Relays and Fuse Taps - Auto Electrical Dos and Don'ts - Episode 2
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ค. 2024
- In this, our second episode of Electrical Dos and Don'ts, we cover Relays and Fuse Taps. Watch along to hear a brief discussion about the why and why not of these electrical devices.
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*** 6 Pack of 30/40A Relays: amzn.to/2Au1KJV
*** 5 Pack of Weatherproof Relays: amzn.to/2jKV3el
*** 10 Pack of Fuse Taps (use wisely please): amzn.to/2kkiDCO
*** Automotive Fuses: amzn.to/2jMsayj
*** Highway 22 Wiring Harness: amzn.to/2jNddwe
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The opinions expressed in this video are my own, from my personal experience. This is not a paid product advertisement. Please feel free to let me know what you think of this tool, or suggest alternatives I should check out.
Disclaimer: This is not a paid advertisement. This video is solely my opinions from the use of these products and based on the specifications of them.
#wiring #fusetap #relays - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
I just did a new video going into Relays deeper, and even mentioned fuse taps in it. Check out the new Video here: th-cam.com/video/Xt0lC8mjJRI/w-d-xo.html
I wanna use a Fuse Tap for a Backup Camera I bought for my Front Bumper i already have a backup Camera but wanna use 1 for my Front Bumper Also was thinking using 1 Fuse Tap for My Trailer Wiring harness bc I bought a hitch installed it on my car and The Wiring for the trailer lights.. Would a Fuse Tap work for it? I used the meter tested the one fuse on how much was putting out for back wiring harness for trailer well Dad did lol.. Said like a little over 10 Fuse but i have a couple more open spots.. Thanks loved this video
A quite common use of a fuse tap is to directly power small dash cams. Since the cameras themselves draw very little current a fuse tap is a convenient and safe source of power.
EXCELLENT!! Glad I clicked on your video. I am hooking up train horns to my excursion and have been watching videos on how to use my fuse box to power them up. I WAS going to use a piggy back holder for this but i need a 20 amp fuse. By doing this I would have definitely overloaded that circuit and caused problems for myself. I will peruse your channel for more information on using relays and fuse taps as I am a newbie "customizer". After installing the horns I want to mount up LED light bars on the front bumper...You saved my vehicle from burning up! Thank You!!
Glad to help. I need to get back to making more Electrical videos soon. I would have to see more about what the setup you are configuring is, but I would definitely be using a relayed setup for it. A fuse tap to power the relay's control side alone may not be bad. I absolutely would not use it for the full 20A circuit, as you already are aware.
So let me ask you this... I have 2 open slots in my fuse box. To check if they are working I would have to use a meter to find out? Also that would tell me if they are ACC or IGN based right? either way i can use that to power a relay? I want to use a toggle switch to turn off the compressor when not in use so i dont burn it out. Does this sound correct or am i lost?
louieC STUMP yes a meter or even a test light would be an effective way to check if those circuits are live. That would also allow you to check for ignition hot or battery hot. Wiring the relay to a switch is just fine. If it were me I'd still choose an ignition hot circuit so the switch couldn't short out and run the compressor when the vehicle isn't on. Long shot that it would happen but better safe than sorry if you can manage it.
So I bought some after market fog lights for my maxima. I saw some guys connect it to the fuse box with these extension , or others just connected it to their battery and just turned them off and on when they wanted them. Which one would you recommend? Thank you
You have the gift of being able to communicate things and break it down so I can understand and keep things simple. I am always looking to learn more. Thanks for sharing your gift!
Hey, quick question
When using a fuse tap as a switch for a relay, do you just ground out the other side of the switched circuit? Or does something else need to be done?
Thanks in advance :)
I am wanting to install an electric chair I pulled off from a 2013 VW CC to my 2000 Eurovan. I am wired confused. I noticed there are 3 connections. I think one of them is for the airbag and the other for the heated seats and the last one for the movement of the chair. So should I do a relay for the chair and a fuse tap for the heated seats?
i’m running a on board air compressor to air up tires. I have two wires that need to go into the fuse. One goes to the tail light fuse that tells the switch on the inside to light up at light. Another is to ignition that lets me operate the compressor when the key is at ACC. I bought 15 amp fuse taps that will go into 15 amp original fuse locations. Is there any problem here?
