pvanweelden
New member
The idea for using the Cooper Bussman relay/fuse panel is courtesy of White Dynamite.
The proper way of hooking up accessories simply involves a switch, relay, fuse and wiring. That's all there is to it. This writeup will show you an easy way to wire up 5 circuits and avoid a lot of unnecessary wiring by using the Cooper Bussman relay/ fuse panel. Instead of wiring up 5 relays individually- you only need to supply the hot lead from the fuse to the relay, and the input/output wires to each relay.
This writeup utilizes 30 Amp relays- which is enough to run a 50" LED light bar, or most electric air compressors.
You should verify before hand, what circuits you already have and how many amps they will require- For LED lights- Add up total wattage of each light- (Total Watts/12volts=Amps Required)- Example- 100 watts/12= 8.33 Amps
This write up is for a simple 5 switched accessory circuit. If you need more than 5 accessories, you will need an additional relay/fuse panel and additional relays- or will up individual relays as needed.
This circuit passes 12 volts through the switch to the relay and then provides 12 volts out to the positive on the accessory. The accessory is then grounded to complete the circuit.
This circuit is Live all the time, regardless of ignition switch. I will be installing a hidden kill switch to the 12 volt wire supplying the switches to disable them (so no one can turn anything on when my doors are off).
A Single Pole Single Throw switch of almost any type can be used. I chose Carling Rocker switches for this writeup.
You are free to decide where you want your switches, and where you want to mount the relay panel. It can be mounted under the hood, and has a waterproof cover included. You would want to plug any unused holes in the bottom of the panel.
A perfect switch mount for those with an automatic is Daystar’s KJ71034bk ($20) as it has 5 switch locations. It could be easily modified to mount to the upper windshield or anywhere.
Tools Required- wire cutters, wire strippers, wire crimpers, soldering gun, dremel or cutting tool (depending on where you mount your switches)
All parts listed are from waytekwire.com- there is a minimum order quantity on the smaller items.
The required components are:
46343 Relay/Fuse Panel $28.48
75730 Relays $14.55- Qty 5
30069 Terminals $5.65- Qty 50
39000 Seals $6.30- Qty 100
31713 Blue Female Quick Disconnect terminals $8.49- qty 50
46351 50 Amp Circuit Breaker $2.24 (you have to get qty 3
amazon has them individually for $5
$66.18
Depending on what you are hooking up, will determine what size fuses you use. You can go to any auto parts store to get the fuses as well in smaller quantites.
** This is where you need to plan what you will be hooking up and running off the relay panels- You may need a few 30 Amp Fuses- You can go to an auto parts store for small quantities.
Most electric compressors will be 20-30 Amps, some higher. These relays are only rated at 30 Amp, and the mini style fuses only go to 30 Amp.
A 50" LED lightbar will draw 25 Amps- you can use a 30 Amp fuse.
From waytekwire, fuses are:
46257 20A Fuses $5.60- Qty 50
46255 10A Fuses $5.60- Qty 50
$11.20
Typical Carling Rocker Switches- light turns on only when switch is on. (see page 14 for info on double lit switches, that illuminate with your interior lights)
44305 SPST Rocker Body Lighted $4.24ea- qty 5- $21.20
44352 Rocker Cover Red Lense $1.38ea- qty 5- $6.90- don't order these if you will get otrattw covers
Daystar KJ71034bk $20 (not available from waytekwire)
$48.10
So far- $125.48
Wiring- Go to a local Car Audio Shop. You will need some 8 gauge wire for positive and ground, and then install the 50 Amp circuit breaker less than 12" from the battery positive post.
You will also need some 16 gauge wire to run from the relay panel to the switches- 7 conductors (1 for each switch, and one for 12volt feed from fuse 6, and 1 to bring the ground from the switches back to the ground terminal on the relay panel)
You will also want 16 gauge wire to run from the outputs of the relay panel to your accessories.
Misc- (4) 8ga ring terminals, (1) Blue (16ga) ring terminal, (5) Blue Male Fully Insulated .250 Quick Disconnects- Car audio store
About $35 for wiring, fuse holder, fuse, terminals
You can get the Covers in a lot of different colors and lense colors from waytekwire or you can get the printed specific covers from otrattw.com for $5 each, ie “Rock Lights, Beer, etc”
Before you begin, please note, once you insert the terminal into the back of the relay panel, it is pretty much permanent, so make sure your crimp on the terminal is good, solder it if you can. test by holding the terminal and pulling on the wire to see if it comes loose from the terminal.
You will want to make all the connections to the back of the relay panel before installing the fuses or relays. If you will not be adding an accessory yet for accessory 5, don’t install the relay or fuse.
typical wire crimped to terminal (slide seal on before crimping) and solder the crimp.
