Under Neon Kit Install
I am no way responsible for any damages or injuries caused by doing these modifications. WORK AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!
How To Install An Under Car Neon Kit
So you saw The Fast and the Furious a good 30 times now, and you are convinced you too will have the glowing light under your pinto, right? You called up a local shop and ordered your Street Glow neon kit and now you want some help understanding those directions.
Now companies like Street Glow and LiteGlow offer different types of kits. Pick which kit is best for you. Kits will be different based on design, thickness of glass around the tube, brightness, manufacturer, etc. We decided to order a Street Glow Gold Series Under Car Neon Kit, Neo-Blue in color.
Once your kit arrives, its time to verify the parts that came. Neon tubes are very fragile and easily broken, so check all 4 tubes for cracks, busted tube areas, etc. Also check for a power converter, switch, about 14 ring clamps, 16 screws, and plastic tubing.
First step for installation is to locate a location on the inside of your vehicle for mounting the switch. This location should be easily accessible to the driver, some what eye appealing, have a deep enough area behind the mounting foundation for the switch to fit, and it must be close enough to a firewall plug for the wiring to reach the outside of the vehicle. Once you have found the location you wish to use, get a dremel and begin to cut away the area for the switch to fit. Note to self, always cut small and try and fit the switch to avoid hideous holes extending out from the switch.
Once you have the switch hole cut, and the switch is fitted into the hole, run the 3 wires towards the firewall. There should be a rubber grommet in the firewall that you can pierce a hole in with a screwdriver. Run the wires through the hole you just created. Now pop the hood open. If you look down the firewall, in the engine bay, you will see the wires you just fed through the hole. Grab these wires and pull them towards you until they stop feeding out. Be careful not to rip the wiring right off the switch from pulling on the wiring too hard, Hercules!
You’re ready to mount the tubes now.
Remove one of the two shorter neon tubes from the packaging, and you will need 3 plastic clamps and 3 screws. For this step, the vehicle should be elevated with a jack to make life easier for you, since you’re getting underneath the vehicle now. You might also want to use a screw gun to secure the screws to the underside of the vehicle. Ok, so you set now? Line up the neon tube where you feel it is centered with the vehicle’s width. You should be about 10″ – 14″ back from the front of the bumper as well. Have someone hold the tube for you in this location, while you wrap the 3 clamps around the neon tube. If you notice, there will be marked locations where you should place the clamps on the tube. Now screw the clamps in place to secure the tube to the underside of the vehicle. Wow, look at that, one tube installed and looking pretty! Follow these steps for installing the rear tube and the side tubes. For the side tubes, you will be using 4 clamps.
So lets recap, you have now installed a switch and ran the wiring for it to the engine bay. And you have now installed all 4 neon tubes to the underside of the vehicle. Next is to mount the power converter for the neon tubing. This is a fairly simple process. Locate a location on the firewall, if possible, where you can place the converter flush against the wall. This is an ideal location for the converter, but its not always possible with newer vehicles that have no room. You want to then secure the converter to the new location with 2-3 screws that should be included in the materials given. The red wire with the fuse should face upwards. If you are unable to secure the converter to the firewall, you can also attach it to a sidewall in the engine bay, as far from then engine as possible, or on the underside of the car like you have now done with the neon tubes.
On the power converter, you will find 2 thick black wires coming out. Slide one of the clear plastic tubes over the end. Now, take one end and locate the closest neon tube to that wire, and grab the wire coming from the end closest to the power converter. Splice these two wire ends together, wrap in electrical tape, slide the plastic tubing over the splicing, and wrap the tubing with electrical tape as well. You have now created a secure and weather resistant connection.
You now want to follow this process with the opposite end of the neon tube, and the closest tube to its end. Repeat the steps just the same as with the previous connection. Complete the wiring of the remaining tubes as such. Once you get to the last connection of the last neon tube, attach it to the remaining thick black wire on the power converter.
Next you will take the longest red wire that you previously fed through the firewall and splice it to the red wire with fuse extending from the power converter. The black wire hanging from the firewall is your ground and should be mounted to the vehicle’s chassis. The last step is to run the power wire. You have two options here. You can either run the wire directly to the battery to have direct power whenever you flip the switch for the neon, or you can connect it to a wire coming out of the fuse panel. The option of connecting it to the battery allows you to turn the neon kit on at any time, even without the car being on. The option of tapping in to a wire in the fuse panel usually means that the car will have to be on to receive a power signal. This is good for you knuckleheads who forget to turn stuff off when you get out of the car. The only problem with this option is selecting the fuse you want to tap in to that wont drain too many amps and blow the fuse constantly. Choice is yours though.
So guess what, the wires are all connected, the tubes are all connected, the switch is installed and connected, and you are ready to glow…uh, I mean go! Pull in to the garage, close the door, turn out the lights, put on some Barry White, and flip the switch for that new mood lighting you just installed. In a Barry White voice,” Yeah, baby…you like that?”