MILES
So if there is an empty spot in the fuse box underneath my steering wheel. And If put like a 15 fuse in the empty spot and then have a wire connect to the back of the fuse, will it get power when I turn on the ignition? Because I’m install a gauge and I have ground but I do not want to cut into wires and I have open spots in my fuse box.
Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 AT 9:43 PM

2 Replies

Tiny
SCGRANTURISMO
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,897 POSTS
Hello,

Yes it would work as long as on the other side of the fuse you hook it up to a switched power supply. If you run a hot wire from the battery and connect it to the other side, there will be constant battery power to it even when the vehicle is turned off. Hook one side to a switched power supply and the other side to what you are powering.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros
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Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 AT 10:27 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 14,223 POSTS
Be sure the position you want to use has switched power by using a simple test light with the key off and then on. Like Alex said, if you connect it to one which isn't switched you could create a battery drain.
Look close at the fuse box, sometimes those open spots are for other options, however there are also vehicles that have open spots in the fuse box because they are used to enable or disable items during programming or testing while the vehicle is being built and if you turn that on by accident you could create a problem.
There are also fuse taps that can be used with a known fused circuit, basically you remove the fuse, insert the tap and then the fuse you removed and you now have a power lead you can install a fuse in. They look like the picture.
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Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 AT 11:38 PM

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