I used to wire boats in the Navy and found that boards like you put together are great. What i did different than you is I found that servicing things required I put the relays farther apart from the terminal block and the fuse block needed to also be farther away in order to service them quicker and more efficiently. I agree that it is more professional to make a panel and have things in a neat and proper order.
4 Jr Maybe you should have paid attention more? They gave you the basic skills to do stuff like this. I took three years of electronics and didn't really use it. I'm starting to now and I'm glad I paid attention.
I learned a lot in my electronics school in the Navy. Then I learned a lot more on my own by working on electronics equipment. It sounds like either you are not very smart or you went to a crappy school.
for reals man... my instructor made us do a 2 fan with 3 relays and in 2 speeds but he just threw us to the lions ddnt gave an explanation of how it works...
Sorry I don’t like this. (I don’t mean the vid, or the workmanship but the principle.). The master breaker is far too big. A fuse is to protect the wireing if there is a fault. The red wire looks about 30 amp fo the fuse ( or breaker) should be 30 amp. Secondly, by this stage you should know what you are switching, so even at this distribution point I think you should be using switching and switched wire colour coded. I do, however note the relays are the right way up. If mounted pins down they can fill with condensation and the points corrode. Yes it looks very neat but I don’t like it. Sorry.
I have been all over the interwebs searching trying to figure out how to wire up a power windows conversion and add electronic door locks to my standard truck. thanks for the educational video.
Ah ha!!! I’ve been wanting to do that to my old truck also! Did you get yours done buddy? I would kill to have power windows in my truck! I was thinking form mine, it would probly be just as easy to find 2 doors from the junkyard off of an XLT truck that had power windows and locks from the factory cause then I would already have everything I needed already installed and mounted. Then I just have to figure out how to wire it all up then. It’s a 94 F-250 with the XL package which is your basic work truck and I’m just getting older now and trying to lean all the way over to roll down the passenger window is getting tough to do now so power windows would be a blessing! Thanks so much for any info you could give me on if you were successful, did it work out good, how you did yours etc. Take care buddy and stay safe out there!!
I did something similar for my motorcycle and all the addons for it. I added another relay for the main power so the whole panel is switched to ignition switch in run position.... used a heaver power relay for that one. Well done!! Nice and compact. Variant to this would be getting ‘marine grade ‘ parts which are more water and corosion resistant... but more $$ too...
Just had surgery, made one for the drift car as a project to keep me sane while recovering. almost done just waiting on the relays some grommets and non insulated ring terminals (will be soldered, crimped and heat shrinked) to arrive to finish it. then the whole car is getting rewired. Keep up the great work man, the channel is awesome.
great video and very professional end product. If I might make two suggestions to improve the final outcome if only marginally, first I always use marine grade awg rated wire it is tinned copper and will not corrode in normal automotive use and only costs a few cents more. Second I use aviation style ratcheting crimpers they work much better and do not require soldering which will prolong your wiring life by not removing flexibility from the wire.
for someone who is obviously not a 12 volt specialist I am very impressed with the look of your build. as a 12 volt guy I give you props on your work my man
This is exactly what i wanted to do to my car. Glad i found this easy install video. Right now i just have wires running all over with fuses inline cause i had no idea how to have a clean setup. Also that plastic is a great idea, i was looking into sheetmetal cause i wanted something to bolt my ecu on to as well as relays. Thanks for a great how to video.
Me and my friend are working on a project and missed our deadline and he got sucked into another project so now I have to finish it. I think this will be a good reference for wiring in the rest of what I have to do. Thanks for taking the time to film and upload.
WORK OF ART! my second day on this channel and i cant stop watching gets more and more interesting.👌nothing like a clean job. The breaker was a good tip.
Pretty good video, thanks for the information. However I must say there are a few soft spots in the provided information. 300A breaker won't help at all as the gauge wire you are using from the battery is too thin, the wire would melt before the breaker gets even close to pop. Another thing to note, that 10 way fuse block has a max of 30A per circuit and 150A per box, so again before the breaker pops you would blow the fuse box if you exceed the load of 150A.
This answered some of my questions. So if the fuse box can only take 100amps would you only want a 100amp breaker and wire gauged properly for 100amps from battery to breaker and then to the fuse box? About 8gauge wire for 100amps?
@@joshtonry4291 yep, you can do 100A breaker but some people like to go a little bit less than the max rating of the fuse box.. probably 90A.. Wire gauge depends on the length of the wire, there are a lot of charts and calculators online that can help you determine which gauge to use, good luck!
@@joshtonry4291 The main fuse value is determined by the total load value; Ex: Load 1= 20A, Load 2=10A, Load 3= 30A, Load 4= 15A. Main fuse should be 75A or as close to that as possible. Assume that all of those circuits could be active all at once at full power draw. Always fuse your relays individually, don't rely on the main fuse to protect the relay or the device connected to it. The main fuse job is ONLY to protect the power wire feeding the block input.
@@franciscoayon9470 If you want it on all the time, you can wire it directly to a fuse and then to a main power source/battery. The relay really helps with higher amperage accessories and also getting better control of your power needs. It's not good to run high amperage directly through a switch then to an accessory. The switch would overheat and fail. Your phone charger more likely is lower amperage and shouldn't require a relay unless you want it switched off when the car is off, or you can also splice into an available switched 12v source.
That looks really good. Nice job - simple neat and cheap! I LIKE IT! Just one comment: it looks like your "heavy" wire is no bigger than AWG stranded #10 (?). That wire will most likely "burn" if it shorts out directly to ground between the 300A breaker and the fuse block . Based on the NEC, probably the breaker would be 80A or less to protect #10 if its about 4' from the breaker to the fuse box. At 300A you are talking about AWG #4.
Yea, I was thinking that too. That red wire would like up like a christmas tree before that breaker would blow... A 300A breaker is appropriate for a starting circuit on a large V8 Engine; that's about the only time you would even get close to 300A draw, unless you have a competition audio system or a welder or something installed in your vehicle.
Seeing your design sparked a light bulb.I've been trying to find a way to wire stuff on my resto project. Now to make it work in a engine bay. You're a genius
Fantastic video! You really were able to simplify what I consider to be very complicated. Your camera skills were spot on! Sound track was awesome! Thanks for making this vid!