Thanks
Would it be safe to use a fuse tap with the same amps on the DRL fuse slot to install a switch to turn off/on the DRL by looping back the circuit to the DRL load? Thanks for sharing... 😃
Great video. Very informative...quick question...I have 4 sets of LED lights all of them pulling 3.5amp / combined 14amp . What is the best way to power them and what or how can be use. Fuse tap, relay, connectors , control switch etc....
I have an off the shelf van alarm (smart 360 alarms) and it can be wired into a spare fuse on the permanent side. I have brought a piggy back fuse and crimp I am going to attach to this 12v adaptor that comes with it and into the 12v plug for the alarm. Is this an okay way of doing it? It’s only a 5 amp max 10 amp fuse it says
I want to add 3 led raptor lights in my 2020 gmc sierra. Can I use a fuse tap or go directly to battery with a switch? Thanks
Hi can I tap the drl on a horn relay? I cant find any ACC on the engine fuse box.
Great info. You mentioned you used relay to improve power windows. I recently installed aftermarket power window motors on my xterm. I used a fuse tap on a 15amp fuse and put a 10amp on the top slot. The 10amp keeps popping. I presume the window motors are needing more draw. Can I put a relay on the fusetap 10amp circuit?
I have a 3 amp klaxon horn to install. What size fuses would you recommend. I'm going to use a relay, 12 volt battery. Thank for any info.
hi, I just want to know if I add a front sensor without any display but just use a small speaker to give a bip bip sound, I use a acc fuse with a fuse tap and stop fuse with a fuse tap , do I need a relay? after all the power requirement is very small. looking forward for your reply.tq
The relay I got the accessory cable is too short and 14 awg, I need to extend it about 6 to 7 feet to get it inside cabin. Should I use 14 awg wire or 12 awg? The cable to the battery is also 14 awg I may need to extend it by another 7 to 8 inches, should I use 14 awg or 12 awg? Will the ones you recommend be able to handle 30 amps ?
thinking about using a remote turn on wire from my pioneer stereo to power a usb plug. do you know if that would work and if it would be safe?
Installing a 12v LED light behind the grill of my truck. I was going to fuse tap it to my headlights so it only turns on when they are on, but now I'm thinking otherwise. How could I use a relay to make them do the same thing?
What about using a fuse tag to simply replace the circuit that used to be there but no longer is? My car has always had a missing cig lighter (and missing power source). So I installed a USB port in its place, and wired it to the cig lighter fuse using a fuse tap. That seems pretty safe, don't you think? The circuit is still only being used for one thing & I'm guessing a USB port is pretty low-load?
So I'm running a relay for a electric water pump and plan to run my 18 gage switch wire from the relay to the fuse block radio cigarette lighter with a fuse tap which on my car I know is off the ignition with 15amp fuse would this be a okay uses since I'm still powering the relay with 12v from the battery?
Thanks, I watched enough videos to where I understand it now. Thanks again for your help
Wow thanks for fast reply, I have basically same thing. Do you have a video on how to wire the relay. I really appreciate this
I do not but I'll look at doing one. This comes up often enough.
Do relay's have spare locations like a fuse's do? I want to install an amp for my motorcycle how do I do it with a relay?
I am putting a gm engine in a mustang and have a standalone harness that needs keyed power. I was told I could do a fuse tap to get the power from the existing fuse block of the car and the new harness has its own relays and fuses. What are your thoughts on this along with the fuel pump wire should be key on only???
Your help is much needed, Thank you,
B
Great informative video. How would you recommend hard wiring a V1 radar detector? I was going to use a fuse tap on either a used or an unused fuse socket on my Audi A5, but after watching your video, I and holding off. Thanks in advance.
Eduardo Elizondo the V1 pulls a small draw. Only about 300-400mA from the information I can find. So if you have an unused fuse location in your fusebox, then a fuse tap would do just fine. If you don't have an unused one, then I'd say pick one of your largest circuits and you will be ok to use the fuse tap on that. When I made this video I was thinking about loads that are more excessive than these modern add-ons like dash cams and radar detectors draw.
