flashing decal to be attached to brake light
 

I have a flashing decal that I want to attach to my car. the guy I bought it from says all I have to do is attach it to the brake light, one wire one +ve and one wire on -ve. and when I hit the brakes then the decal would light up.

does anyone know how I can actually attach this??? especially if I would want the decal to be placed around the dash area... is there a place I can attach these wires to which are close to like the driver area??

any help would be a great help! thanks you all :)

btw I can't ask the guy I bought it from because I asked a friend to buy it from Hong Kong so they didn't really help me ask in detail.... the retail guy just said its very simple...

Maybe the instructions are in Chinese!! :)

It sounds like you'll need a switch if you do not hook this up to your brake lights, cause hitting the brake pedel triggers 12 volts & makes the brake light & this decal thing come on. If you just run a 12 volt power & a ground without a switch it will be on all the time. You could tap off a switched 12 volt source so it only comes on with the car running, but the switch is better overall.

okay...if you are actually wanting this thing to ONLY come on when you press on the brakes...then here is what you need to do. for starters...the NEGITIVE side (-ve) can be attached to ANY ground...i.e. any metal part of your car....just pick some area and ground it.....for the POSITIVE side (+ve)...look under your dash by the brake pedel. there is a switch there that activates the brake lights...find the side that is COLD...or NOT hot when the brake pedal is not depressed....if you tap in there....then when you press on the brakes the sticker will light up...and go off when you release the brakes.

Or you can:

A) Look at the two wires. Generally a hot lead will be reddish (with stripes etc.) and a ground lead will be blackish.

B) Take a multimeter and a friend. Set it to VDC and measure the voltage when your friend taps the brake lights. If you get positive voltage then you know which end is positive (Red) and which end is negative (Black).

C) Not do anything and just try the 50/50 shot. Chances are if the decal is properly designed nothing will happen if you wire it wrong or it might work both ways (depends on the circuitry here). But there is always the chance you can fry something doing this. Your risk.

D) Find somebody who actually has the time to look and knows.

Oops. Just saw the dash area thing. If you want it on whenever the car is on I would run a lead off your stereo wiring harness. The hot lead that is switched by the ignition. If you want it whenever you tap your brakes (not sure why if you are putting it on the dash) then tap into the pedals like SirNuke said. This stuff all pretty much applies anyway.

thanks for all the reponses

no instructions came with the thing....

I got my car back from service today and I asked the tech guy there.... he tried to hook it up to a 12V car batt so I know which wire is +ve and which is -ve now...

he suggested that I should goto radio shack and get a lighter power plug so I could hook the decal up to there for the time being..... so I doon't screw up any electrical things myself.... I've done that for now.... now I need to mod it so I can turn in on/off.....

btw is it illegal if other drivers can see it? ie... if I put it up on the dash?? its like a flashing decal... circular pattern, kinda like a shooting target

i'll put some pics of the decal up after I have everything all fixed up and ready.

I would eventually like to attach it to the brake light..... but that'll come later when I feel more competent at doing it.

The flashing Decal
 

Hey about the decal, do you have a pic and are able to get another one....thanks