I recently did some electrical work in my '98 Prelude where I ran a dedicated power line from under the hood to inside the car to power all my neons and gadgets. I install a relay, activated by the Acceessory fuse, to let the power flow. Suddenly, I started having this odd glitch: whenever I turn the key from the Acc to the On position (and vice versa), there's a momentary power "glitch", causing my Kenwood head unit (it's the fold out mobile theater kind with the separate hideway boxes) to shutoff briefly and go back on. It's really irritating, and it doesn't always happen (perhaps 85% of the time). My stereo never did this before. The interior neons powered by the new dedicated power line slightly flickers when the head unit restarts, suggesting that the power glitch affects the whole electrical system. So what the heck could be causing this momentary power loss???

I've checked fuses all around and they appear to be intact. I've even disconnected the Acc fuse tap to see if that might be causing the glitch, but to no avail. Since it only happens when I turn the key between Acc and On, I wonder if something might've happened to the key mechanism causing the middle area between the 2 positions to read as "off". But I don't know why that would happen since I never touched the key area.

I'm not a noob to electrical work on my car, so that's why I'm stumped about this. Here's the way I wired it: From the point in the underhood fusebox where the battery cable connects to it, I added a cable that runs under the dash. That cable then splits into 2 lines, each of which is fused. One line is a "constant on", while the other has a relay after its fuse. The relay is connected to and activates by a wire going to the ACC fuse.

 

It sound to me like a bad ignition switch. Did this problem start immediatly after you hooked up your neon lights. If not I wouldn't worry about it, it sounds like you know how to wire it since you took the time to use a relay.

 

take out the neon lights.
neons are gay.

anyway, how many "neons and gadgets" did you wire up?
dont be sucking too much power from the battery/alternator. i take it you have a system too.

just doublecheck all the wiring. start with the basics. and if you checked it already, do it again.
its easy to miss simple ****.

 

Also to add to everything else did you use relays on those wires? I bet you did not!!


[Modified by letsride, 9:13 AM 6/4/2002]

 

If ya read the first 2 posts, I did use a relay except for the "constant-on" line. I know it's not the alternator, because the glitch happens whenever the key is turned between the On and Acc positions (going either way) and regardless of whether the engine is on or off. All the neons/gadgets have been installed in the car for years with no problems. Only now, after I ran a dedicated power line to them did this problem develop (prior to that, everything was tapping off 7 different fuses under the dash!). I'm using an Optima Deep Cycle battery, so I know it's not the battery.


[Modified by Heat Rave R, 6:59 PM 6/4/2002]