I need a switched power to turn on an amp since the stock radio doesnt have a remote wire output, would that be ok to use a fuse tap on the radio fuse.
is there a way to add an additional fuse (and circuit) to the OE fuse box without using a fuse tap? the fuse box has plenty of spare slots, but none of them are wired up. also, how does the ignition-only wiring actually work? all I have seen so far is 'find a fuse that is only live when the key is on' but i want to wire it properly anyway. I do know the circuit does not need a relay.
Hi there thanks for your video, I do have a question
I need a power source for my LC2i pro converter , those are using 14 wag so I don’t want to get the power from my battery like I would do for my 4 wag sub amp .
Is it safe to tap in my new processor from the fuse box ?
The f is a wag
Brother I am planning to fit fog lights in my car. There is no company fitted wiring or any fog lights. So I am planning to use a piggyback connection to the fog lights switch. Is it possible ?
Would it be fine to use fuse tap to change circuit from to constant power to ignition by connecting it to empty slot?
Hi..nice video you have here...just want to ask i,m planning to power up my 2 headrest monitors using a fuse tap in the fuse slot of my radio/head unit. The radio has a 10amp fuse and i will also be using a 10amp fuse for the headrest monitors...would you advice to use/add a relay in the new circuit running to my headrest monitors? sorry for the odd question really no idea in this matters and planning it to do it by myself (installations). thanks..
If you don't have an spare circuit I would use a relay triggered by a fuse tap on your radio circuit yes.
Can I use a fuse tap to run starlight engine into the cigar lighter fuse? But I was going to add a rocker switch to be able to turn it off and on. Do you still recommend using a relay to give power to the starlight engine and to the rocker switch ?
Do you think the fuse tap isn't either suitable for say, powered windows? Since they don't consume that much. Thanks!
Is it ok to use fuse taps to get car radio buttons illumination from dipped beam
headlight levelling fuse and at the same time to use cigarette lighter fuse to get "signal" wire that turns the radio on/off with ignition on/off?
For constant power for the radio is used existing wire from factory radio.
Great video! I’m trying to hook up the blackvue battery it says that 2A is max. I can fuse tap the battery to the fuse box? Not sure if I have any empty slots so would it be safe to put the battery to piggy back? Since the battery would be connected to the fuse and the dash connected to the battery. The battery plus dash mean it’s consuming more power then 2A?
This is just a guess as I've only looked briefly at the battery, but I would figure on just the battery load. So 2A should be fine, just pick a decently sized fuse to piggyback on with the tap. Say a 15 Amp or higher I'd say. That way even if it pulls the full 2A you are less likely to overload anything.
What damage can be done by bypassing the relay and wiring directly two pins on the relay? My headlight high beam is not working, but if you bypass it, it's work.
New to your channel excellent! I hope to see more on auto electrical systems starting with the basic to more advance setups. Look forward to more.
Bradley Thompson thank you. I'll make sure to get back to the electrical videos in the near future. 👍👍
Best way of explaining a relay for me, thanks
I am an extreme beginner here. What is considered a lot of amps (heavy load pulling)?
I have been watching several videos of other posters. The numbers on the relay 30, 85, 86, and 87 are different in the videos. Meaning which gets full 12v from the battery, switch, device, and ground. How can the videos be different?
Great info. So can I use a fuse tap to give ignition power to a relay for a holly elec fuel pump?
Yes the fuse tap would be a good way to control a relay if you lack easier Key Hot signals. 👍👍
So, and excuse my ineptness here, could I run a fuse tap off an open fuse slot (as in one that’s just not being used from the factory) and run a dash cam off of it since In theory those don’t use much electricity? As long as I run the right fuse and wire gauge?
Would a fuse tap be ok to use for an Ignition relay array? (Like adding new relays for lights that I only want to be able to turn on when the ignition is on)
Yes that is a perfect use for them.
Thanks. Good info. You like relays but not fuse taps. I agree. Relays are good for what you were describing but I was hoping to see how to properly fuse the fuse tap. I'm installing some electrical components in my car such as some low wattage interior led lights, a separate switch to manually activate a low voltage remote turn-on for my amplifiers and a dash cam. Do you have a video on how to wire a fuse tap? I wasn't sure how the current flows through it and if one fuse should be higher or lower since the current flows through both. My battery is located in the trunk of my car so a relay is just impractical plus what I'm hooking up draws hardly any amps so I think it would be okay to tap my fuse block.
