Finding an ignition controlled live

[The_Saint]

I have done quite a bit of searching and got a few ideas - go direct to the fusebox near the battery, go to the fuses to the right and below the steering wheel, tap into the cigarette lighter but does anyone have an easier method or failing that some advice on how to go about the task using the fuses near the steering wheel? I tried to follow one guide but couldn't see what it was getting at in terms of removal of the entire thing.
I think previously that the Connects2 adaptor somehow sorted this out but I am now not using this as the unit is a direct fit for the Leon.

 

[The_Saint]

Further to the above, I have found some wires below the fuse box to the right and of the steering column that are +12V with the ignition on but drop to +8.66V with the ignition key removed, is this some kind of residual thing and this is an ignition controlled live? The voltage stays at this reading as long as I have tested.

 

[Speed-FReek]

It may be that the wires you are testing the voltage on are being outputs from the BCM that remain alive for a period of time until the car is locked up and the BCM has gone to sleep.

If you look in the fuse box which is under the cover on the end of the dashboard at the drivers side, you will see a red 10A fuse in position #1. This is the topmost fuse on the far right hand side. This fuse provides an ignition switched source to various components on the car.

I don't know what it is you are trying to wire in but if you want your electrical component to share that 10A fuse then wire your component to the "post-fused" side of fuse #1, otherwise wire your device to the "pre-fused" side of fuse #1.

To determine which side of the fuse is which, remove the 10A fuse, switch on the ignition, and using a multi-meter with the black lead connected to an earth point, probe the two fuse socket pins with the red lead. The side that you get 12v on is the "pre-fused" side, while the side you get 0v on is the "post-fused" side.

Below is a schematic of the fuse box on a right hand drive car for reference...

 

[The_Saint]

Thanks, that is extremely helpful, am going out to try this now.
The connection is for the power to a Fakra aerial connection as the radio reception is poor and crackly and I have determined by testing connecting a permanent live to it that the lack of power is the issue but I suspect that having it permanently powered would drain the battery.

 

[The_Saint]

Updated - thanks Speed-FReek, I did as you said but waited for a piggy-back mini blade fuse adaptor to arrive, after that it was pretty simple.