Coming from the guy that is known by family and like to have E-fans wired with used relays and speaker wire I must say, this is awesome and seeing that its actually that cheap and easy to build I intend to do a setup like this on my truck. Its getting some major racing style mods and changes so a good really relay setup and not the disaster I have no would be a good change of pace. Thank you for making this video. I don't know why I have not found you sooner but you are the boss!
Perfect Video! No "blah, blah, blah", no BS, clear, concise & straight to the POINT! Even went out of your way to list all parts needed to build this! What else could you ask for?! Thank You!! #AmeriCuh
thanks for helping me with my fuse block! side note - thanks for the song. i had to look it up, and i'm glad i did. i struggle with PTSD on a daily, and that song helped me make today a good day. i must have listened to it a hundred times by now. so. thank you twice.
Might I suggest you using rivets for the mounting of the relays and power distribution blocks to eliminate the need for long screws sticking out on the back side, even plastic rivets if plan to be making changes. They are easy to cut, cheap to buy and look clean. Other than that, extremely nicely done.
@@luminita520 and now a year later I'm here to say that your rivet idea is a really good one! I'm setting this up for my Jeep and I was about to go buy some bolts and nuts. Instead I'm going to pull out my rivet gun. You've saved me time and money! If you're a muppet, you're a damn smart one! Thanks, bud!
I have watched this about six times. I am doing my Land Rover wiring. Thanks to you it is looking good. Out here in North Borneo we have to diy and this is priceless in its help for me.
Just stumbled on this video and it’s exactly what I was looking for to wire up some lights on my Jeep. I can’t justify spending $700 on a sPOD when it’s basically the same thing as this. Thank you for the links. Just ordered everything I needed for under $50
This guy is 'money' and I sure appreciate the help he provides. I like doing my work extremely clean and following the lead of a true craftsman is the way to do it. Thanks so much, bro...great show
Seriously so excited to have watched this video. I’m in the middle of my first engine swap where the engine didn’t come in the car I’m installing into, and I have been trying to understand how wiring works and how I’d get power to all of my stuff. Very thankful for this video. Btw I’m installing an engine from a 99’ slk230 Kompressor into a 1990 190e Mercedes
Isn’t that essentially what an sPod is? This was an awesome video. You made this look very easy to do and inexpensive as well. I’m glad you posted this.
if you use ground to trigger the relay you can have short coil power leads....plus you get the benefit of not running power wires through out the vehicle to switches,if they short it's just a ground not live power
lol....the accessories still need power so there will still be power wires running throughout the car and your way you cant turn those power wires off. They are constantly live. My way they are at least switched power wires.
I meant running power from the switch to trigger the relay coil....if ground is used to trigger the coil you don't have power running from a switch to the coil....the switch is connected to ground....the switch is used to allow or deny the ground for relay.....the coil power wires are short runs from the fused power instead of long ones running tho switch.....hence no long power wires to ground out from switch to coil control
Using this method will also allow you to jump pin 30 and the positive coil wire simplifying our wiring with each relay only requiring 3 wires rather than four.
Mdenz3 Do you mean jumper relay pin terminals 86S (relays contact to + battery) and 87B (Relay coil to + battery)? If you jump pin 30 and the positive coil wire (87S) that would just supply power directly to the item like a fan. Effectively routing around the relay, which you do not want.
@Dave Gill just horribly intrusive and distractive 'crappola' sound: I turned the sound track off and probably missed some important points you were making it what was a topic of great interest to me and, other than the audio, seemed nicely informative!
So glad I found this video! I'm about to completely rewire and modernize my 65 ambassador. This is going to be a big help for keeping it clean. Thanks!
I have several issues with this. Firstly why such a high amperage circuit breaker? The supply wire to the fuse box will only take around 30A, so if the CB needs over 300A to pop the wire has already melted. The CB amperage should be no more than the maximum rated capacity of the wire. Next, the circuits attached to the fuse block should draw no more current than the main wire to the fuse box. Need to be careful here. And finally, my major bug bear here is the crimps. There is no need to solder and crimp. Crimps, when properly done with the correct tools and techniques offer similar electrical properties to solder joints. Crimps have much better tolerance to vibration and are less likely to fail in an automotive setting. Aircraft only use crimps for that reason. I also abhor the pre-insulated terminals. These are best kept for roadside repairs, not main electrical installations. Delphi, Tyco, AMP, Amphenol, Sumitomo, JST all make W crimp connectors which are far superior to the ones shown. Can you explain the logic behind heat shrinking a pre-insulated connector? It would save you more time if you used the W crimps and heat shrink, and give you a much better finish.
300a breaker is near the battery - I will be feeding this panel with welding lead which is rated higher that 300A. Solder and heat shrink is a preference.
Hey Joshua, Can you help me choose the correct circuit breaker for my car please? I'm not sure if I have to user a 100a or 150a. Also I want to know how do I trigger the switches using the ground instead of using the 12v power. Thanks man!
I have used literally thousands of crimp terminals over my 40 odd years as an auto electrician. Good quality crimp terminals need to be crimped in two spots. The other thing is using a quality pair of crimpers, a good ratchet pair will set you back quite a few dollars but cheaper ones are available but be aware of the real flimsy thin ones. The first crimp gives you connection to the bear wire and the second holds the insulation in the terminal. If I was using a crimp terminal (ring type) in a high current situation (main alternator feed etc) I would solder the cable to the terminal for a better electrical connection.
I just found your channel a few weeks ago. Some of us old race car guys that did it back in the day didn't have much access to the parts that is offered now. We had a gas and acetylene torch and maybe one of our friends had a arc welder to do what we needed done. As far as the electrical not much was out there for a 12 v system. A Ford starter solenoid was used for lots of things...Glad to see you DIY and other video's....
300amp breaker!! wow, good to see that you're power supply wire to the fuse panel is going to with stand 300amp. haha, more like 30amp. wouldnt be a bad idea to work out your actuall load before you just go fit a 300amp breaker and a bit of 6mm wire so it will actuall trip if there is a short and not just melt the wiring.
James MacDonald I wasn't gonna say anything, but I'm glad you caught that. Four 40A relays (at most) with a 300A breaker lol. 87 and 30 aren't even copper. I could go on but I'm sure you see it all James MacDonald
the breaker is for the main cable coming from the battery which is welding lead wire. All the relays and relay wires will be fused on the fuse panel it self.
my dad's car gets up to 350+amps while cranking and since he had problems with the starting he made it up with a push button.He used 2.5mm2 wire and no problems for more than a year.
