positive ground

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zachy_je

Member - Posts: 15

Joined: July 27, 2007

Location: United States

Posted: July 27, 2007 at 6:13 PM / IP Logged

I'm trying to hook up extra lights to my trunk light. The problem is, the trunk light is a positive ground. What I want is to remove the factory trunk light and hook it up so that when I open my trunk, red lights turn on to highlight my system. If anyone knows how to do this, let me know.

KPierson

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This member consistently provides reliable information

Joined: April 14, 2005

Location: Ohio, United States

Posted: July 27, 2007 at 6:45 PM / IP Logged

what exactly is a positive ground????????

Kevin Pierson

Mad Scientists

Silver - Posts: 380

Joined: February 07, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: July 28, 2007 at 5:46 PM / IP Logged

Or, more to the point, Year Make and Model?

Positive ground automobiles haven't been common for close to 50 years..

Jim

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zachy_je

Member - Posts: 15

Joined: July 27, 2007

Location: United States

Posted: July 28, 2007 at 10:01 PM / IP Logged

Maybe I'm using the wrong terminology. I'm driving a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am SE. Thats all I know is that it's more complicated than just hooking up the lights to the positive side of the trunk light wire.

Mad Scientists

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Joined: February 07, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: July 29, 2007 at 12:36 PM / IP Logged

The positive side of the light probably isn't the switched side.. the negative probably it. This means that positive is hot all the time, and ground is only supplied when the trunk is open. You could wire your lights in parallel with the existing trunk light if you wanted.

Jim

zachy_je

Member - Posts: 15

Joined: July 27, 2007

Location: United States

Posted: July 29, 2007 at 3:28 PM / IP Logged

After I typed that message, I tried hooking it up to the ground wire too. That didnt work either? How do I wire it in parallel?

sparkie

Platinum - Posts: 2,061

Joined: November 06, 2003

Location: Canada

Posted: July 29, 2007 at 9:15 PM / IP Logged

Hook the two wires for your light up to the two wires of the existing trunk light. As long as you are using 12 volt bulbs, you are good to go and don't have to worry about positive or negative. If the red lights aren't 12 volt bulbs, then you need to use a volt meter to identify which is positive and which is ground.

sparky

zachy_je

Member - Posts: 15

Joined: July 27, 2007

Location: United States

Posted: July 31, 2007 at 11:58 AM / IP Logged

That worked. I was using the chasis as a ground. I just hooked both positive and negative of the lights to the positive and negative of the trunk light and they function as the trunk light would! I appreciate your guys' help! Thank you!

ancientlegend

Member - Posts: 5

Joined: January 11, 2006

Location: United States

Posted: August 28, 2007 at 2:04 PM / IP Logged

How do you tell which wire is positive and which is ground?

zachy_je

Member - Posts: 15

Joined: July 27, 2007

Location: United States

Posted: August 28, 2007 at 9:10 PM / IP Logged

It doesn't matter. They are 12v lights so as long as one is hooked up to positive and the other to ground... it should work. And if it doesn't work, switch them around.

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