Hybrid Ditch Light Install Power?

[yeahiguessman]

Hey all, I’m installing some ditch lights on my 2024 hybrid. I’m trying to figure out where I should run power from.

I found this tutorial video for the Diode Dynamics kit and they use the black power terminal under the hood. Shouldn’t I be using the red? The black has a symbol seeming to indicate to not tap it for power.

Any ideas?

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[AbnRgr]

It may be counterintuitive, but the black is where I draw 12V for all my external lighting. I run 12 V through a under the hood control box and then to a ceiling mounted interior switch panel.

 

[Sticks]

The symbol on the black cover indicates that you shouldn't connect jumper cables to it.

That's my truck in the video. I had no issues in the roughly 3 years they were installed.

 

[yeahiguessman]

The symbol on the black cover indicates that you shouldn't connect jumper cables to it.

That's my truck in the video. I had no issues in the roughly 3 years they were installed.

Any idea if I can connect two power sources from this post? Like a light at and a set of ditch lights or is that poor practice? I appreciate your advice!

 

[Darnon]

The red post is technically better. Attaching a terminal to the black post creates a potential where the DC-DC converter could be shorted directly to ground; there's a 300A fuse integrated into the bottom of the post before it connects to the junction box bus bar that the red jumper post is directly connected to. The battery cable circuit has its own 200A fuse between the battery and the red post.

Either way you should have a fuse on the power wire near where it connects.

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