I POSTED THE SAME THING HAHAHA. The amp rating is BY the wire size and LENGTH,,, 300a is like 1/0 gauge at 25 feet lol. THET tiny wire he used will melt and catch fire before that 300a goes.
@@4gbmeans4gb61 why do people always say "Haha" when they don't know what they are talking about? It just makes them look dumb. I don't know what he's using this relay panel for but if it's things like headlights, fuel pump, fan, heated screen, cabin blowers etc then the whole block could easily draw up to 30 amps. Whatever wire size he has chosen to carry 30 amps would easily take 300 amps for a couple of seconds especially if the fuse box is a long way from the battery. And that's all it needs for the fuse to do its thing. A split second is enough. So what's the problem? Could he get away with a smaller fuse. Absolutely. In that scenario I'd probably use 100 amp fuse. A 50 amp fuse might be a bit temperamental and trigger if you get a voltage spike. But depending on the wire size a 300 amp fuse could work just fine.
Let me just say I don’t usually comment on videos because everyone is always so critical. However, this video, is honestly super simple, great information, you used the right products and in my opinion very well done, minus the music. Thanks for sharing.
At 11:30 you mentioned things like this make you look like you know what you're doing... Everything except for the soldering part. Totally no needed with the proper crimp. Definetly wouldn't solder the ring terminals to the distribution block either.
That looks very sharp and organized. That 10 way fuse block is just what I need to clean up the wiring on the 80 Powerwagon. I have added over a half dozen relays over the years, for the heater fan, offroad lights, high beam headlights, ect... It's all zip tied or taped up under the dash. Hell I look up under the dash and I don't know what each relay powers. Really enjoyed this video, now I know how to clean up that mess.
thanks for this video looks real good. looks like you know what your doing lol. love your videos I just found you about week ago now my recommendation is all your videos lol. also enjoy the music. keep up the work
This was probably the first video of your I watched maybe 5 years ago or longer. 1. You have come a long way! 2. I went into my garage today to start working on my car. 3. Its ok to make mistakes and learn as we go. Keep up the good work!
aluminum plate would work instead of the plastic. may be easier for some to work with. Hammer and Street curb. lol. could also ground thru the aluminum.
i agree with you, but i also like how he uses materials that are not that commonly used in custom car work where people are usually more comfortable with metals. Myself included. I always feel the need to raise the notch when spending some time on these videos.
TurboFlush Holy fuck have you ever seen a aluminum plate fuse box? Hell no that's why there all fucking PLASTIC so the electricity doesn't go through the aluminum. Jesus christ.
those chinese breakers are garbage... a 300 amp breaker "MIGHT" work for a 150 amp load.. maybe.. and that's only until it trips once or twice.. then significantly less... they are a fire hazard.. we tried using them for car audio and it was a disaster... only decent high quality marine breakers will be adequate for a 12v system.. and they are expensive... better to use a good fuse instead.. or spring for the big bucks to get a decent breaker
Totally agree about the Chinese breakers. Being a car audio shop owner, I stray away from the unreliable Chinese stuff. However, I do agree with the TFF about breakers being the only way to go. One thing I noticed though was how small gauge wire that was for such a large breaker. That 10awg wire couldn't carry a 300amp load for more than a foot or two on a good day. Just saying!
Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO they were probably trying to wire the starter power wire through that circuit breaker which is not really recommended as a starter pulls more then 300a when it’s cranking.
Fuses protect the individual relay circuits, the breaker is just to protect the main power supply so would be locate as near to the battery as possible. Doesn't matter that the cable isn't rated at 300amps as long as the load(s) don't exceed the cable gauge and the breaker... I do agree you should protect low draw / hi value circuits ONLY with one of these breakers. For higher draw circuits that run closes to 300 amps I would use a better breaker such as certified marine breakers.
This is awesome. I'm about to get my automotive electrical done at school and I'm going be adding lights on my 4runner. I've only ordered one light and everything else to go with it so far. After watching this I'm leaning more towards this setup rather than just screwing the relay to the side of the fuse box that's already in my car. This also looks a lot better than just a fuse harness dangling about too. With this setup you can always add more if you have only one circuit going through it. Thank you for the video man! It looks great!
New to your channel, found you searching tig videos... I'm building a foxbody as well. you have completely motivated me to stop slapping my car together and do it right!
That was SICK!! Doing an ambulance live-in/4x4 conversion. Need to do 12 different power runs and this gave me 90% of the info I needed. Many thanks. Awesome jams as well. Keep it up!
hey kyle I just have to say thank you! your videos are one of only 3 things keeping me going after my accident last year I have watched almost every video you have made twice now and you videos are amazing very informative and fun I hope to one day so similar to you and use you as a big influence in how I will do my work keep up the amazing work. this coming from a fellow fabricator
+The Fab Forums anytime mate shame I'm in UK would love to see the grey goose in person and I hope so to mate been recovering since november and looking from what doctors have said another 12-18 months till I'm back on my feet and yeah I will be back once recovered and making videos similar to you
No not everyone can do it and your wiring skills and the way you wired something is how I found your channel and immediately subscribed. Which raises the question of what do you do for a career? I was a lead mechanic for high end residential electric work. I am being to humble to say I was just a lead electrician but you wiring work is incredibly clean, clear, and very easy to not know who did it and work on it and know where and what everything is. A pleasure to work with and a work of art. Now that I am disabled I have been fully engaged in building my own vehicles and am thankful for your video here and almost all of them. I have looked at Amazon once or twice and didn't like it. I am glad you put a link for the electric components you used and the prices sound unsafe to be a quality product but I will still pick them up. I am telling you in my past career it was very complex wiring and to run a crew of idiots was harder, just saying your wiring work looks all to familiar to a person with my resume and skill set. Love it and thank you. Looking forward to have fun with a couple of my personal builds using devices you pointed out because they are very expensive in any store and hard to find. Truly 5 star work you did in this video and all you other wiring is beautiful. Please let me know what you do, I am so curious.
Thank you, I had bought the stuff when you posted the video finally got around to assembly and I'll admit i watched it about two more times for reference.
