ARB compressor and locker wiring pictures

desertrunner

Active Member
Trying to wire up my compressor and lockers with the supplied harness from ARB and I am a little stumped on how to to ignition power to the red wire via the cigarette lighter.

Found a ton of info and pictures last night on how to tap into ignition power and lights from under the hood but not from inside. The only thing I could was to tap the cigarette lighter.

If anyone has pictures of how they got ignition power and what they tapped for the switch lights that would greatly help me out. I would rather tap the wires to something in the main cluster under the steering wheel with something like a T tap if that sounds reasonable? I just have no clue which wire is which and if using a T tap on those would work?

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Ddays

Hooked
Trying to wire up my compressor and lockers with the supplied harness from ARB and I am a little stumped on how to to ignition power to the red wire via the cigarette lighter.

Found a ton of info and pictures last night on how to tap into ignition power and lights from under the hood but not from inside. The only thing I could was to tap the cigarette lighter.

If anyone has pictures of how they got ignition power and what they tapped for the switch lights that would greatly help me out. I would rather tap the wires to something in the main cluster under the steering wheel with something like a T tap if that sounds reasonable? I just have no clue which wire is which and if using a T tap on those would work?

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I am first to admit that I am an electrical retard, but isn't the compressor supposed to be wired directly to the battery? I know that's how I ran mine. Not sure the cig lighter wiring is heavy enough?
 

WJCO

Meme King
I tapped that little red wire into main battery power. That way I can use the compressor at ALL times even if Jeep isn't running. Hell, sometimes in the garage when I check pressure, one or two tires are slightly low, so I just air them up without starting it.

With that being said, We just installed a seat heater on ours and wanted it hooked to IGNITION only. I spent about 30 minutes trying to find a good ignition source that was easy to access with no luck and just used the cigarette lighter. It's really tight in there, so if you use that, you should solder it and shrink wrap it.
 

desertrunner

Active Member
I am first to admit that I am an electrical retard, but isn't the compressor supposed to be wired directly to the battery? I know that's how I ran mine. Not sure the cig lighter wiring is heavy enough?
That's what I thought too but according to the diagram and the harness it all gets run through the firewall and pigtails to this harness for the switches which has the power and the lights. No power comes straight from the compressor to the batt

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WJCO

Meme King
That's what I thought too but according to the diagram and the harness it all gets run through the firewall and pigtails to this harness for the switches which has the power and the lights. No power comes straight from the compressor to the batt

The big ass fused wires are the direct power from battery to compressor, however, the compressor can't be signaled on without that little red wire. It's a signal wire, just like installing an amplifier for a stereo system. So if you want the compressor to run only if ignition is on, wire it to an IGNITION source. If you want it to be on anytime you hit the compressor switch, tap it into a 12V BATTERY source.
 

Ddays

Hooked
The big ass fused wires are the direct power from battery to compressor, however, the compressor can't be signaled on without that little red wire. It's a signal wire, just like installing an amplifier for a stereo system. So if you want the compressor to run only if ignition is on, wire it to an IGNITION source. If you want it to be on anytime you hit the compressor switch, tap it into a 12V BATTERY source.

^^ Duh, that's why I ran mine you've shown above. And referencing your earlier post, I also use my Jeep compressor more than my shop compressor anymore. Having to run into the house and grab a key to turn the ignition on all the time would be a PITA. This is a way more convenient way to use it.
 

desertrunner

Active Member
The big ass fused wires are the direct power from battery to compressor, however, the compressor can't be signaled on without that little red wire. It's a signal wire, just like installing an amplifier for a stereo system. So if you want the compressor to run only if ignition is on, wire it to an IGNITION source. If you want it to be on anytime you hit the compressor switch, tap it into a 12V BATTERY source.
Here is what the harness looks like going to the compressor I don't see any power lines that are supposed to go from the compressor to the battery. The only 2 open wires are the red and blue ones on the switch harness.

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I have a power plant that I use to air up tires and what not, this compressor is only to be used with my lockers so I would rather have it on ignition only, which should be able to run off the cigarette lighter with a T tap (found a YouTube video for that) still not sure where I should tap the blue wire to get switch lights though

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desertrunner

Active Member
Unless I am miss interpreting the 2 red wires that I think are supposed to go to the 2 prongs on top of the pressure switch? Maybe one of those is supposed to go to battery?

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desertrunner

Active Member
In the wire diagram the only place in seeing to get power to the compressor, solinoids and switches is the 1 red and yellow wire that's up on the switch harness.

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WJCO

Meme King
Yup it's just the little guy for my lockers only since I have the power plant for my other air needs

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This is the one you want going to the power source of your choice. If you're not using this compressor in any way to air up tires, you probably don't need to hook it directly to the battery. It's up to you.

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desertrunner

Active Member
This is the one you want going to the power source of your choice. If you're not using this compressor in any way to air up tires, you probably don't need to hook it directly to the battery. It's up to you.

View attachment 289129
Yeah that was the only one I was seeing for power as well which looks like I can tap into the cigarette lighter via T tap. I think I have the power squared away however is there anything near the cig lighter that I can tap for the blue wire to get switch lights and dimming? Maybe there is something on the back of the traction control switch?

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WJCO

Meme King
... is there anything near the cig lighter that I can tap for the blue wire to get switch lights and dimming? Maybe there is something on the back of the traction control switch?

I'm not sure on that part. I didn't use that blue wire at all. We have the CKMA12 on the JK and the Twin on mine, and both vehicle's switches light up with they're turned ON. However at night (with headlights on), they are not back-lit when they're OFF. It wasn't worth my time on either vehicle to run that blue wire just to have the switches backlit.
 

desertrunner

Active Member
I'm not sure on that part. I didn't use that blue wire at all. We have the CKMA12 on the JK and the Twin on mine, and both vehicle's switches light up with they're turned ON. However at night (with headlights on), they are not back-lit when they're OFF. It wasn't worth my time on either vehicle to run that blue wire just to have the switches backlit.
Ok no worries. Eventually I want to get a switch pros set up so this is kinda temporary just to get it hooked up an running for the time being which sounds like I figured out how to do that at least. It would be nice to have them back lit with the lights on but it's not going to kill me of they aren't for the time being.

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desertrunner

Active Member
What I was really hoping to do is buy the little $8 3 switch bracket and mount it right by the diagnostic port. Which means I would need to splice in more wire to extend it to the cig lighter. There's got to be some wire off the main harness I can tap into for power and the lights I just haven't been able to find a list of which wire is what in that main harness.

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desertrunner

Active Member
Does anyone know if I can use any of these wires for ignition power or switch back lighting?

Pic 1 is on the left panel when you open the door

Pic 2 is under the steering wheel

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