W204 - Trying to find an IGN supply under the bonnet

[lim]

I have spent the afternoon installing DLRs in my 2011 C200 CDI.
It was a long job involving removal of both wheel arch liners for the installation of the lights and removal of the grille to run the wiring across the car. It took me a lot of hours, but I'm quite happy with the eventual neat installation.
That was the difficult bit. But now I am at a loss as to how to locate an IGN supply.
Initially I whipped off the fusebox (rear offside corner of the engine bay) cover and instead of finding a series of 'spade' type terminal (as in the golden, olden days of my youth) there was only a myriad of fuses and maybe half a dozen relays - no wires, no terminals!
Can any electrical guru, familiar with this marque suggest where I might be able to find a suitable supply.
I feel faintly ashamed of this naïve question.

Regards, lim

 

[Ted]

Not familiar with the w204, but you might have a 'spare' relay socket in the front fusebox for accessories that are not fitted. One of these could well have an ignition supply.

 

[lim]

Thanks Ted, I had not thought of the relay receptacles as a potential source.
My trouble is knowing which receptacle of which socket to use - I'm thinking that a very detailed wiring manual/circuit diagram will be required.

Regards, lim

 

[lim]

Not familiar with the w204, but you might have a 'spare' relay socket in the front fusebox for accessories that are not fitted. One of these could well have an ignition supply.

I looked this afternoon. It was a nightmare job, especially undoing the two Torx screws at the rear as I couldn't even see them and then getting the fuse box/distribution panel out of an impossible space!
When I got to the underside (not that there was much of a view as space was restricted) there was nothing that I could reasonably identify, so I put it back and re-connected the battery.
Thanks for the steer anyway Ted. I'm just surprised that no-one has ever done this sort of thing before. Looks like I'll have to go cap in hand to the local dealership.

Good wishes, lim

 

[Ted]

It's what I did on my 209.
Is there nothing that you can do to piggy back off one of the fuses? Sure I've heard of a connector which allows you to do this.

 

[Dieselman]

I would have thought about 2 minutes with a multi-meter would elicit a fuse fed by IGN-on.

 

[lim]

Thanks Dieselman for your helpful post.
I might have thought that as well before I got the fuse/distribution panel out of its box - literally hundreds of wires of various colours and sizes disappearing into encapsulated plugs on the underside of the fuse panel. Not a terminal, termination or contact in sight. At this point I chickened out.
You are obviously much more knowledgeable and skilled than I am!

Good wishes, lim

 

[Ted]

Here you go!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/2310...3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108

Find a fuse that is ignition live such as the horn, and try one of those

 

[Dieselman]

Here you go!


Find a fuse that is ignition live such as the horn, and try one of those

So, to have the DRL's on, you need to keep the horn blowing. That should alert other road users to your presence...

 

[Ted]

The horn fuse will always be live with the ignition on.
Surprisingly pressing the horn will then allow the current to flow through the horn.

 

[Dieselman]

The horn fuse will always be live with the ignition on.
Surprisingly pressing the horn will then allow the current to flow through the horn.

Oh...

 

[Ted]

I would have thought about 2 minutes with a multi-meter would have revealed that

 

[Dieselman]

I would have thought about 2 minutes with a multi-meter would have revealed that

It would...

 

[lim]

Here you go!
MINI ADD A CIRCUIT - FUSE TAP - PIGGYBACK -EXTRAFUSE- MINI BLADE TYPE | eBay

Find a fuse that is ignition live such as the horn, and try one of those

Sorted !
Many thanks to Ted for a really helpful link.

Regards, lim