Great, great video. As a subscriber and a retired Ford Lincoln Mercury technician, I would like to see more in depth and simplistic/basic videos for your younger subscribers just getting into this. They sometimes/often don't want to ask the "dumb" question. And let them know that the "dumb" question is the question not asked. I would like to see you demonstrate (with a schematic) basic circuits and continue to increase the difficulty level. I know you're time is limited. I had really, really great mentors in the mid eighties as I entered the technician field. But, I showed up early, took short lunch, last to leave, and took the initiative but emptying oil can recovery tanks, coolant catches, etc for the flat rate techs when I was hourly. Maybe throw it out there for you viewers, title it as, "For You Young Guns". Best,
Thanks Joe. I agree that kind of stuff is needed but dont know that I am the guy to do it. I am more of an entertainment type and less of a specialist.
The Fab Forums Well, take it as a compliment. I'm big on trades, our youth is confused (through television) about the future can be had by singing and dancing.
I've been looking all over for a good diy video and I've finally found it. Been wanted to add 4 separate light accessories but didn't want to keep running wire to the battery for each one
I follow you for the information, tools and of course the Bibster....After watching your video I built my own relay setup for my street car. Thanks for the guidance.....
Very nice work! If you are controlling loads from an engine computer, very often it is the ground side that’s switched. That means having a low amperage power source to the white wire and bringing the black wire out to the appropriate computer harness location. For loads that you manually switch, this setup is perfect. Love the main circuit breaker advice, too. Great video, thanks!
Got Dang Goose!!! You restored my faith in our civilization, even cracked open that ol myth that we as a species only use than 3.14 % of our brains. If you turn around in a circle what will you see idiots, me included. I've heard it said we are the dumbest Civilization ever, but not no more, You just raised the curb for us all. In other words your SIKWITIT!!! For coming up with that. Awesome form , clean design, functional and seems the safest way to me to add a device that I've seen. Thanks P.S. .If there ain't t something like it out there, well there should be. Randy Chavez
Mounting board looks like Sintra. Really easy to use thermoplastic and can be molded with a heat gun. Used to work with that stuff all the time. Great Video!
That is definitely a super-clean board with excellent wiring. It just takes time and patience when working on something clean like this. Over my many years of working on cars (amateur of course) that taking your time and thinking through what you are doing is the absolute best approach When I was a teenager, my wiring was bird's-nest all the way. All these years later I have learned good ways to wire things and be neat about it. Not up to par as what is in this video. But my workload has never been this large, either. Good Work. Thanks for the video and the information with it.
thank you for making this. ive seen other videos of people just going to a junk yard but i didnt like that option. this looks like something youd see out of a high end performance shop.
That is a kick ass job on the panel, great job describing how it works, and a kick ass soundtrack! Ive already downloaded the song and I'm about to order the parts and build my own! Thanks bro!
Killer work. Tidiest install I've seen. Also... If you drill a hole under the relays you can actually tuck the final wire through and behind the panel. For an extra smooth finish. 😊
This is one of the best explained and shown videos I've seen so far.. and back ground music was a good choice.. for me it kept the tutorial calm and relaxing.. Thanks for the awesome video
Beautiful job and explanation, i think I got it now. I'm in the process of adding relays to my '69 Sprite for High/Low beams, Driving lights and Air horns. Thanks!
I used to wire boats in the Navy and found that boards like you put together are great. What i did different than you is I found that servicing things required I put the relays farther apart from the terminal block and the fuse block needed to also be farther away in order to service them quicker and more efficiently. I agree that it is more professional to make a panel and have things in a neat and proper order.
just learned more in 13 mins then I ever did in my basic electrical class.
+4 Jr lol...thats awesome
4 Jr Maybe you should have paid attention more? They gave you the basic skills to do stuff like this. I took three years of electronics and didn't really use it. I'm starting to now and I'm glad I paid attention.
I learned a lot in my electronics school in the Navy. Then I learned a lot more on my own by working on electronics equipment. It sounds like either you are not very smart or you went to a crappy school.
for reals man... my instructor made us do a 2 fan with 3 relays and in 2 speeds but he just threw us to the lions ddnt gave an explanation of how it works...
Sorry I don’t like this. (I don’t mean the vid, or the workmanship but the principle.). The master breaker is far too big. A fuse is to protect the wireing if there is a fault. The red wire looks about 30 amp fo the fuse ( or breaker) should be 30 amp.
Secondly, by this stage you should know what you are switching, so even at this distribution point I think you should be using switching and switched wire colour coded.
I do, however note the relays are the right way up. If mounted pins down they can fill with condensation and the points corrode.
Yes it looks very neat but I don’t like it. Sorry.
I have been all over the interwebs searching trying to figure out how to wire up a power windows conversion and add electronic door locks to my standard truck. thanks for the educational video.
Ah ha!!! I’ve been wanting to do that to my old truck also! Did you get yours done buddy? I would kill to have power windows in my truck! I was thinking form mine, it would probly be just as easy to find 2 doors from the junkyard off of an XLT truck that had power windows and locks from the factory cause then I would already have everything I needed already installed and mounted. Then I just have to figure out how to wire it all up then. It’s a 94 F-250 with the XL package which is your basic work truck and I’m just getting older now and trying to lean all the way over to roll down the passenger window is getting tough to do now so power windows would be a blessing!
Thanks so much for any info you could give me on if you were successful, did it work out good, how you did yours etc.
Take care buddy and stay safe out there!!
This kind of stuff will make you look like you know what you’re doing. Well done.
I did something similar for my motorcycle and all the addons for it. I added another relay for the main power so the whole panel is switched to ignition switch in run position.... used a heaver power relay for that one. Well done!! Nice and compact. Variant to this would be getting ‘marine grade ‘ parts which are more water and corosion resistant... but more $$ too...
Just had surgery, made one for the drift car as a project to keep me sane while recovering. almost done just waiting on the relays some grommets and non insulated ring terminals (will be soldered, crimped and heat shrinked) to arrive to finish it. then the whole car is getting rewired. Keep up the great work man, the channel is awesome.
awesome...thanks and get well
great video and very professional end product. If I might make two suggestions to improve the final outcome if only marginally, first I always use marine grade awg rated wire it is tinned copper and will not corrode in normal automotive use and only costs a few cents more. Second I use aviation style ratcheting crimpers they work much better and do not require soldering which will prolong your wiring life by not removing flexibility from the wire.
for someone who is obviously not a 12 volt specialist I am very impressed with the look of your build. as a 12 volt guy I give you props on your work my man
+Michael Esquivel thanks...I think
This is exactly what i wanted to do to my car. Glad i found this easy install video. Right now i just have wires running all over with fuses inline cause i had no idea how to have a clean setup. Also that plastic is a great idea, i was looking into sheetmetal cause i wanted something to bolt my ecu on to as well as relays. Thanks for a great how to video.
