Power Distribution / Fuse Block And Relay Harness Upgrade

Hello everyone, I am looking to build full wire harnesses on both our vehicles. I want to use fuseblocks that uses a large gauge wire to distribute power to 8 relays. 2 hi, 2 low, 2 fog and 2 aux driving lamps respectively. Basically i dont want 8 dloops hanging off my batteries.

I am also looking for input in regards to relays (weatherproof required), wire and pigtails. In the past I have used hella weatherproof relays, and crappy wire with good results, but if theres better options I am all for it.

Power consumption will be high, with two Fyrlyt Nemesis in either auxiliary position, so i need the main cable to be large enough to support enough amperage for lows (H11/9012) Highs (9011's) and Fyrlyts running at the same time. Both vehicles keep the lows on with the highs from the factory.

So a total shopping list should look something like this

-Main Power Cable
-Distrubuition/Fuseblock for power
-High Quality Cable
-High Quality PigTails
-High Quality Relays (weatherproof)

Goals:
-Clean Installs
-Full Voltage to all forward Lighting
-Reliability


Any advice/input is appreciated.
-Colin

I'd be looking for marine-grade stuff. It can take whatever you throw at it, assuming you buy quality.

You probably don't need 8 relays but rather 4 if you hook both "pairs" of hi/low/fog/aux together and this also means only 4 fuses needed too if you want one for each set. Unless you plan on driving through high water you can probably use the blade type fuses with the sealed holder and get by with that. As for relays standard automotive relays (plastic ones) will do the job. You don't really need a distribution block as for cable you need the right gauge with decent quality stranded wire anything "better" than that is probably wasted as you are better off investing in lower gauge decent wire than higher gauge "high quality" wire that costs the same (or more). I had a set of halogen driving lights on two cars (two different sets of 100watt/each pairs) and used standard decent grade wire, blade holding fuses connectors and the black plastic 30A relays and 10 or 12 gauge wire and they were fine and ran on one car for 5 years till it got totalled without a hitch and the other for 9 years till it was traded off as the rest of the car wore out on me (suspension etc).

Well I run one relay per bulb, that way if a relay fails you lose one bulb and not the pair Ive had poor luck with aftermarket relays in the past. Even so I dont want 4 dloops hanging off my battery terminals any more than I want 8 dloops hanging off of it.

I am probably going to use 12g cable (except for the driving lights which require 10g), as the pigtails I can find only go down to 12g so far.

Sadden said:

Well I run one relay per bulb, that way if a relay fails you lose one bulb and not the pair Ive had poor luck with aftermarket relays in the past. Even so I dont want 4 dloops hanging off my battery terminals any more than I want 8 dloops hanging off of it.

I am probably going to use 12g cable (except for the driving lights which require 10g), as the pigtails I can find only go down to 12g so far.

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If you use relays with slide on connectors you could just keep a spare in the glovebox if you are worried about failures. For 55/65 watt "pairs" 12Ga is fine I went with 10 because I upgraded the bulbs from 55 to 100 in my driving lights and it helped some with the 200 watt load on voltage drop. I was using a single 30A relay on them and only needed about half that amount of current capability but the extra duty made it lasts for 8 years till the car was totalled. You can buy stranded 10ga wire and either solder it together and heat shrink it or use the crimp on barrel connectors but I think I use the quick disconnect male/female connectors so if I had issues with a light I could just disconnect it right where it was plugged in by the light itself. If you put the male on the light then unplugging it won't lead to shorts with the remaining wire dangling a little. I assume you are going to wire a bank of 4 switches inside the car to control each set of lights.

I have a somewhat similar setup and used an aftermarket fuse/relay box. From the battery I have a single 6AWG cable which then splits down to 10AWG for each fuse/relay. Plaiting the joins was a bit of fun but it makes for a very neat installation and a single connection to the battery which was necessary given that there are already two extra heavy cables (winch and second battery) hanging off the positive terminal.

Wiring the fuse/relay box also took an inordinate amount of time with 4 or 5 connections for each of 6 relays plus the fuses. Again worth it for the neat finish and ease of tracking later. All documented as well and colour coded.

Wherever possible I used tinned copper cable. Location, at the rear of the engine bay didn't require full waterproofing but I did heatshrink all connectors as well as the ends of split loom tube to give a measure of protection - splash proof anyway.

Blade connectors I found available from local, online, specialist low voltage suppliers in sizes to suit cable to 8AWG. I used non-insulated terminals because they can be crimped much more securely than the insulated type, then heatshrink for insulation. This also makes for a slightly less bulky connector.

Relays are the Bosch/Tyco type - most reliable I've found.









Good luck with it. It's an interesting project which I've essentially repeated at the rear for the second battery.

Sadden said:

Hello everyone, I am looking to build full wire harnesses on both our vehicles. I want to use fuseblocks that uses a large gauge wire to distribute power to 8 relays. 2 hi, 2 low, 2 fog and 2 aux driving lamps respectively. Basically i dont want 8 dloops hanging off my batteries.

I am also looking for input in regards to relays (weatherproof required), wire and pigtails. In the past I have used hella weatherproof relays, and crappy wire with good results, but if theres better options I am all for it.

Power consumption will be high, with two Fyrlyt Nemesis in either auxiliary position, so i need the main cable to be large enough to support enough amperage for lows (H11/9012) Highs (9011's) and Fyrlyts running at the same time. Both vehicles keep the lows on with the highs from the factory.

