push button start

I have a 95 civic ex 5 speed manual. I'm putting in a push button start, but I'm not sure what wires to tap into. I have a test light and I'm pretty good with electrical, but does anyone know the exact wire colors to tap into on the ignition. I have my haynes manual, but I'm not to good a reading these diagrams. If anyone knows the wires it would help. I already have to button mounted and I'm going to put an in-line fuse instead of a relay and if anyone knows the exact wire colors to tap into. it would help thanks.

Reply to
mitsurugi3644
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I no longer have them memorized, but here is how you figure it out for ANY car...

Stop using a test light! They are only good for circuits that you know you can safely work on with a load. This particular project a test light is fine for, but what about your next project? Probe the wrong wire with a test light and you fry a circuit. When in doubt, use a multimeter.

Under the dash, high up along the steering column you will find a bundle of wires on the right side of the column. Heavy wires (for under a dash) usually 10 or 12ga. Check each one for 12v while the key is in the crank position.

Other wires in that bundle...

Constant 12v - Always 12v Accessory - 12v in Acc and RUN position, dead during crank (don't want to power unnecessary items during crank) Ignition - 12v in RUN and CRANK position (only power what is needed during RUN and CRANK)

Avoid any wire or group of wires in a yellow wiring loom. Those are universally used as an indicator of airbag wiring. Short those out (or probe them incorrectly) and the airbags will pop.

Reply to
Seth

"Seth" wrote in news:oASph.640$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe12.lga:

Two thumbs up to Seth. He's right on the money.

If anybody wants a quick snapshot on what the ignition switch wires do, see the diagrams on this Main Relay page:

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see this one for a dissection of the ignition switch:
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A quick study of the diagrams will prove Seth's assertions. Honda calls the ACC terminal "IG2".

Reply to
Tegger

So when I'm turning the key to crank the engine whatever 2 wires are hot are the 2 wires that I want to hook up my push button switch to? correct.

Reply to
mitsurugi3644

So when I'm turning the key to crank the engine whatever 2 wires are hot are the 2 wires that I want to hook up my push button switch to? correct.

Reply to
mitsurugi3644

So when I'm turning the key to crank the engine whatever 2 wires are hot are the 2 wires that I want to hook up my push button switch to? correct.

Reply to
mitsurugi3644

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@38g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

If you're asking these sorts of questions after all the advice you've been given, I would advise you get a qualified mechanic to hook up your button-start.

Reply to
Tegger

No. I'm a pretty good mechanic, but I'm just making sure. cause I know how to do it. but why not get any info from ppl who have done it before.

Reply to
mitsurugi3644

not the best forum - not many people on this group are into non-functional stuff like that.

Reply to
jim beam

No.

You want the ONE wire that is hot during crank but DEAD at the IGN position.

Reply to
Seth

ok so I want to hook the switch to that wire and then to a good ground. correct? cause I got conflicting info.

Reply to
mitsurugi3644

What would you be tying to ground?

You want to provide 12V to the starter circuit when the button is pushed. What are you using for a button? Will it be able to handle the current you're going to put through it?

You want to use a relay for this. Your button will activate the relay and the relay will provide 12v to the starter circuit.

If you don't know how to use and wire a relay, stop right now. I will not be party to a car fire.

Reply to
Seth

ok so I take the wire that is hot during crank and off during everything else and I take it and hook it up to my switch and connect the ground to it and thats it?

Reply to
mitsurugi3644

all this reminds me of an old clunker i had with a defective ignition lock. long story short, removed the switch from the back of the key barrel and hid it up under the dash so it wasn't dependent on the key. no problems, just rotate the switch to operate, just like when it was attached to the key barrel, right? and it worked for me just fine. then, i lend the car to my sister. i show her where the switch is located, start the car for her, no problem. she drives away. a couple of hours later, she comes back and says "your car's making a funny noise". cringing, i go outside, start the car. no problems. finally, walking through every step of what had happened, she'd started the car ok, but hadn't returned the switch to the "run" position after the "start" position. when connected to the key barrel, this wasn't a problem because it's spring loaded, and as soon as you release the key, it springs back to the correct position. but the switch on its own wasn't spring loaded, and she'd driven nearly 40 miles with starter motor running!!!

moral of the story: don't assume a damned thing when making mods like this. i'd assumed it was obvious what to do about the starter, but apparently not.

the thing the op has to look out for is re-wiring and not having fail-safe operation, i.e. being able to run the starter motor inadvertently. connected to the rest of the ignition switch assembly, the starter can't be switched on when the ignition is off or the motor's not ready to be started. or when the steering lock is disengaged. independent wiring of a starter switch has none of these safeguards. the only safe way to do it is to have the starter button in series with the ignition switch starter contacts, but that kind of defeats the point.

Reply to
jim beam

What the hell do you keep talking about ground for?

Just start the key with the key like designed.

Reply to
Seth

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote in news:1168722606.192170.237660 @v45g2000cwv.googlegroups.com:

The factory ignition switch (which works wonderfully, by the way) has two power feeds. Depending on its internal contacts, it distributes that power to the various devices it wants to give juice to. Those devices have their own grounds which are used once the electricity has done its work inside those devices.

When you turn the ignition key, you are changing the positions of the contacts inside the ignition switch. This decides what will get power, and what will not.

When the key is turned to "II", one of the live wires at the back of the ignition switch will go dead, and another wire -- which *had* been dead -- will suddenly come alive. That now-live one is the one which you need to use for your button.

Basically, instead of the power routing through the ignition switch, then to that newly-live wire, it will bypass the ignition switch contact entirely and go through your button instead.

But Seth is right again. The starter draws an enormous amount of current. If your button is inadequate for the load, it (and its wires) will overheat, melt and risk a fire. Ever seen a car on fire?

Why do you want a starter button anyway? To make the car look more like a racer? Because you think it would be cool?

Reply to
Tegger

Tegger wrote in news:Xns98B8CE13D457Btegger@207.14.116.130:

Correction!

NOT "II"!

When the key is turned to "III", or START!!!! *That's* when the formerly dead wire goes live.

Reply to
Tegger

bingo

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

Because it's a lot cheaper to install a starter button in a Civic than it is to buy an S2000?

;-)

Dave

Reply to
Dave Garrett

Because it's a lot cheaper to install a starter button AND A FART PIPE in a Civic than it is to buy an S2000.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

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