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Topic: How to get power from the engine bay into the main (Read 875 times) |
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munder
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How to get power from the engine bay into the main
« on: Mar 26th, 2012, 7:51pm » |
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Hello
I'm the proud owner of a Ford Cardinal hearse (essentially a stretched Scorpio), which I want to turn into not exactly a camper van, but something for a couple of nights out.
I need to get power from the battery in the engine bay to the leisure battery in what I suppose is called the passenger compartment (though none of them was ever aware of being a passenger).
I'm stumped. I can see that there is a hole (closed by a rubber bung) behind the battery. I can shove a cable through the acoustic damping material inside the hole to a length of around 40cm and then it hits something.
From inside the car I can't see the cable, so I'm assuming I'll need to take out the entire dash or whatever it's called because I need somehow to get behind the glove compartment to see what's going on.
I've scoured this amazing site for advice, but converting hearses seems to be a surprising omission, so any advice from you experts would be very welcome.
Thanks,
Mick
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Simmo
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #1 on: Mar 26th, 2012, 8:54pm » |
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Wait till Gozz sees your post. He's sure to have an idea!. 
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Scorpio_Mike
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Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 V6 & 2.8 Sierra XR4i 4x4
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #2 on: Mar 26th, 2012, 10:03pm » |
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Seen a few old hearses down in Cornwall - popular with the surfing community
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Sierra XR4i's are great...especially when fitted with 4WD 
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munder
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #3 on: Mar 26th, 2012, 10:54pm » |
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I can't even swim, I'm afraid. Anyway, at my age, it won't be long before it reverts to its original use. Should save my kids a few quid.
Mick
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gozz
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #4 on: Mar 26th, 2012, 11:23pm » |
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If you slip the clips off the glovebox retainers,then pull the box straight out,you will get a clear view of the power control module and central control module which are usually more or less hidden,the loom from the PCM goes through a grommet into the engine bay below the battery,you should be able to go through there.
Have you removed the coffin deck to fit sleeping accommodation ? if you have, the deck is saleable to fit into a removal van or estate car.
GOZZ.
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Simmo
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #5 on: Mar 27th, 2012, 7:21am » |
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If you do go through the grommet make sure it is not disturbed from its seating. This is often the cause of water getting in to the car from behind the fusebox and it then runs all over the PCM . Not good!!. 
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munder
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #6 on: Mar 27th, 2012, 8:58am » |
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Great stuff! Thank you for the detailed advice. I'll give it a go as soon as I have time.
Gozz, I was told I could sell the deck, but quite liked it, so simply cut out the middle bit, giving me a narrow corridor between cupboards on each side, which are under the remaining bits of deck. 'Sleeping accommodation' is overstating it a bit - just camping, but under steel instead of canvas.
Mick
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munder
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #7 on: Mar 27th, 2012, 7:20pm » |
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That was so easy, thanks to you guys. I was amazed to discover there's even a flap I can drop down to see and reach in. My other car's an old Audi S2 and I must say that Ford seem to have put much more thought into convenient design. Maybe Audi thought if you could afford an S2, then you could afford to pay somebody else to work on it.
Anyway, thanks for all your help.
Mick
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Simmo
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #8 on: Mar 28th, 2012, 7:42am » |
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Having discovered that you may like to look at This as it shows how to remove the panel in the engine bay to access the battery and ensure the drain holes are clear in order to prevent any water build up below the fusebox.
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munder
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #9 on: Mar 29th, 2012, 4:09pm » |
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Hmm, yes, I see what you mean. The S2's battery is easily accessible from the back and held in place by a simple strap.
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Mike H
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Renault Clio
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #10 on: Apr 3rd, 2012, 1:13pm » |
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Has this been done yet? Only I was thinking of find out about getting power from off what would normally be the cigar lighter output from the fusebox? I presume a hearse version still has the cigar ligher in the front? 
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Mike H
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Simmo
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #11 on: Apr 6th, 2012, 6:30am » |
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munder. Please see your PM's.
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munder
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #12 on: Apr 6th, 2012, 3:16pm » |
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Done to the extent that the cables are in place. I need the local garage to crimp the terminals on. Thanks to the advice I received here, it turned out to be surprisingly straightforward.
The hearse has a fag lighter in the ashtray and also one at the back of the centre console (Thanks, Simmo) in case the bearers want to light up.
-Mick
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Mike H
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Renault Clio
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #13 on: Apr 9th, 2012, 5:00pm » |
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So you're going to get it via either of those?
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Mike H
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munder
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Re: How to get power from the engine bay into the
« Reply #14 on: Apr 9th, 2012, 8:45pm » |
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No. I have a split charge relay (at least I think that's what it's called) and needed to get leads diect from the starter battery to that. The relay is mounted next to a leisure battery behind the driver's seat where one of the coffin bearers used to sit.
I followed Gozz's advice above, with the exception that I discovered a rubber bung in a hole directly behind the battery, rather than a grommet beneath it. I fed the cables through that.
Thanks to Gozz'z advice re. removing the glove box, I was able to see them clearly and grab hold of them.
I then fed them behind the plastic cladding stuff at the bottom of the passenger door and then across to the leisure battery. Feeding them across to the leisure battery on the driver's side was very easy because the coffin bearers' seats were raised, so there's lot of empty space under where they used to be. I don't know what that last bit would correspond to on a non-hearse Scorpio. I suppose perhaps without that raised part (with nothing underneath it) I would have had to feed the cables behind the dash somehow over to the driver's side.
-Mick
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