I just installed new tow mirrors on my truck, they have small LED bulbs in them (stock mirrors did not). Your thoughts on running a fuse tap to the reverse light fuse so that the mirror lights come on when I go in reverse?
Small Leds are a small load so you will likely be fine. However i can't say for sure without seeing a diagram but I kind of doubt the reverse fuse only gets power when in reverse. More likely that fuse has power always and a switch elsewhere sends power to the reverse lights.
Can you use a fuse tap to trigger (86) on a relay? I only the relay to work while vehicle is on. How many amps on the fuse tap will I need to have it trigger the relay?
They are good for doing that yes. Relay control circuits should generally only pull 2A or less. I’d start with a 2.5A fuse. Wired properly that should work fine and not be an issue to any of the existing circuits as I was describing here.
Ok, so I have a question about load resistors for hooking up LED turn signals, can yo simply install them to the wires coming from the switch in the steering column? Or do you have to go with as close to the bulb as possible? Front or rear? Or all?
It's Dj Dozer you could technically install them anywhere in the circuit you like. I've always done so as close to the lights as I can for shear ease. It is usually easier to do at the light rather than crammed under the dash. The only other issue I can see is adding the resistance so far forward, any wire resistance from corrosion or age may cause a larger voltage drop than you'd like. So I'd recommend at the light, but technically either should work.
Hey HotRodHippie would it be okay to use a Fuse Tap for LED footwell lighting the whole kit pulls 12 Volts?
Do you mean the RGB led strip light kits that can change colors with a remote? Those strips pull about 4.5W per foot (approx). So that works out to .375A per foot. So if you run three of them you are technically only pulling 13.5W / 1.125A. Though the controller unit will draw a little of its own. And possible minor surges on start up. So you are probably under a 5A circuit with all of that. So if you use a decent sized fuse to tap off of, I think it would be alright. However this is just based off the numbers I can find for these items. I've only used one in cars once, mostly I install those in custom computers.
I would still use a relay and install a separate rocker switch so you get clean power and the LED will last longer. The only times I would use a fuse tap is for a radar detector or a dash cam
I have some halo rings for my factory headlights... they are telling me to run the positive on a relay where the acc is. So when my truck ignition is off the halos are off when I turn car on the the halos come on is the a correct way????
Diego Hidalgo if you want the lights on any time your key is on, then yes that sounds like how I'd do it. If it was me I'd put a switch on the accessory power to the relay so you could disable them if you just don't want them on sometimes.
Is there any risk or damaging the relays if doing so?
Apologies is this was already asked and answered (admittedly did not read all the replies). One of the Acc fuses I want to tap into is 10 amps. What Im unsure about is what size fuse to use to the relay?
Hi. Good video on relays. Thank you. I thought taps wouldn't overload the original circuit because you reinsert the original fuse to keep that circuit the same. The new pigtail then that gets the new fuse - hopefully properly rated, I just dont understand the circuit overload issue. Thanks again.
Very informative! Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts, HotRodHippie. :-)
If I am running 4 relays under my fuse box can I wire all the grounds from the relays together and wire them to the same solid ground? Does gauge of ground wire matter?
jesse hayes do you mean the ground side of the control circuits for the relays themselves? If so, that is no problem. Control sides of most relays pull very littler amperage. Something like .1-.2A. So 4 relays are below a 1A draw. I'd just use whatever size wire allows you to easily wire the configuration. For 1A even over a decent distance something like 20 or 18ga would be fine. But most relays have heavier wire than that on the sockets. So whatever works for you to cleanly wire it should be fine.
I really appreciate your time teaching this my g blessings 🙏
Hey HotRod, I have a question you may be able to help me with. I have not been able to find an answer online. Ok, I am installing a winch on my truck. I am also going to install a power interrupt solenoid under the hood. The solenoid will be operated by a toggle switch inside the truck. The question is whether I need to run a relay between the toggle switch and solenoid. Would there ever be a need to run a relay between a toggle switch and solenoid? Thanks,
Confused now. I wanted to add lights to my reverse light using a relay & a fuse tap but now I'm confused if it's the way to go about it. I'm wanting to use the same switch already in the vehicle just add lights.