The back of the relay panel, terminal posts on the bottom- The left post on the back goes directly to the positive on the battery with a fuse holder – 8 gauge wire. This post and connection will need to be taped up completely so it does not get grounded out.
The right side post on the back goes to ground.
How the terminals go into the relay panel (note orientation of terminal in the hole)
start with some 16 ga wire, and make some runs that will feed power from each fuse to each relay. Push the terminals in tight to the relay panel.
Fuse 1 will be for Relay 1, up to Fuse 5 for Relay 5.
Fuse 6 - Green wire= 12 volts going to the switches.
Brown wire is the output from the relay going to the positive on your accessory.
White wire goes to the switch, and is the trigger for the relay (input)
plug center unused holes on each relay with the seals
Relay note- the red wires supply 12 volt constant fused to pin 30, pin 85 is grounded through relay panel, pin 86 is the white wire (relay input), and pin 87 is the brown wire (relay output)
wire the rest of the relays up like relay 1. then flip it over and put relays and fuses in. NOTE- Relays are supposed to mount with lettering upside down as shown. Pin 85 has to go into upper left hand corner slot on relay panel.
switches- pin 3 -white wire going to relay input on switch one, different wire from switch 2 to relay 2, switch 3 to relay 3, etc
pin 2- green wire coming from fuse 6, you can daisy link this wire to feed all 5 switches.
pin 7 (these are the illuminated when on switches shown) this pin goes to ground, and you can connect all pin 7's together and take to ground (run 1 conductor back to relay panel to the ground post).
If you want- put a fuse in fuse 7 and run it to an accessory that doesn't need a relay, like a cb radio.
Here's a wiring schematic for the relay panel and switches- note this is the back of the panel and the back of the switches. Line colors on layout do not match wire colors i used in pictures. From top of switch down is Pin 7, Pin 2, Pin 3. Pin 7 is ground, Pin 2 is power in, Pin 3 is power out
Here's a great writeup on a switch panel that is integrated with the windshield trim panel that looks as though it came that way from the factory
http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?...m-fiberglass-upper-windshield-trim-switch-pod
Great job Darkknight!
and if you know up front you will want more than 5 relays/circuits- Cooper Bussman has a 10 relay/40 fuse panel for $57.57 from waytekwire.
Installation procedure would be similar to shown here, but I don't have one to confirm 100%.
http://www.waytekwire.com/item/46357/RFRM-FUSE-RELAY-2-88-MM-NO/
The proper way of hooking up accessories simply involves a switch, relay, fuse and wiring. That's all there is to it. This writeup will show you an easy way to wire up 5 circuits and avoid a lot of unnecessary wiring by using the Cooper Bussman relay/ fuse panel. Instead of wiring up 5 relays individually- you only need to supply the hot lead from the fuse to the relay, and the input/output wires to each relay.
This writeup utilizes 30 Amp relays- which is enough to run a 50" LED light bar, or most electric air compressors.
You should verify before hand, what circuits you already have and how many amps they will require- For LED lights- Add up total wattage of each light- (Total Watts/12volts=Amps Required)- Example- 100 watts/12= 8.33 Amps
This write up is for a simple 5 switched accessory circuit. If you need more than 5 accessories, you will need an additional relay/fuse panel and additional relays- or will up individual relays as needed.
This circuit passes 12 volts through the switch to the relay and then provides 12 volts out to the positive on the accessory. The accessory is then grounded to complete the circuit.
This circuit is Live all the time, regardless of ignition switch. I will be installing a hidden kill switch to the 12 volt wire supplying the switches to disable them (so no one can turn anything on when my doors are off).
A Single Pole Single Throw switch of almost any type can be used. I chose Carling Rocker switches for this writeup.
You are free to decide where you want your switches, and where you want to mount the relay panel. It can be mounted under the hood, and has a waterproof cover included. You would want to plug any unused holes in the bottom of the panel.
A perfect switch mount for those with an automatic is Daystar’s KJ71034bk ($20) as it has 5 switch locations. It could be easily modified to mount to the upper windshield or anywhere.
Tools Required- wire cutters, wire strippers, wire crimpers, soldering gun, dremel or cutting tool (depending on where you mount your switches)
All parts listed are from waytekwire.com- there is a minimum order quantity on the smaller items.
The required components are:
46343 Relay/Fuse Panel $28.48
75730 Relays $14.55- Qty 5
30069 Terminals $5.65- Qty 50
39000 Seals $6.30- Qty 100
31713 Blue Female Quick Disconnect terminals $8.49- qty 50
46351 50 Amp Circuit Breaker $2.24 (you have to get qty 3
amazon has them individually for $5$66.18
Depending on what you are hooking up, will determine what size fuses you use. You can go to any auto parts store to get the fuses as well in smaller quantites.
