Ignition accessory not ON

[Jeff Lester]

Hello,

I am installing a Boss Audio MCBK420B  https://bossaudio.com/powersports/mcbk420b/

I want to wire the power into one of the ignition wires that is hot when the key is in ACC...

Here is where i am..

I found a brown and white wire that comes off the back of the ignition, it is hot when the key is in ACC position.

I found a "not in use" aux plug that is only hot when the key is in the ON position....just like the cigarette lighter plug right next to it.

Can I splice the red power wire from the Boss into the brown/white ignition wire and the black ground into the BUS?  My last pic with the question marks is the BUS i believe...but i don't exactly know what the BUS is..

 

[Andystoy19]

The last picture is the under dash buss, made for connecting accessories(accessory terminal strip), one terminal will be the common or ground(black), one terminal will be always hot from the battery(red), the third terminal will likely be key on (hot). The fuse for the buss is F10 under the front plastic panel and is 40 Amps. Always check polarity with a volt meter prior to making connections and it is a good idea to remove the black battery cable when working in a tight space to prevent accidental shorting to ground and blowing the fuse.

The two DC outlets (cigarette lighter) are on a 20 Amp fuse F12 and there is a second DC outlet on a 20 amp fuse on F14 in the front under hood Fuse box called fuse box 1.

My advise is make all your connections at the terminal strip with the correct size eye that fits the bolt, make sure each connection (accessory) you attach has its own fuse of the correct size that is easily accessible. Never use crimp connections as they are very susceptible to corrosion and may become intermittent.

If one of the accessories malfunctions, shorts out it will blow the 40 Amp fuse and everything that is on that circuit, so when it comes time to find out which one you have to remove each accessory until you find the problem.

Do you want your stereo to work only when in the ACC position or on when the key is on Run position key on?

The key switch is on a 10 Amp F8 in fuse box one near the battery, never wire anything to this circuit, if you blow it your machine is dead? 

Buy a fuse puller and an assortment of fuses just in case you blow one on the trail. FYI, good luck.😉

 

[Jeff Lester]

andystoy19,

 

Thanks for the response, yes my goal is to have the Boss speakers work when the key is in the ACC position...what are my options?

Jeff

[Jeff Lester]

also, the BOSS has an inline fuse that comes with the system.

[Andystoy19]

I haven't wired anything to the key ib ACC position so I will have to let someone else help you with that. It's good to see that the system has an inline fuse, how many amps is it?🤔

[Jeff Lester]

7.5 amp fuse on the Boss Audio speakers

[Jeff Lester]

Also, wiring into the ignition might not be a good idea...i know just enough to sound like i know what i am talking about.  

My thought was being able to power the speakers in the ACC position vs the ON position for battery drain purposes.

 

 

[Andystoy19]

Hi Jeff, the difference in battery drain is in the ACC position your engine charging system is off so the total drain of up to 7.5 Amps comes from the battery. With the key on position if the engine is running you get some charging from the charging system even at idle. If the key is on but engine is not running I believe there is a battery saver that kicks in and shuts off all power (after 10 minutes?)until you reset the key.

If you decide to use the the accessory terminal connection under the dash make sure you check both positive terminals with a volt meter or test light to see if both are" key on hot" or one comes directly from the battery. I have not used that connection in my machine because in the cab model I have a similar connection just above where the mirror would be which I used for tieing in my front and rear led lights. In my case I believe that those were key on hot only.

If you want to run your stereo only when the engine is off (or running) you could bring a wire directly from the battery which would be hot all the time, not much different than using the accessory position but again if you use the stereo only with the engine off the drain is on the battery. Perhaps someone else will chime in with their experience and there should be several posts in the build section or elsewhere where others have powered their stereos.

On the older machines the OEM batteries were 20AH and on the later models they are now 30AH so better but some members went to dual batteries or a much larger battery?FYI Good luck.🙂