Thanks for video. I have a cigarette lighter port that is always on and I want it to turn on/off with ignition. Looks like a relay is the correct method since I don't know what kind of device will be plugged into that cigarette lighter port - perhaps some day a tire inflator or some other higher amperage device.
Great video. Good job
Would you recommend using a fuse tap to activate a relay so that the relay is now a ignition activated relay circuit?
Curt D yes that is a perfectly acceptable use of one in my eyes. I recommended that a few times to folks in the comments here.
That's the only way I use fuse taps! These new electrical systems are becoming more complex and monitored each year. Even then you still have to find the right fuse to tap into that's not monitored by the ECU. Also it's good idea to use a relay with a built in diode to prevent any jumps getting backfead into the factory system.
Can i tap into a 15amp fuel pump fuse to connect DRL strips? and if i can, i should use a 15amp fuse or a 10amp fuse for the DRL?
I'm adding a line lock to my 2010 challenger srt8. I was thinking about adding a circuit bus since I will be adding gauges in the future.
I would appreciate any advice, I dont want to create any problems.
Thanks Sid
Adding a supplemental fuseblock would be a good idea if you know you will need additional power in the future. I would wire up a relay to key power. So when you turn on the car your supplemental fuses get power through the relay.
You can use that supplemental panel to supply power to your line lock switch. Something like this panel is what I'm picturing: amzn.to/2SDzKeB
Okay so I want to wire interior led what is the best way to wire it since piggy back is a bad option
I don't have heat in my 2012 dodge journey so im trying to run a inverter box to power a small heater .help!!!
It would be much easier to just fix the cars heating system. And safer.
would ask how about using them to hook up a dash cam in an open fuse slot ???? so I am not taking from something already in use ... for instance I put a 10 amp on the bottom and a 5 on top .not sure what the dash cam uses can not be much though... thanks
Dash cams pull very little power. You'll be safe using one for that. 👍
Thanks for car wiring theory, can you do a video on how to actually wire up a relay? I'm trying to hook up an old CB the right way. Thanks bud :)
Thank you. I did a dedicated video explaining how Relays work, and in that video I explained how to wire one.
Full video here: th-cam.com/video/Xt0lC8mjJRI/w-d-xo.html
Or you can find just the section about wiring a relay in a snippet I like to call "Quick Tips" here:th-cam.com/video/Rw7azxRrIpg/w-d-xo.html
Would you feel comfortable running a rearview camera off of one of the power taps? 05 Chevy silverado 2500 looking for ignition power.
Yes. Those cameras pull less power than I was considering when I made this video. 👍
@@HotRodHippie Thank you for you reply on an old video!
There are unused spaces in my factory fuse block. How dO I add a new circuit into one of these existing slots please.
Usg a fuse tap?
What amp fuse is sufficient to trigger a 100 amp relay to a remote fuse block. Thanks
I want to connect my drl lights to the efi is that a good idea if not where can I connect them besides the acc fuse the led lights are 10w
How many lights? At 10w per light you are at .83A so figure 1A per light. Does the vehicle have existing DRLs? I'm confused as to why you want to tie them to EFI. I would avoid that at all cost. Tieing into even the power supply or ignition signal to EFI can introduce electrical "noise" into the system. If you really need to do it a relay is your best bet. Isolate the two circuits from one another but allow you to control based off the circuit you want.
HotRodHippie it’s a 1995 Toyota t100 it doesn’t have drls but I want to install switch back both blinkers and drls I couldn’t find the acc fuse in the fuse box under the hood
Very good vid, and I have a question for you (other people may respond as well). In my car, I'm installing a custom data display in the center vent which displays info from the OBD-2 port and the CAN-bus. It is powered by the jumping points / 12v battery from under the hood. Now I need to connect it to an ignition wire in the interior to have it switched on as I turn the key. Do I understand correctly that when I use the relay (there is one in the kit) it is safe to use a fuse tap JUST to open the relay and have my display switch on when I turn the key? I believe so, because as you said, the fuse tap only opens the relay but the actual power to run the setup comes from the 12V battery. It would be great if anyone can confirm this! :)
You are correct. Relays are a very small load on the control side and safe use of a fuse tap.