Me and my friend are working on a project and missed our deadline and he got sucked into another project so now I have to finish it. I think this will be a good reference for wiring in the rest of what I have to do. Thanks for taking the time to film and upload.
no problem. thanks for watching
"The Force is strong with this one" thanks for that lesson keep'em coming!
+RSeif44 thanks...will do
I like the fact that you didnt edit out your mistake on the layout. I respect that, thanks for the great video.
WORK OF ART! my second day on this channel and i cant stop watching gets more and more interesting.👌nothing like a clean job. The breaker was a good tip.
I have watched this several times over the years and this is one of the best videos for explaining a relay and how to install hats off brother
Pretty good video, thanks for the information.
However I must say there are a few soft spots in the provided information.
300A breaker won't help at all as the gauge wire you are using from the battery is too thin, the wire would melt before the breaker gets even close to pop. Another thing to note, that 10 way fuse block has a max of 30A per circuit and 150A per box, so again before the breaker pops you would blow the fuse box if you exceed the load of 150A.
This answered some of my questions. So if the fuse box can only take 100amps would you only want a 100amp breaker and wire gauged properly for 100amps from battery to breaker and then to the fuse box? About 8gauge wire for 100amps?
@@joshtonry4291 yep, you can do 100A breaker but some people like to go a little bit less than the max rating of the fuse box.. probably 90A.. Wire gauge depends on the length of the wire, there are a lot of charts and calculators online that can help you determine which gauge to use, good luck!
@@joshtonry4291 The main fuse value is determined by the total load value; Ex: Load 1= 20A, Load 2=10A, Load 3= 30A, Load 4= 15A. Main fuse should be 75A or as close to that as possible. Assume that all of those circuits could be active all at once at full power draw. Always fuse your relays individually, don't rely on the main fuse to protect the relay or the device connected to it. The main fuse job is ONLY to protect the power wire feeding the block input.
Very helpful, thankyou for the replys
I have to add that the way you've explained the relay process is so, so good. Clarified the mystic of relays. Thank you, well done.
First time subscribing after one video.. Great job
awesome....welcome to the channel
Anthony Johnson Me too👍
I have just subscribed to this awesome channel too just after watching this! :)
tamiyadriverGp me too, going to be doing something like this on my 240sx.
E85Johnson end up doing it?
Made mine with help from this tutorial. Over a year now and still works great! Thanks.
A question,if I wanted the phone charger on all the time,I wouldn't need to put a relay right? Or what's the main reason for the relay
@@franciscoayon9470 If you want it on all the time, you can wire it directly to a fuse and then to a main power source/battery. The relay really helps with higher amperage accessories and also getting better control of your power needs. It's not good to run high amperage directly through a switch then to an accessory. The switch would overheat and fail. Your phone charger more likely is lower amperage and shouldn't require a relay unless you want it switched off when the car is off, or you can also splice into an available switched 12v source.
@@20tea I see,thanks
That looks really good. Nice job - simple neat and cheap! I LIKE IT! Just one comment: it looks like your "heavy" wire is no bigger than AWG stranded #10 (?). That wire will most likely "burn" if it shorts out directly to ground between the 300A breaker and the fuse block . Based on the NEC, probably the breaker would be 80A or less to protect #10 if its about 4' from the breaker to the fuse box. At 300A you are talking about AWG #4.
Yea, I was thinking that too. That red wire would like up like a christmas tree before that breaker would blow... A 300A breaker is appropriate for a starting circuit on a large V8 Engine; that's about the only time you would even get close to 300A draw, unless you have a competition audio system or a welder or something installed in your vehicle.
Think he meant 30Amp, those breakers only go up to 100A.
@@israelboyd6883 - Wellllll but - the links he provided to Amazon do go to 100 and 200 amp breakers.
Seeing your design sparked a light bulb.I've been trying to find a way to wire stuff on my resto project. Now to make it work in a engine bay. You're a genius
thanks man....glad I could help
Fantastic video! You really were able to simplify what I consider to be very complicated. Your camera skills were spot on! Sound track was awesome! Thanks for making this vid!
Coming from the guy that is known by family and like to have E-fans wired with used relays and speaker wire I must say, this is awesome and seeing that its actually that cheap and easy to build I intend to do a setup like this on my truck. Its getting some major racing style mods and changes so a good really relay setup and not the disaster I have no would be a good change of pace. Thank you for making this video. I don't know why I have not found you sooner but you are the boss!
thanks man
And thats why I watch this channel......Great work Thanks Don M
+Donald Marland Thanks Donald
I’ve watched 4 videos so far and this was the most simplest video I’ve watched! Will rewatch until I put it in the car.
Perfect Video! No "blah, blah, blah", no BS, clear, concise & straight to the POINT! Even went out of your way to list all parts needed to build this! What else could you ask for?! Thank You!! #AmeriCuh
thanks for helping me with my fuse block!
side note - thanks for the song. i had to look it up, and i'm glad i did. i struggle with PTSD on a daily, and that song helped me make today a good day. i must have listened to it a hundred times by now.
so. thank you twice.
+Alex Parker that's awesome. Glad I could help
Might I suggest you using rivets for the mounting of the relays and power distribution blocks to eliminate the need for long screws sticking out on the back side, even plastic rivets if plan to be making changes. They are easy to cut, cheap to buy and look clean. Other than that, extremely nicely done.
It was just for a demo you muppet.
@@SOLDOZER holy shit someone commented on a comment from 2 years ago, and somehow I'm the muppet? Okay bud
@@luminita520 and now a year later I'm here to say that your rivet idea is a really good one! I'm setting this up for my Jeep and I was about to go buy some bolts and nuts. Instead I'm going to pull out my rivet gun. You've saved me time and money! If you're a muppet, you're a damn smart one! Thanks, bud!
I have watched this about six times. I am doing my Land Rover wiring. Thanks to you it is looking good. Out here in North Borneo we have to diy and this is priceless in its help for me.
Thats awesome. Glad I could help
The Fab Forums I hope I can send you a pic when it is all done. And thanks again
yeah for sure, or just tag me on social
Really well done! Only suggestion for improvement would be to have had an actual switch to show one example with all the elements.
