Wiring Q (1 Viewer)

[BtownLee]

hey i just had a question about car wiring..does it matter how many wires you have running off the car batterys positive terminal? i mean i got one wire for the amps power...another wire for external lights (small) is there a limit? (obviously not thousands as it would drain your battery like that) thanks

 

[loquasagacious]

Short answer: no.

Long answer:

-Make sure your alternator is making enough amps or you will kill your battery.
-Be neat and don't run 14 20gauge wires to the battery run one 4 gauge and then take off that. Or tee into existing wiring.

 

[BtownLee]

yeah like eg my mate have chipped into the parker lights and wired the power for other lights off that wire...doin so is bad is it?? also, if i connect a simple switch to the battery...can u run two different light sources off the same switch...or do you need two seperate switches??

im just talking about a switch whitch three points on the back where one point connects to the source (middle) one to the battery (one side) and the other to a ground (other side)

thanks heaps

 

[loquasagacious]

Its fine to tap into the parker lights circuit providing you want your new circuit to turn on with the parkers and provided that the parker circuit can take the extra current draw.

Sure you can run two lights on one switch, hell you can have two circuits off the same switch. Again provided that the wire and switch used can handle whatever current it is you will be drawing.

And don't forget fuses. Try and draw too much through the parkers and you'll pop a fuse, this means that you'll have to make a new circuit direct to battery. And whenever you create a new circuit you should fuse protect it. Insert an appropriately sized fuse at some point in the circuit.

 

[pottsy44]

if you are going to tap into a wire you are better off using a power source for when you have your car on accessories. eg. clock or radio.

 

[BtownLee]

yea i have the switch directly connected to the ground, and directly to the battery with no fuse...is that bad?? how would i go about inserting a fuse between the switch and battery...if its needed

 

[macoboi]

whats the circuit powering? how much current does the item draw?

easiest thing to do, is buy an inline fuse holder, and then its the simple matter of adding the fuse holder into the circuit (preferably within 10 cm of the battery). Most have screw in terminals, so you just cut and bare the wire, run one end of it into the holder, and the other one out, and then put a fuse in that matchs the circuit.

 

[loquasagacious]

I have found another easy way is to use two shielded female blade connectors then a simple car fuse will slot in no worries, easier to replace if it blows. Like macobi says match the fuse to the current of the circuit. The wire should also have been matched to the current of the circuit.

And yes a fuse is necessary unless you like frying components and/or starting electrical fires....