Adding a circuit or two

[Fiestaparty]

Hello,

I have 2 circuits that I want to add to the car.

1. for the dash cam. It is currently in the cigarette lighter which is always powered, so it needs a new point of connection.
2. for a pair of aftermarket USB ports. Total maybe 20 watts at a time.

Both circuits should only power on when the car is on.

I prefer easy, but even more so, I prefer to do the job just once, the right way.

I understand that running 2 new circuits means putting a fuse in line. If I do it this way, do I go direct from the battery?

All tips and pointers appreciated. I'm an apprentice electrician, so I understand a bit and looking for an intermediate explanation if there is one.

 

[scotman]

I would tap into the wiper circuit to power the dash cam using a “tap a circuit “ fused connector.
If the other circuit is going to be a continuous feed I would just use a soldered connector from the battery and feed it into the cabin through the access point under the a pillar window. There’s a body plug visible when you open the door. I ran a good sized cable through it and back to the cargo area to run a 2000 watt sinewave inverter and also a 12 volt power point to run an onboard air compressor. The power points that are in the center console are not rated for anything but a phone charger. I did add a switch and inline fuse back there to prevent issues. I can add some pics if you want them.
Welcome to the Fiesta forum!

 

[Fiestaparty]

Thanks for your ideas. I am nervous about using a circuit with more than a little current on it, even though my guess is my 2 circuits don’t even add up to 1 amp. That said, I tried to do this similar to one of your suggestions scotman. I took both circuits into a fuse tap. I chose F9 which is labeled as “keyless vehicle module” because it’s the only spot that the fuse tap fits in. I obviously could have chosen a better tap that could fit into other than just a corner slot.

My USB ports work all the time. My dashcam does not work, but I think the red and black wires are reversed on it.

To solve for power on all the time, I’ll get a rocker switch, or try a better suggestion if there’s one offered to me.