Just stumbled on this video and it’s exactly what I was looking for to wire up some lights on my Jeep. I can’t justify spending $700 on a sPOD when it’s basically the same thing as this. Thank you for the links. Just ordered everything I needed for under $50
Badass song and great (informative) video, thanks for both!
This guy is 'money' and I sure appreciate the help he provides. I like doing my work extremely clean and following the lead of a true craftsman is the way to do it. Thanks so much, bro...great show
thanks man
A little double sided tape works great for holding parts in place when determining placement and predrilling holes
Seriously so excited to have watched this video.
I’m in the middle of my first engine swap where the engine didn’t come in the car I’m installing into, and I have been trying to understand how wiring works and how I’d get power to all of my stuff.
Very thankful for this video.
Btw I’m installing an engine from a 99’ slk230 Kompressor into a 1990 190e Mercedes
Nice video. Highly appreciate the links to parts!
thanks, no problem
Isn’t that essentially what an sPod is? This was an awesome video. You made this look very easy to do and inexpensive as well. I’m glad you posted this.
thanks
if you use ground to trigger the relay you can have short coil power leads....plus you get the benefit of not running power wires through out the vehicle to switches,if they short it's just a ground not live power
lol....the accessories still need power so there will still be power wires running throughout the car and your way you cant turn those power wires off. They are constantly live. My way they are at least switched power wires.
I meant running power from the switch to trigger the relay coil....if ground is used to trigger the coil you don't have power running from a switch to the coil....the switch is connected to ground....the switch is used to allow or deny the ground for relay.....the coil power wires are short runs from the fused power instead of long ones running tho switch.....hence no long power wires to ground out from switch to coil control
Using this method will also allow you to jump pin 30 and the positive coil wire simplifying our wiring with each relay only requiring 3 wires rather than four.
goobersundae like a temp sensor?
Mdenz3 Do you mean jumper relay pin terminals 86S (relays contact to + battery) and 87B (Relay coil to + battery)? If you jump pin 30 and the positive coil wire (87S) that would just supply power directly to the item like a fan. Effectively routing around the relay, which you do not want.
I never understood how to do any sort of wiring and this video literally opened my eyes thanks alot!!
awesome....glad I was able to help
Song: "Unbreakable" by Jay Kill & The Hustle Standard
@Dave Gill just horribly intrusive and distractive 'crappola' sound: I turned the sound track off and probably missed some important points you were making it what was a topic of great interest to me and, other than the audio, seemed nicely informative!
@@leebranch1228 get a life
Shit sucks dawg
So glad I found this video! I'm about to completely rewire and modernize my 65 ambassador. This is going to be a big help for keeping it clean. Thanks!
I have several issues with this. Firstly why such a high amperage circuit breaker? The supply wire to the fuse box will only take around 30A, so if the CB needs over 300A to pop the wire has already melted. The CB amperage should be no more than the maximum rated capacity of the wire. Next, the circuits attached to the fuse block should draw no more current than the main wire to the fuse box. Need to be careful here. And finally, my major bug bear here is the crimps. There is no need to solder and crimp. Crimps, when properly done with the correct tools and techniques offer similar electrical properties to solder joints. Crimps have much better tolerance to vibration and are less likely to fail in an automotive setting. Aircraft only use crimps for that reason. I also abhor the pre-insulated terminals. These are best kept for roadside repairs, not main electrical installations. Delphi, Tyco, AMP, Amphenol, Sumitomo, JST all make W crimp connectors which are far superior to the ones shown. Can you explain the logic behind heat shrinking a pre-insulated connector? It would save you more time if you used the W crimps and heat shrink, and give you a much better finish.
300a breaker is near the battery - I will be feeding this panel with welding lead which is rated higher that 300A. Solder and heat shrink is a preference.
I guess you should have showed these ppl the actual wire you were going to use from the battery to the fuse box lol
The appropriate wire size for 12V @ 300A is a 4/0 AWG, which has a diameter of about half an inch, providing the run is 1 meter or less in length.
Hey Joshua, Can you help me choose the correct circuit breaker for my car please? I'm not sure if I have to user a 100a or 150a. Also I want to know how do I trigger the switches using the ground instead of using the 12v power. Thanks man!
I have used literally thousands of crimp terminals over my 40 odd years as an auto electrician. Good quality crimp terminals need to be crimped in two spots. The other thing is using a quality pair of crimpers, a good ratchet pair will set you back quite a few dollars but cheaper ones are available but be aware of the real flimsy thin ones. The first crimp gives you connection to the bear wire and the second holds the insulation in the terminal. If I was using a crimp terminal (ring type) in a high current situation (main alternator feed etc) I would solder the cable to the terminal for a better electrical connection.
I just found your channel a few weeks ago. Some of us old race car guys that did it back in the day didn't have much access to the parts that is offered now. We had a gas and acetylene torch and maybe one of our friends had a arc welder to do what we needed done. As far as the electrical not much was out there for a 12 v system. A Ford starter solenoid was used for lots of things...Glad to see you DIY and other video's....
agree...thanks for watching
Awesome video. Thank you! I’ll be making one just like this to run my off road lights. Again, thank you for the knowledge. 👍
no problem
Made a similar one to tidy up my engine bay for spot lights and random accessories, looks a lot neater and safer, cheers dude
right on
300amp breaker!! wow, good to see that you're power supply wire to the fuse panel is going to with stand 300amp. haha, more like 30amp. wouldnt be a bad idea to work out your actuall load before you just go fit a 300amp breaker and a bit of 6mm wire so it will actuall trip if there is a short and not just melt the wiring.
James MacDonald I wasn't gonna say anything, but I'm glad you caught that. Four 40A relays (at most) with a 300A breaker lol. 87 and 30 aren't even copper. I could go on but I'm sure you see it all James MacDonald
the breaker is for the main cable coming from the battery which is welding lead wire. All the relays and relay wires will be fused on the fuse panel it self.
my dad's car gets up to 350+amps while cranking and since he had problems with the starting he made it up with a push button.He used 2.5mm2 wire and no problems for more than a year.
I POSTED THE SAME THING HAHAHA. The amp rating is BY the wire size and LENGTH,,, 300a is like 1/0 gauge at 25 feet lol. THET tiny wire he used will melt and catch fire before that 300a goes.
