Originally Posted by ala_xfire

George says "Thanks George", and I do intend to include an inline fuse on the under hood lighting. ( Already have that )
Are you going to Eureka Springs in June ?

Originally Posted by KDW4Him

Originally Posted by GraphiteGhost

Hey George, You are quite the asset to this site, and I can only imagine how many other sites/avenues you belong to (helping others). You are always helping with direct posts/pictures, or posts, pictures, and parts! I am sure many who benefit do not take the time to post a well deserved accolade. If they don't (or forget), I don't mind doing it for them (and I know you don't need any posted thanks because that's just the way you are)!


I am so **** in regards to safety, and hope everyone who installs accessories/trickle charger harnesses, that they put an inline fuse on the cables/wires they connect to the positive buss of anything they wire in. I care not (really) if the thing installed doesn't have a fuse included in its kit. (full disclosure, I am not talking about adding things like the brake light flasher module, that circuit has any number of circuit protection devices back to the battery, I am talking about other accessories that people install that sometimes involves just finding a 'HOT' wire somewhere under the dash or hood. It mostly means those who tap directly to or before any other main/branch 'HOT' lead available (if you could just see some of the wiring I have seen over the decades) I live by the rule 'SAFETY FIRST' (yeah, I shout it from the highest). If anything was to happen, and someone got hurt or damaged anything, there just isn't too many things that could be said especially if someone got hurt. Especially if the cost to replace or make right was higher than they very inexpensive addition of said fuse holder. Just for an example, many years ago I watched (from a distance trying to intercede) a couple of people (men, but then again it could have been any combination) attempting to jump start a vehicle, by accidentally hooking up the jumper cables backwards to a running (new) pickup truck. The owner of the newer truck jumping the older P/U surely regrets being the one under the hood at the time. The guy attempting to 'start' his vehicle from that kind man couldn't figure out why his dash acted so funny before everything went blank. Of course, the running (jumping) vehicle went 'dead' and by then it was too late. Good intentions of course, but again that famous saying doesn't help does it? Smoke, melted wiring, and the tow truck for BOTH vehicles afterwards was so unnecessary (not to mention luckily no one got hurt by what could have happened). Modern vehicle electronics do not like direct shorts especially at the source of the battery, for sure! The facts were the owner of the vehicle being jumped had replaced the cables with whatever fit, and the red wire was the ground not the positive. I was watching all this (saw a thick red wire having a pigtail going to ground) and it was like a slow motion video when I saw the jumper cables going to connect up wrong (shouting 'STOP' did nothing, too little too late). I have seen the results of a vehicle battery explosion on people and property, NOT PRETTY! In this instance neither battery exploded, but enough damage was done to both vehicles (and nerves including my own because when that spark started I dove for cover). Accidents happen, they are sometimes unpredictable, otherwise they would be called 'on purposes'. Welding machines use less current to melt metals, than is available at the terminals of a vehicle battery. My only intent (here) is to shout out loud. SAFETY FIRST! All to many times complacency bites those who think it'll never happen to them. In the big scheme of things if one person heeds this post I would have done my due diligence. Happy mods to all! And, thanks again George, for being such a great contributor!


PS: (shhhhhhhh) I've been called crazy before, sometimes I actually believe it. Crazy is as crazy does huh?

Originally Posted by maxcichon

Yep. "TMS".

"Tune for Minimal Smoke".

Originally Posted by GraphiteGhost

Only time I smoke is when I'm MAD... LOL, right out the ears!

Originally Posted by maxcichon

Hey, I'm a safety guy too. I've worked in ultra high voltage for 30+years. I've earned my attitude!

Originally Posted by GraphiteGhost

My first experience with high voltage, was two pins from a vertical canned multitap toroidal transformer on top of a homemade old DC power supply (attached to) an even older tubed multiband 12 volt auto AM receiver back in the early 1960's. Was reaching behind it to unscrew a pl-259 antenna connector and the ultra sensitive spot on my right wrist contacted those two pins. The resultant shock threw me back about 15 ft against the opposite wall in my bedroom (funny thing muscle contraction and adrenaline, huh?) and I sat there shaking with a gawd-awful funny taste in my mouth. It took quite a while to be able to stand, and weeks before the two burn marks on my wrist to (sort-of) go away. I'll certainly never forget that experience, that's for sure. Funny thing about electricity is when it is properly controlled, its great. BUT when its uncontrolled, quite the nightmare to many! Unforgettable, that's what it was.... (there's a song in there somewhere)...

Originally Posted by maxcichon

OK. Good one.

My first lesson was ~ 6 months into my last job. I built particle accelerators for 22 years.
We would perform "charging tests" on the open machine with the HV terminal grounded. This would allow one to visually inspect the chain/inductor spacing for sparking. No more than 6 kvdc, and you knew where it was. No problem.
Until the ground clip you put on a 1/4-20 screw falls off with your hand on the terminal.
It's friggin' amazing how fast the terminal will go for 2 mV. Darned little current, but a long time of being laughed at is the end result. The last spark will CHASE YOU for 5-10 feet.

Pelletron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pelletron® Accelerator Charging System



My last "life lesson" was 3 years ago. My co-worker offered to unplug the live 208/30A circuit I was working on.
"Nah-I've got it". I was holding a grounded 1-8 threaded rod. My forearm contacted 2 separate 208/30 amp poles on 2 breakers.
I ended up with 10 really cool parallel cuts in my palm from the threads, a bent back from me arching, and a hole in my tongue from me chomping through it.
OK-I'm a slow learner.

BTW-Alaxfire came over today and showed me how to install these neat new "F1 Blinky lights". Very cool!

Originally Posted by Joe_Lukeman

I know this is an old post but I thought it would be a great idea to put a flasher in. Unfortunately I have limited mechanical ability and worse eyes. Can anyone tell me what color wires the flasher is spliced into? I have a 2005 roadster just like the example so I thought the wire color would be the same.

Originally Posted by Joe_Lukeman

Thank you for your response and the links. They were helpful. The installation on the roadster is much easier once I was confident I had the correct wire. So far it is working but it has only been 5 minutes. But really I would not have had the courage to cut the wire without first reading the Graphite Ghost write up. Thank you again.

Originally Posted by onehundred80

Are you using the original instructions by GraphiteGhost?
If not here it is.
Part one. CLICK
Part two. CLICK
I added this to my coupe at the time and it is still working as it should. I mounted the flasher unit by the hatch lock so that I only had to pull one piece of trim if the unit failed. I had to extend the wires at that time so they reached the lock area.

Originally Posted by deerhunter

Does anyone have the instructions on how to add the 3rd brake light flasher to the Coupe? Thanks