Devastator's upgrade

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I keep them separate so in case one component fails nothing else fails and I can get back to camp. I have a single CB box with CBs for each circuit. As I remember: the box has two bussed (brass bars) feeds; switched and hot the each circuit if fed that way. I also have a CB on the line going from the starter solenoid forward that matches the AMP of the gen/ALT. Simple but confusing

Lee

[Steve Arndt]

Here is a pic of my rear circuit panel. The monster size relay is powering the small fuse block. It is switched with ignition. This way my ignition switch has very little load on it.

The smaller group of relays are for my fuel pump, starter solenoid, and rear window defroster with one unused right now (it was my accusump solenoid relay before selling that off).

My ECU is mounted to the bottom of the plate. The right side of the plate not shown clearly in the pic has a buckle/bend in it from getting pushed over during my last snow crash where the B pillar moved in.

[Devastator]

Here is a pic of my rear circuit panel. The monster size relay is powering the small fuse block. It is switched with ignition. This way my ignition switch has very little load on it.

The smaller group of relays are for my fuel pump, starter solenoid, and rear window defroster with one unused right now (it was my accusump solenoid relay before selling that off).

I like that arrangement Steve!
Where did you get the fuse blocks and big honkin' relay?

I have a single CB box with CBs for each circuit.

CB box?

[Steve Arndt]

I think he meant circuit breaker.

The fuse blocks are made by Blue Sea. Ebay or amazon. The bigger one has a ground bus bar as well. They use screw terminals instead of push on spade. The way I shake my car on washboard roads I was ruining Buss brand push on terminal fuse panels from fatigue.
https://www.google.com/search?q=bluesea+fuse+block


The relay is 100 amp full duty cycle. The main reason I selected it is the bolt down style terminals for the load. That way I can run 8 gauge wire and crimped battery terminal style cable ends. I found it on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=N ... 0998281453

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For a sand car I don't know if I would want all this extra complexity.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

This is my circuit breaker box showing the switched and non-switched circuits.

[BAJA-IT]

I run that same breaker box on my race car, no relays at all, has worked fine for 18 years.

[Devastator]

I have to, again, admit my being slow on the uptake in understanding electrical wiring. Because of this, your picture, Lee, doesn't make sense to me. I see the brass bus bar you installed, but don't see which circuits are not hot all the time. Sorry.....I'm trying.
Thank you for those links Steve. I am going to meet up with my wiring buddy tonight and discuss the new direction of the sandrail wiring. I'll likely include one of those fuse boxes in the design, as well as that high amp relay for the things that need to be active when 1 switch is turned on.

I run that same breaker box on my race car, no relays at all, has worked fine for 18 years.

I didn't run relays for many years with reasonable success. With the addition of bigger and more lights, however, I started melting wires and frying switches. Nowadays, I run EFI, cooling fan, 2 fuel pumps, 4 LED lights, a 30" light bar, an antenna light, a wasted spark ignition, a wide band O2 sensor, an Android tablet, and the other things needed to make an engine run. I will only run the tablet, antenna light, and idiot lights without relays.
This is my current disaster:

relays.jpg

There is actually sand in each of my fuses.

[no1clyde]

Try a truck shop like Kenworth or IHC or Peter Built or Mack for a 100 amp or larger continuous duty relay, they were in most trucks at work.

Ed

[Steve Arndt]

Dev that fuse block in your pic is the exact model I had fall apart twice.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

"I have to, again, admit my being slow on the uptake in understanding electrical wiring. Because of this, your picture, Lee, doesn't make sense to me. I see the brass bus bar you installed, but don't see which circuits are not hot all the time. Sorry.....I'm trying. :B is on a switched circuit for example... why, some people would come into the camping area late at night after playing on the dunes then go to bed after a snoot full and leave their CB turned up loud to talk at you all night; very rude so I took that possibility out of the mix. The run circuit breaker is switched so I don't leave it on but it could easily be moved to a hot lead if the keyed switch goes out for example.

There are some things I would like to be able to turn on with out having to turn on the system. It also has to do with the isolating of things.

Notice that there is one power line coming off the lower buss bar; it has a separate protected circuit but other than I did it that way I don't remember the reason why any more.

[Devastator]

here are some things I would like to be able to turn on with out having to turn on the system. It also has to do with the isolating of things.

Notice that there is one power line coming off the lower buss bar; it has a separate protected circuit but other than I did it that way I don't remember the reason why any more.

I think I understand your setup now Lee. Thanks for your patience.

Dev that fuse block in your pic is the exact model I had fall apart twice.

I don't like it very much and it's probably going bye bye very soon. Looking for a dual bus version with a cover. 1 bus will be switched and the other will be hot all of the time. Otherwise, I'll probably run 2 fuse blocks, 1 hot all the time and 1 switched. I'm pretty confident that I'm exceeding the maximum amp load on my current fuse block stud anyway.

Try a truck shop like Kenworth or IHC or Peter Built or Mack for a 100 amp or larger continuous duty relay, they were in most trucks at work.

Thank's Ed! I'll look into that.

[tikotiko]

Im not looking forward to the wiring part in 5 years

[TimS]

What would be so bad about a battery disconnect switch instead of a big ass relay? Just curious? Most of the items will be switched induvidually anyway.

I'll admit, though, for my DD of yearning for the electrical to all shut off from the ignition switch... Speaking of... Why not just power your relay switch wires with the ignition switch? That way your only running a few amps through the ignition switch, and not having to rely on duplicate relays? Same result, less moving parts.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Tim, I run a battery shutoff and I shut off the ground side (remember, you disconnect the neg/ground first before you disconnect the pos to avoid arcing and destroying components).

For what it is worth: I also run a CB from the gen line to the ignition switch/CB box then back to the starter The CB/fuse protection for the charge line and line going forward is something which VW didn't do.

I don't want all the circuits to go through the ignition switch in case it goes potty; remember, I want to get home in case one circuit takes a hike. I since I run off-road so I run as few circuits as I can (KISS).

Remember that by using relays you can reduce the work going through the ignition switch. You can even switch the relay on or off by using a switched ground.

Again, what I have done is my idea of how things are/can be done and may not be for everyone.

[Devastator]

Why not just power your relay switch wires with the ignition switch? That way your only running a few amps through the ignition switch, and not having to rely on duplicate relays? Same result, less moving parts.

This is how I'm wired now, and it is failing due to the large amp load on the "Main" relay. I could just replace this relay with a bigger one, and will do so in fact. My disagreement with this, however, is that I must have Megasquirt, my Wideband O2 sensor, idiot lights, and fuel pumps powered up, just to turn on my antenna light, which we usually leave turned on at night so we don't get hit by other dune runners.

What would be so bad about a battery disconnect switch instead of a big ass relay?

This is what my "wiring buddy" wants to do too, but I don't see the advantage of adding another switch when I already have an ignition switch. I just don't want EVERYTHING electronic to depend on that "Main" relay for power, especially since it is now failing.
We have also brought the load rating of the fuse panel into the discussion and have decided to add a second one and, probably, replace the original as well.
I've also found 70A relays that will fit in the current relay receptacles, so I'll, likely, just replace the "Main" relay with one of these, while still removing all of the lights form this relay as well. I'll have to engrave a new placard as well, since I will no longer have a "Main" relay.