@@4gbmeans4gb61 why do people always say "Haha" when they don't know what they are talking about? It just makes them look dumb.
I don't know what he's using this relay panel for but if it's things like headlights, fuel pump, fan, heated screen, cabin blowers etc then the whole block could easily draw up to 30 amps.
Whatever wire size he has chosen to carry 30 amps would easily take 300 amps for a couple of seconds especially if the fuse box is a long way from the battery.
And that's all it needs for the fuse to do its thing. A split second is enough.
So what's the problem?
Could he get away with a smaller fuse. Absolutely. In that scenario I'd probably use 100 amp fuse. A 50 amp fuse might be a bit temperamental and trigger if you get a voltage spike.
But depending on the wire size a 300 amp fuse could work just fine.
Let me just say I don’t usually comment on videos because everyone is always so critical. However, this video, is honestly super simple, great information, you used the right products and in my opinion very well done, minus the music. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks...lol, I love the music
Ben also said “Beer is proof that God loves us!”
Thank you sir. I've watched this several times. Just received all the components to wire up some truck accessories.
awesome. glad I could help
Well done good sir... Thank you!
Dude, this channel is now my fav channel... Fabs like I do, cost effective and clean!
Well done!
right on !
At 11:30 you mentioned things like this make you look like you know what you're doing... Everything except for the soldering part. Totally no needed with the proper crimp. Definetly wouldn't solder the ring terminals to the distribution block either.
That looks very sharp and organized. That 10 way fuse block is just what I need to clean up the wiring on the 80 Powerwagon. I have added over a half dozen relays over the years, for the heater fan, offroad lights, high beam headlights, ect... It's all zip tied or taped up under the dash. Hell I look up under the dash and I don't know what each relay powers. Really enjoyed this video, now I know how to clean up that mess.
right on....thanks
Great video and Channel love the content
+IICUBEZII thanks
I can see the trial and error it took to get to your skill level. Good job.
thanks for this video looks real good. looks like you know what your doing lol. love your videos I just found you about week ago now my recommendation is all your videos lol. also enjoy the music. keep up the work
lol...sweet! Thanks for watching
This was probably the first video of your I watched maybe 5 years ago or longer.
1. You have come a long way!
2. I went into my garage today to start working on my car.
3. Its ok to make mistakes and learn as we go.
Keep up the good work!
The music makes it sound like you are making somthing very important
I thought he was making something very important!
Man, this video was sooooo satisfying to watch. Im a neat freak when it comes to wiring. This made my night. Thank you.
lol...thats awesome
"CAUSE I"M UNBREAKABLE!!!!
the best video I've ever seen explaining relays
aluminum plate would work instead of the plastic. may be easier for some to work with. Hammer and Street curb. lol.
could also ground thru the aluminum.
true
Excellent point. One thick ground wire to be a main grounding point and the rest connected however to the plate as needed. Smart thinking.
very true. Also, some relays have ground tabs on them so when you bolt them down they are already grounded if bolted to a well grounded metal.
i agree with you, but i also like how he uses materials that are not that commonly used in custom car work where people are usually more comfortable with metals. Myself included. I always feel the need to raise the notch when spending some time on these videos.
TurboFlush Holy fuck have you ever seen a aluminum plate fuse box? Hell no that's why there all fucking PLASTIC so the electricity doesn't go through the aluminum. Jesus christ.
Finally, feel like I've been looking for a video like this forever
those chinese breakers are garbage... a 300 amp breaker "MIGHT" work for a 150 amp load.. maybe.. and that's only until it trips once or twice.. then significantly less... they are a fire hazard.. we tried using them for car audio and it was a disaster... only decent high quality marine breakers will be adequate for a 12v system.. and they are expensive... better to use a good fuse instead.. or spring for the big bucks to get a decent breaker
Totally agree about the Chinese breakers. Being a car audio shop owner, I stray away from the unreliable Chinese stuff. However, I do agree with the TFF about breakers being the only way to go. One thing I noticed though was how small gauge wire that was for such a large breaker. That 10awg wire couldn't carry a 300amp load for more than a foot or two on a good day. Just saying!
kujawat nice comment. it's rare there is wisdom in comments.
I'm lost on automotive electrical (or any electrical for the matter) Can someone explain why it's 300amp is used?
Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO they were probably trying to wire the starter power wire through that circuit breaker which is not really recommended as a starter pulls more then 300a when it’s cranking.
Fuses protect the individual relay circuits, the breaker is just to protect the main power supply so would be locate as near to the battery as possible. Doesn't matter that the cable isn't rated at 300amps as long as the load(s) don't exceed the cable gauge and the breaker... I do agree you should protect low draw / hi value circuits ONLY with one of these breakers. For higher draw circuits that run closes to 300 amps I would use a better breaker such as certified marine breakers.
Just got a jeep and your such a great help. I have this what you call a birds nest and it’s time to clean it up . Thank you
great video can u tell me the name of that song that was playing
Jay Kill & The Hustle Standard - Unbreakable
Thewicked ý
I was skeptical, but I stayed for the whole video. Thank you sir!
lol....glad you liked it
music is slappin
Probably the best wiring video ive seen
300amp beaker for 50amp wire hmmmm 🙅🏻♂️
breaker is for the main battery cable...all the other wire is protected by the fuses...
This is awesome.
I'm about to get my automotive electrical done at school and I'm going be adding lights on my 4runner. I've only ordered one light and everything else to go with it so far.
After watching this I'm leaning more towards this setup rather than just screwing the relay to the side of the fuse box that's already in my car. This also looks a lot better than just a fuse harness dangling about too.
With this setup you can always add more if you have only one circuit going through it. Thank you for the video man! It looks great!
One of the best done videos seen on Utube, irregardless of subject matter Proven by comments. Well well done young man!!
New to your channel, found you searching tig videos... I'm building a foxbody as well. you have completely motivated me to stop slapping my car together and do it right!
Thats awesome...welcome to the family. The right way is way slower and not near as fun but in the end you will be happy you took the extra effort.
That was SICK!! Doing an ambulance live-in/4x4 conversion. Need to do 12 different power runs and this gave me 90% of the info I needed. Many thanks. Awesome jams as well. Keep it up!
awesome
hey kyle I just have to say thank you! your videos are one of only 3 things keeping me going after my accident last year I have watched almost every video you have made twice now and you videos are amazing very informative and fun I hope to one day so similar to you and use you as a big influence in how I will do my work keep up the amazing work. this coming from a fellow fabricator
Awesome man. glad to have you along for the ride. I hope you have a speedy recovery and are able to get back to creating things.