** This is where you need to plan what you will be hooking up and running off the relay panels- You may need a few 30 Amp Fuses- You can go to an auto parts store for small quantities.
Most electric compressors will be 20-30 Amps, some higher. These relays are only rated at 30 Amp, and the mini style fuses only go to 30 Amp.
A 50" LED lightbar will draw 25 Amps- you can use a 30 Amp fuse.
From waytekwire, fuses are:
46257 20A Fuses $5.60- Qty 50
46255 10A Fuses $5.60- Qty 50
$11.20
Typical Carling Rocker Switches- light turns on only when switch is on. (see page 14 for info on double lit switches, that illuminate with your interior lights)
44305 SPST Rocker Body Lighted $4.24ea- qty 5- $21.20
44352 Rocker Cover Red Lense $1.38ea- qty 5- $6.90- don't order these if you will get otrattw covers
Daystar KJ71034bk $20 (not available from waytekwire)
$48.10
So far- $125.48
Wiring- Go to a local Car Audio Shop. You will need some 8 gauge wire for positive and ground, and then install the 50 Amp circuit breaker less than 12" from the battery positive post.
You will also need some 16 gauge wire to run from the relay panel to the switches- 7 conductors (1 for each switch, and one for 12volt feed from fuse 6, and 1 to bring the ground from the switches back to the ground terminal on the relay panel)
You will also want 16 gauge wire to run from the outputs of the relay panel to your accessories.
Misc- (4) 8ga ring terminals, (1) Blue (16ga) ring terminal, (5) Blue Male Fully Insulated .250 Quick Disconnects- Car audio store
About $35 for wiring, fuse holder, fuse, terminals
You can get the Covers in a lot of different colors and lense colors from waytekwire or you can get the printed specific covers from otrattw.com for $5 each, ie “Rock Lights, Beer, etc”
Before you begin, please note, once you insert the terminal into the back of the relay panel, it is pretty much permanent, so make sure your crimp on the terminal is good, solder it if you can. test by holding the terminal and pulling on the wire to see if it comes loose from the terminal.
You will want to make all the connections to the back of the relay panel before installing the fuses or relays. If you will not be adding an accessory yet for accessory 5, don’t install the relay or fuse.
typical wire crimped to terminal (slide seal on before crimping) and solder the crimp.
The back of the relay panel, terminal posts on the bottom- The left post on the back goes directly to the positive on the battery with a fuse holder – 8 gauge wire. This post and connection will need to be taped up completely so it does not get grounded out.
The right side post on the back goes to ground.
How the terminals go into the relay panel (note orientation of terminal in the hole)
start with some 16 ga wire, and make some runs that will feed power from each fuse to each relay. Push the terminals in tight to the relay panel.
Fuse 1 will be for Relay 1, up to Fuse 5 for Relay 5.
Fuse 6 - Green wire= 12 volts going to the switches.
Brown wire is the output from the relay going to the positive on your accessory.
White wire goes to the switch, and is the trigger for the relay (input)
plug center unused holes on each relay with the seals
Relay note- the red wires supply 12 volt constant fused to pin 30, pin 85 is grounded through relay panel, pin 86 is the white wire (relay input), and pin 87 is the brown wire (relay output)
wire the rest of the relays up like relay 1. then flip it over and put relays and fuses in. NOTE- Relays are supposed to mount with lettering upside down as shown. Pin 85 has to go into upper left hand corner slot on relay panel.
switches- pin 3 -white wire going to relay input on switch one, different wire from switch 2 to relay 2, switch 3 to relay 3, etc
pin 2- green wire coming from fuse 6, you can daisy link this wire to feed all 5 switches.
pin 7 (these are the illuminated when on switches shown) this pin goes to ground, and you can connect all pin 7's together and take to ground (run 1 conductor back to relay panel to the ground post).
If you want- put a fuse in fuse 7 and run it to an accessory that doesn't need a relay, like a cb radio.
Here's a wiring schematic for the relay panel and switches- note this is the back of the panel and the back of the switches. Line colors on layout do not match wire colors i used in pictures. From top of switch down is Pin 7, Pin 2, Pin 3. Pin 7 is ground, Pin 2 is power in, Pin 3 is power out
Here's a great writeup on a switch panel that is integrated with the windshield trim panel that looks as though it came that way from the factory
http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?...m-fiberglass-upper-windshield-trim-switch-pod
Great job Darkknight!
and if you know up front you will want more than 5 relays/circuits- Cooper Bussman has a 10 relay/40 fuse panel for $57.57 from waytekwire.
Installation procedure would be similar to shown here, but I don't have one to confirm 100%.
http://www.waytekwire.com/item/46357/RFRM-FUSE-RELAY-2-88-MM-NO/
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