Fuse tap for remote wire

M1KL83

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Looking to fuse tap for remote wire for audio system equipmen. I will be running a JL Fix 82 & Twk D8 and then 5 channel amp.
For the remote wire to Fix 82 and then remote it out to the Twk D8, I'm thinking the 10amp 'Accessory' fuse in slot #1 will do alright but curious if anyone thinks otherwise and/or if anyone knows what is in slot #36? As you can see it shows it as '/' but in the physical slot there is a 20amp fuse. Does that seem odd to anyone? If I can get away safely without adding a relay then great but I'm not against it either.

Any advice or experience from you all is really appreciated!

Honda Civic 10th gen Fuse tap for remote wire 20180724_140434
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36 is not used in that car/ trim level. If you have a meter, you can check to see if it's 12v constant, ignition, or accessory ( or nothing). If that doesn't work, I would try #10 ( rear outlet) or 37 (option). If you have an LX, there are probably several others that don't have a load connected.
Also, does the fix 82 have an auto turn on / remote out? I know most of the audio control units do, and they work reliably.
 
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M1KL83

M1KL83

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36 is not used in that car/ trim level. If you have a meter, you can check to see if it's 12v constant, ignition, or accessory ( or nothing). If that doesn't work, I would try #10 ( rear outlet) or 37 (option). If you have an LX, there are probably several others that don't have a load connected.
Also, does the fix 82 have an auto turn on / remote out? I know most of the audio control units do, and they work reliably.
I do have an LX but Canadian LX so I believe its closest to the EX Hatchback in the States.
As for fuse #10, I'm a tad nervous there as my understanding is that all the fuses that are shown in brackets, like #10 (20A) are on constant. #10 is intriguing to me in a different way too because I dont know where the 'Rear ACC Socket' is in the car?

If #36 isn't being used...why do they have a 20amp fuse in its slot so you think?
The Fiz 82 does have Signal Sense Auto and Remote out but they recommend +12V remote wire from source or accessory is preferred mrthod by JLs owners manual over the Signal Sense. I also like the idea of having a built in fuse online with the remote turn on wire if I'm able to fuse tap somewhere within the fuse box.

May I ask why you dont recommend #1 ACCESSORY 10A?
Thanks for chipping in and helping me sort this out it's much appreciated!

Honda Civic 10th gen Fuse tap for remote wire Screenshot_20180725-075034_Drive
 

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Based on the excerpt you posted there, I would recommend using one of the automatic modes for your amp instead of using a tap in the fuse box. Personally I don't recommend using fuse taps for anything, and most professionals won't use them either. There are better ways.

For my amp install, I pulled the head unit and got remote out directly from the HU. I also used this so I could tap front speakers instead of rears - I tend to prefer setting my fader towards the front and didn't want to limit the sub by doing so - without having to get to the speakers themselves. See this post for details on wiring from behind the HU.
 

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An inexpensive digital volt meter is a very useful tool to have, and than you'd know for certain if it is an accessory or constant. The $5 harbor freight one works fine. Sometimes there are coupons for it free with any purchase. I wouldn't recommend the old style fuse tape that wrap around the blade of a fuse and then push in. The "add a circuit" style , or the ones that have a lead off the back of a fuse are ok. The other ones will spread the contact apart and may not allow good contact over time.

Often manufacturers use the same parts on several models, or trim levels. My guess is the fuse box comes pre loaded with fuses and they use the same one whether the vehicle is going to be equipped with all options or not. I saw several things listed that may not be present.I

If you want another source of accessory, white wire at the ignition harness is accessory. That is for models with a key, not push to start.
 


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M1KL83

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D
Based on the excerpt you posted there, I would recommend using one of the automatic modes for your amp instead of using a tap in the fuse box. Personally I don't recommend using fuse taps for anything, and most professionals won't use them either. There are better ways.

For my amp install, I pulled the head unit and got remote out directly from the HU. I also used this so I could tap front speakers instead of rears - I tend to prefer setting my fader towards the front and didn't want to limit the sub by doing so - without having to get to the speakers themselves. See this post for details on wiring from behind the HU.
For tapping remote out at Head Unit did you use Cavity #
A23 ACC -Power Source for accessories
Or
A3 +B Audio - Continuous Power Source Or
A different cavity/fuse that I haven't specified?
I will be taking the HU out as well to get my speaker signal from the Front L and R and into the Fix 82 so your solution sounds great! I'll already be in there and I'd prefer to do it your way I just need more on the specifics. I will read through the thread you linked in more depth, thanks for that!
Did you put an inline fuse in at all or only the main fuse from the power cable?
 