+The Fab Forums anytime mate shame I'm in UK would love to see the grey goose in person and I hope so to mate been recovering since november and looking from what doctors have said another 12-18 months till I'm back on my feet and yeah I will be back once recovered and making videos similar to you
awesome...make sure to shoot the vid links to me, I would to see them
You the Man
Just made mine im proud of it
I recycled a microwave door for my panle
Thanks for your generosity 🤜🤛👍
These is 5 star work here people when it comes to Automotive wiring
right on....thanks
No not everyone can do it and your wiring skills and the way you wired something is how I found your channel and immediately subscribed. Which raises the question of what do you do for a career? I was a lead mechanic for high end residential electric work. I am being to humble to say I was just a lead electrician but you wiring work is incredibly clean, clear, and very easy to not know who did it and work on it and know where and what everything is. A pleasure to work with and a work of art. Now that I am disabled I have been fully engaged in building my own vehicles and am thankful for your video here and almost all of them. I have looked at Amazon once or twice and didn't like it. I am glad you put a link for the electric components you used and the prices sound unsafe to be a quality product but I will still pick them up. I am telling you in my past career it was very complex wiring and to run a crew of idiots was harder, just saying your wiring work looks all to familiar to a person with my resume and skill set. Love it and thank you. Looking forward to have fun with a couple of my personal builds using devices you pointed out because they are very expensive in any store and hard to find. Truly 5 star work you did in this video and all you other wiring is beautiful. Please let me know what you do, I am so curious.
Mainly UA-cam now. Most everything I do is self taught from years of mistakes
Thank you, I had bought the stuff when you posted the video finally got around to assembly and I'll admit i watched it about two more times for reference.
sweet. did it turn out good?
Not quite as good as yours but a million times better than it would have without the video!
awesome
I just came across this video and OMG it clarified my questions about how relays can play into my car audio builds. Thanks for putting this out there.
Great, great video. As a subscriber and a retired Ford Lincoln Mercury technician, I would like to see more in depth and simplistic/basic videos for your younger subscribers just getting into this. They sometimes/often don't want to ask the "dumb" question. And let them know that the "dumb" question is the question not asked. I would like to see you demonstrate (with a schematic) basic circuits and continue to increase the difficulty level. I know you're time is limited. I had really, really great mentors in the mid eighties as I entered the technician field. But, I showed up early, took short lunch, last to leave, and took the initiative but emptying oil can recovery tanks, coolant catches, etc for the flat rate techs when I was hourly.
Maybe throw it out there for you viewers, title it as, "For You Young Guns". Best,
Thanks Joe. I agree that kind of stuff is needed but dont know that I am the guy to do it. I am more of an entertainment type and less of a specialist.
The Fab Forums
Well, take it as a compliment. I'm big on trades, our youth is confused (through television) about the future can be had by singing and dancing.
yeah I would have to agree. They wont win just because they participate. I strive to try and inspire young folks to hustle
I've been looking all over for a good diy video and I've finally found it. Been wanted to add 4 separate light accessories but didn't want to keep running wire to the battery for each one
awesome...glad you dig it
I follow you for the information, tools and of course the Bibster....After watching your video I built my own relay setup for my street car. Thanks for the guidance.....
awesome....thanks
Thanks to the birds nest comment I now have my own relay panel similar to yours. Time to go untangle the mess!
thats awesome...lol
Thanks you so much for this video man. I’ve been on forums for 3 days trying to teach myself
Very nice work! If you are controlling loads from an engine computer, very often it is the ground side that’s switched. That means having a low amperage power source to the white wire and bringing the black wire out to the appropriate computer harness location. For loads that you manually switch, this setup is perfect. Love the main circuit breaker advice, too. Great video, thanks!
Perfect, clean, direct and good music. Thanks my brother.
That looks killer. So clean and professional looking. The music you chose is so good.
thanks man
Got Dang Goose!!! You restored my faith in our civilization, even cracked open that ol myth that we as a species only use than 3.14 % of our brains. If you turn around in a circle what will you see idiots, me included. I've heard it said we are the dumbest Civilization ever, but not no more, You just raised the curb for us all. In other words your SIKWITIT!!! For coming up with that. Awesome form , clean design, functional and seems the safest way to me to add a device that I've seen.
Thanks
P.S. .If there ain't t something like it out there, well there should be.
Randy Chavez
Mounting board looks like Sintra. Really easy to use thermoplastic and can be molded with a heat gun. Used to work with that stuff all the time. Great Video!
That is definitely a super-clean board with excellent wiring.
It just takes time and patience when working on something clean like this. Over my many years of working on cars (amateur of course) that taking your time and thinking through what you are doing is the absolute best approach When I was a teenager, my wiring was bird's-nest all the way. All these years later I have learned good ways to wire things and be neat about it. Not up to par as what is in this video. But my workload has never been this large, either.
Good Work. Thanks for the video and the information with it.
agreed
I just keep on watching this video even though I have nothing to wire but it looks so nice I need to find something immediately
lol
Just ordered all this stuff. Gonna be building a costom fuse box for my 94 trans am formula.
Are you tying all the grounds to one area ?
thank you for making this. ive seen other videos of people just going to a junk yard but i didnt like that option. this looks like something youd see out of a high end performance shop.
no problem...thanks
this is better too because it uses standard relays that can be found everywhere unlike other relays found in a junkyard.
Good video with good music with no dumb intro. Good stuff.
That is a kick ass job on the panel, great job describing how it works, and a kick ass soundtrack! Ive already downloaded the song and I'm about to order the parts and build my own! Thanks bro!
thanks
Killer work. Tidiest install I've seen. Also... If you drill a hole under the relays you can actually tuck the final wire through and behind the panel. For an extra smooth finish. 😊
This is one of the best explained and shown videos I've seen so far.. and back ground music was a good choice.. for me it kept the tutorial calm and relaxing..
Thanks for the awesome video
+Aaron Raymond thanks
Beautiful job and explanation, i think I got it now. I'm in the process of adding relays to my '69 Sprite for High/Low beams, Driving lights and Air horns. Thanks!
I was talking smack through the video re: no heat shrink and no solder ... then you dropped the hammer at the end. Nice work!
lol