7-pin power socket

Surveyor11

Hi All, have a Honda Accord (02) and looking to fir a 7-pin power supply to take a lighting board. Can I fit a 7 core cable directly to the lights with the right outlet, or do I need a specific kit witha relay? I see the Halfords one - not cheap, but is it easy enough to fit?

TrailerBob

Most cars these days have a prewired outlet for a trailer socket, usually in behind the passenger side light cluster. A bit of a google will tell you if the Accord has.

If so, it's a matter of buying the harness and plugging it in, then connect up your 7core cable. Otherwise the most reliable option is to fit a towing relay. Should be about €65 for a relay and cable +socket. This needs permanent live feed from the battery, then splice a feed from each lamp to the realy. Then the 7core goes to the socket form there.

The main problem with splicing directly off the lights can be overloading the car's lighting circuit, although unless you have multiple lights running off it it's unlikely. Just connect in the wires properly, ie crimped or soldered connections and heatshrink, not scothchlocks, they are the devils work!

Surveyor11

Thanks for the info, been busy the past few days so just posting now.

Was down with a local motor factors and they checked out the car, doesn't need a relay so just picked up a bog standard 7pin socket with a set of 7 clips, they look like little guillotines that seen to trap the cable when splicing in. Now off to you tube to find out how to do this

jumbone

Those clips are scotchloks!

TrailerBob

Yes, they are scotchlocks. The problem with them is that they are very unreliable. The little splicer may not strip enough of the sheath and get a poor contact. The quite often corrode too, leading to wires simply falling apart. If you want it to be reliable then strip and older the cables or at worst use crimped joiners like these:

Surveyor11

Ok thanks for the advise, will probably go and try splice the 7-pin cable end to the corresponding light within the crimp on the loom. Maybe a pack of crimps might make this easier.....Scotchlocks look dodgy ok