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Radio accessory is a red wire , pin 22 of 24 at the radio harness.

Honda Civic 10th gen Fuse tap for remote wire Screenshot_20180725-090351
 
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M1KL83

M1KL83

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Radio accessory is a red wire , pin 22 of 24 at the radio harness.

Screenshot_20180725-090351.png
Looks like the Red is actually #23 not #22 but cool thank you. The diagram says that's "ACC- Power source for accessories"

Honda Civic 10th gen Fuse tap for remote wire Screenshot_20180725-104126_Gallery
 

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For tapping remote out at Head Unit did you use Cavity #
A23 ACC -Power Source for accessories
Or
A3 +B Audio - Continuous Power Source Or
A different cavity/fuse that I haven't specified?
I will be taking the HU out as well to get my speaker signal from the Front L and R and into the Fix 82 so your solution sounds great! I'll already be in there and I'd prefer to do it your way I just need more on the specifics. I will read through the thread you linked in more depth, thanks for that!
Did you put an inline fuse in at all or only the main fuse from the power cable?
Pretty sure I used ACC - Power source for accessories.

And no, I did not fuse the remote wire. I would recommend doing so, however, as in hindsight I should have. You shouldn't need anything more than a little 5A inline glass fuse.
 


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M1KL83

M1KL83

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Pretty sure I used ACC - Power source for accessories.
O9
And no, I did not fuse the remote wire. I would recommend doing so, however, as in hindsight I should have. You shouldn't need anything more than a little 5A inline glass fuse.
And you just Positapped(?) https://www.crutchfield.ca/S-II7E7pv8Qcb/p_669PP607/Posi-Products-Wire-Connectors.html the ACC power for remote wire and used the same type of connector for the Front Left and Right speakers for full range signal tapping all of them behind the head unit.

Or did you cut and solder?
 
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M1KL83

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Why are you using 2 dsp?
I'm using both the Fix 82 and the Twk D8 for a few reasons really. Yes they both have DSP qualities but they do do different jobs. The Fix receives the factory signal and cleans and flattens it. Yes the Fix has some (10) graphic equilizer bands for tuning but not to the capacity of the Twk and if I only got the Twk chances are it would use a lot of its equilization ability on cleaning and flattening the factory signal because the TwK doesn't have input EQ like the Fix does.
The Fix is really designed to do one thing -
Take anything the factory unit had done to the sound, time alignment, eq or crossovers and undo it.
JL has a video where they explained the Fix and Twk. The Fix handles the input, Twk does the output so it's a modular system. You can buy one or the other or both, depending on what you need.

In my case, I was shopping for the Fix 82 and would most likely be more than happy with the amount of tuning capabilities it has but I came across a sale that was basically buy one get one free so I jumped on it. The Twk also comes with a DRC 200 remote knob so I can control the subwoofer and or master volume as well as click between different preset equilization maps that I have done within tuning in the Twk from the laptop. For example, preset 1 is when I am the only one in the car so the speakers and time alignment is all measured to the driver's seating position whereas preset 2 is adjusted to give the front passenger the same experience whereas preset 3 is centralized for all passengers to enjoy the best the system can provide. The Twk is the real DSP between them as I understand it.

Further to all that, before I had even taken delivery of my Civic Hatch, I was checking out options for stereo upgrades and it just so happens that one of the techs at JL Audio has the identical car to mine, difference being he is in the States and I'm north of the border in Canada; anyway, I was super impressed by his set up and have ever since been trying to replicate his system. Albeit not to the extreme that he has been able to do but slowly and surely I am almost there with a similar arrangement. He had the Fix 82 going into a Twk aswell so when the near BOGO sale presented itself, I just couldn't refuse.
 

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And you just Positapped(?) https://www.crutchfield.ca/S-II7E7pv8Qcb/p_669PP607/Posi-Products-Wire-Connectors.html the ACC power for remote wire and used the same type of connector for the Front Left and Right speakers for full range signal tapping all of them behind the head unit.