So a total shopping list should look something like this

-Main Power Cable
-Distrubuition/Fuseblock for power
-High Quality Cable
-High Quality PigTails
-High Quality Relays (weatherproof)

Goals:
-Clean Installs
-Full Voltage to all forward Lighting
-Reliability


Any advice/input is appreciated.
-Colin

Click to expand...

Hello

For what its worth, there are tons of solutions with automotive power distro boxes. Some really involved, some plug and play..

I spent the entire winter last year seaching out a solution. Depending on the manufacturer, it can be a cheap as $100 to upwards of 3 grand depending on what your trying to power. The jeep industry has jumped on this market segment like a hawk as most ppl have no clue how to safley wire in accessories, nevermind a relay or switches.

For plug and play type stuff you can check out
http://www.4x4spod.com (over priced imho)
http://www.switch-pros.com (solid state style, very small)
http://www.autorod.net (been around a while)
http://www.painlesswiring.com (TrailRocker, really clean Staten as are others above, all labeled and 8 relays)

Google Search -
Offroad Engineering - solid state http://www.offroadengineering.com/product-multiplex-system.html
Cooper Bussmann RTMR (bussed relay/fuse options $100-$120 pre wired on ebay)

Cooper Bussmann RFMR (much bigger version of above, good solution for a entire car)

Littelfuse programmable fuse box

Littelfuse 6 relay waterproof fuse box( hard wired, i like better than RTMR)

Infinity box (all solid state programmable, daisy chain multiple)

AW Direct (towing catolog) has some variants

I could go on and on.. there really is alot of options out there, they are just buried in sites etc and dont automatically show up in search results as their model names dont usually contain your search terms.

Lastly, if your dont mind a all in one module, the Feniex Industries 4200 mini is a pretty cool programmable distro center, it just doesnt have big amp ratings, but for what you get its worth the 100 bucks to have your switches already wired and all you have to do is connect ground power and your outputs. There is also a 4200 thats bigger with alot more functions and a seperate switch pad, BT connectivity, a touchscreen rearveiw mirror switch pad, 17 10amp outputs, etc.. Tons of features..

http://www.feniex.com/4200-mini

http://www.feniex.com/s-4200

Whelen has a bigger amperage unit, kinda the same as the one 4200 mini, its a 9 switch plug and play unit. I find it kinda bulky and old looking but it is a industry workhorse. Its called the PCCS9R. Whelen also has a 8 position remote module panel with plug and play keypad called the PCCR8 or sometgi g along those lines. Just google it, it will come up.

http://www.evpp.com/switch-and-cont...ntrol-for-standard-switching-replaces-pccs9r/

http://www.strobesnmore.com/Whelens-All-New-8-Position-Key-Pad-with-Remote-Relay-Module.html

Another idea i came across was Drag Racing forums, these guys have been wiring up cars for as long as cars themselves.. There is a ton of options there with relay panels, however most of them are not waterproof as they run them inside the stripped down interiors.. Check out Yellowbullet
http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431340&page=15#/topics/431340?_k=czf7so

A guy called Nitrous Dave (google) has a $120 10position relay board that is fused unlike most ebay relay pcb's are. Power, Ground, Outputs and you of to the races..

Check out spaghetti Menders...but pricey though

Speedwire, again really pricey, but alot of output options.

ConcoursSpecialties - good eBay seller but for some reason has nothing in his store right now, i think they are updating his .com website.

Lastly, and trust me there are more, my brain just hurts..
Leashelectronics... This guy has some really trick looking stuff at very very reasonable prices. Use the full site, mobile freezes up.

http://www.leashelectronics.com/Pro8-Relay-Module-Pro8.htm

BANG FOR BUCK WITH NUMBER OF OUTPUTS, I'D PROBABLY GO WITH A RACE CAR SOLUTION.

Sadden said:

...So a total shopping list should look something like this

-Main Power Cable
-Distrubuition/Fuseblock for power
-High Quality Cable
-High Quality PigTails
-High Quality Relays (weatherproof)

Any advice/input is appreciated.
-Colin

Click to expand...

Take a look at this electrical supplier, in business since 1947:
https://www.delcity.net

Sadden said:

two Fyrlyt Nemesis

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oOOh, please post pictures of these bad-boys!

When I wired up relays in my old Chrysler (thanks, Daniel Stern!) I ended up getting my paws on a spool of satellite wiring (thanks, Hughes Aircraft!). It was some weird, thick wire coated in a teflon/kevlar insulation that couldn't melt even if the wires glowed red-hot in it. If it survives space, it's good enough for my car.

ameli0rate said:

...spool of satellite wiring (thanks, Hughes Aircraft!)...

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Ha! Dat funny.

I'm still using supplies and equipment that were put in the trash heap when R41 over on Hindry was cleared out back in 1988. I just bought an Ungar handle so that I'd have something to screw some soldering tips into that I've had in a box for the past 28 years.

I had some of the wire that was used for looms, but the stuff needs a thermal stripper and is all the same color, so I pitched it.

Tom

ameli0rate said:

oOOh, please post pictures of these bad-boys!

Click to expand...

Don't want to hijack, but since sadden is intending to install these...



Wall shots are pretty useless with these but Fyrlyt 150 on the left, Nemesis on the right



and a bit of an idea of the Nemesis, in action