Underglow lights power supply

[Ford_orr]

Hey all, I'm installing Govee underglow lights. Wanted to ask if it's ok to attach the connectors directly from the 12V battery, or should I be pulling the power from somewhere else? Is the setup I have here in the pics ok or am I gonna be in trouble?

Thanks!

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[HayaCruza]

If I understand correctly, you want to connect your +12V directly to the battery. You need to have a fuse in that line. If you don’t have a fuse, you should get one or use a fused power source. I am also assuming you have some kind of switch to control when it is on.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Do not connect the negative lead directly to the battery. The little box on the negative terminal is the BMS sensor. Connecting directly to the battery terminal will bypass the sensor and mess up your car's 12V charging system. Connect to a chassis ground. There are many throughout the "engine bay" of the car, probably a dozen or so along the driver's side strut tower. Just pull the frunk tub and you'll see a lot of them. ??

 

[Ford_orr]

Do not connect the negative lead directly to the battery. The little box on the negative terminal is the BMS sensor. Connecting directly to the battery terminal will bypass the sensor and mess up your car's 12V charging system. Connect to a chassis ground. There are many throughout the "engine bay" of the car, probably a dozen or so along the driver's side strut tower. Just pull the frunk tub and you'll see a lot of them. ??

Hi, thanks for the tip. Just to confirm, you're implying connecting the power cable to the positive directly on the battery is ok though? Just find a different spot for the negative? Thanks.

 

[Ford_orr]

If I understand correctly, you want to connect your +12V directly to the battery. You need to have a fuse in that line. If you don’t have a fuse, you should get one or use a fused power source. I am also assuming you have some kind of switch to control when it is on.

I'm not sure I would need a fuse for this application. The strip lights are pretty low power draws. I thought I could go directly to the battery w/no issues. I powered it up and turned it on and off a few times, and it seemed to work fine. It's controlled through the Govee app.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Hi, thanks for the tip. Just to confirm, you're implying connecting the power cable to the positive directly on the battery is ok though? Just find a different spot for the negative? Thanks.

Yes, you can connect to the positive terminal on the battery. As @HayaCruza said, make sure the connection is protected by a properly-rated fuse. You can also connect the positive lead to a fuse tap in one of the fuse boxes if you want a cleaner appearance. ??

 

[HuntingPudel]

I'm not sure I would need a fuse for this application. The strip lights are pretty low power draws. I thought I could go directly to the battery w/no issues. I powered it up and turned it on and off a few times, and it seemed to work fine. It's controlled through the Govee app.

The fuse is mostly to protect the circuit in case of some unwanted short to ground, such as would happen if a piece off debris punctured the wire insulation and shorted the wire to chassis ground. The 12V battery is small, so even a short to ground on a small gauge wire could damage the battery before the wire completely burns away. ??

 

[Ford_orr]

The fuse is mostly to protect the circuit in case of some unwanted short to ground, such as would happen if a piece off debris punctured the wire insulation and shorted the wire to chassis ground. The 12V battery is small, so even a short to ground on a small gauge wire could damage the battery before the wire completely burns away. ??

Ah, ok, thank you for the tips. I'll look into that. This is a very helpful community ?

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