Or did you cut and solder?
Neither.

You can use taps, they are mostly reliable, but I don't for in vehicles - too much vibration, too much work to fix a failure. Years ago I trained and worked as an installer for car audio and starters, we pretty much never used positaps nor fuse taps for anything, though it was not uncommon to have vehicles come in that had a previous accessory install using them.

We also avoided cutting wires wherever possible. Cutting a wire means your resulting spliced wire is now shorter than the others, putting strain on it and the rest of the harness. It's doable, but makes your life getting things put back together without creating problems challenging. I've also screwed myself a few times doing this by cutting the wire too close to the connector so now I don't have room to strip, solder and tape.

For the purposes of this instruction I'm going to refer to the wires in the vehicle as donor wires, and the wires you are adding for the amp as new wires.

The method we used most was first to remove the insulation off a ~1cm section of the donor wire by using a wire stripper to make two cuts in the insulation 1cm apart, and then using a utility knife to make a cut running between the two stripper cuts, then the piece of insulation can be removed in 1 piece and leaves you with a section of fully exposed wire. Next, I would use a small screwdriver to push a hole through the exposed stranded wire large enough to fit your new wire through. Then, strip 1-2cm off the end of your new wire and thread this through the hole in the donor wire. A light tug on both ends of the donor wire should pull the hole you created shut around the new wire, then you wrap the new wire tightly around the exposed donor wire. I recommend making sure the new wire wraps around back over itself to further secure it to the donor wire. From here you can solder if necessary and then tape up the joint. I'll be honest, most of the shops I worked with would rarely solder things like this, but it is definitely the better way to do it. Taping properly with electrical tape is important too. I recommend 3M Super 33+, despite it's expense, I've seen a lot of cheap electrical tape start disintegrating or falling off joints after a couple years in a hot car, including in my own. In the shops I worked in, it was common to use cheap tape for the initial tape job and then wrap over it with the Super33 to make sure it stayed put. To tape properly, first you want to start 2-3cm away from the joint and do 2-3 rounds of tape relatively loose to get to where the exposed wire begins, this is to create a solid anchor point for the tape when you pull it taught. Then, you want to pull the tape taught as you run it around the joint several times, the idea here is to eliminate any gaps between tape and wire so that moisture can't get in. Finally, once you've passed the other end of the joint, do 2-3 looser rounds to create the same anchor as you started. I would then take a second piece of tape, follow a similar process, but starting on the side where the first piece of tape finished and going back over. This means that in order for your joint to be exposed, tape would have to come all the way off in one direction and then subsequently start coming off in a second direction, possible but less likely.

I hope that wall of text made sense. I tried to find images online that described this process but wasn't very successful.
 

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I highly recommend using 3M super 33+. After using it, everything else is pretty worthless. I know it is $4/roll compared to less than $1, but it is money well spent.
 
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M1KL83

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Neither.

You can use taps, they are mostly reliable, but I don't for in vehicles - too much vibration, too much work to fix a failure. Years ago I trained and worked as an installer for car audio and starters, we pretty much never used positaps nor fuse taps for anything, though it was not uncommon to have vehicles come in that had a previous accessory install using them.

We also avoided cutting wires wherever possible. Cutting a wire means your resulting spliced wire is now shorter than the others, putting strain on it and the rest of the harness. It's doable, but makes your life getting things put back together without creating problems challenging. I've also screwed myself a few times doing this by cutting the wire too close to the connector so now I don't have room to strip, solder and tape.

For the purposes of this instruction I'm going to refer to the wires in the vehicle as donor wires, and the wires you are adding for the amp as new wires. ...
Your description is perfect, I could picture myself going through all the steps as I read through it.

Can I ask why it is somewhat poor practice to use a fuse tap? I'm not doubting you in any way, just from an inexperience position it seems like such an ideal scenario. Comes on during start/acc mode, has a built in fuse for protection and is nearly plug and play with now factory wire cutting/removing of insulation, soldering, taping etc.

I want to do which ever is safest, will provide the best results and is the least invasive to the factory system. I'll even run a relay if its best but I'll still need a trigger source.

Thanks for your continued support, advice and direction.

Cheers!
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