You did a good job in 3xplainingvrelay operation and purpose.
Not until I installed after market alarm on my car that offered convenience features...
Power trunk
Power windows up or down
Sunroof as well
Nott until my experience installing the alarm did understand what was a relay.
To have 30 amp relay and 30 amp fuse the fuse may not hold the electrical current and blow, add a relay it has a spring loaded contact that power on closed, power off or electric overload opens.
How to hard wire multiple Dash Cams? Are they all hard wired to the same ignition in the fuse box?
Most dash cams pull fairly low Amperage from what I've seen. You could wire them to the same Ignition source if they are not pulling too heavy of a load.
I used a fuse tap for key power to a dual voltage reader.
I'm assuming this is a case where it doesn't affect too much?
Correct that's a low power draw situation. Just guessing there but I feel confident in saying so.
What about using the circuit tap to connect a remote wire for an amplifier? Would that put too much load on the circuit slot?
I would check with the manufacturer of the amp to determine its actual draw but it should be a minimal load and fine to use a tap for. I'd say anything less than 1A is fine. More may well be fine as well but I personally just prefer to use that as a rule of thumb that is "better safe than sorry". To my knowledge remote circuits on amps are 1A or less.
Nice video man. I have a question im installing 12 led pro comp rock lights, i want the to turn on when i turn on my headlights, so im.planning to get the power out of the headlights trailer hitch pigtail, i will run the power but also will put a fuse a couple.of inches after the connection, i will be running to sets of cables on each side, 16awg. What you think, can you hit me with an advice please? I will appreciate. Thanks in advance. ( 2009 dodge ram 1500 )
I can't say how much power the rock lights would pull but I would use a relay. Wire the relay to your hitch pigtail like you planned. So when you turn on the lights the relay activates. Then wire it so you are sending fused battery direct power to the rock lights. That will be safer for your wiring and make your lights function better as well. They likely don't pull a lot of power but I'd just call it a safer bet to do things that way. Relay to control the lights on and off, and a battery feed for the lights. You could also then wire a switch to the relay so you can override and turn off the lights if/when you want. Say just interrupt the ground side of the relay with the switch.
Thanl you very much for this info.man appreciated
Is it possible to somehow replace a fuse with a fuse that can be controlled by a switch to turn it on and off easily?
Um can I use a generator on my battery To run my alternator for My motorized baby crib in the back seat?
Question I used a Fuse tap for my dash cam I took the windshield wiper which is 30amp mini and fused with a 5 amp mini for the dash cam is that okay
When I made this video I wasn't taking into account small loads like Dash Cams. On average they seem to pull 2A or less, so I can agree that is ok. I was more concerned about the larger things I see these used for.
HotRodHippie thank you
What do you think of using a fuse tap to connect to an unused slot in the fuse box (ignition switched) The fuse tap will power a smaller fuse box that powers 6 circuits each with up to 1 amp draw. The lower side of the fuse tap will be open.i.e. no fuse. 5 of the circuits will be controlled by a switch. Very rarely all 5 switches will be activated.
If I was to tap my fog lights into acc; are fuse tap a good option or I should just tap into the ignition switch acc plug or cigarette lighter? I called a couple local shop for quotes for fog lights installation and they run around two hundred to two hundred fifty dollars so I feel it's a little pricey so I will attempt to do it myself.
Good explanation on do's and don't video.
Thanks in advance
Tou Yang you could use a fuse tap to tap into accessory to trigger a relay. But I absolutely would not run fog lights without a relay. It will be a safer circuit and give you brighter lights too.
can i use fuse taps for charging the dash cam directly instead of cig lighter power source ?
Yes. That is a smaller load than I was discussing when I made this video a couple years ago. 👍
how about use a fuse tap as a trigger for the relay for a load that draws a bit high amp?
Completely acceptable use case. I should have said that in the video. 👍👍
Really wanted to use a fuse tab in order to wire directly a Bluetooth FM transmitter you know the type that you put in your cigarette lighter? Instead of putting it in the cigarette lighter I wanted to run one of those fuse tabs. Running it off the fuse tab will make it turn on and off with ignition. And it would also mean that my car now has Bluetooth to the stereo via FM transmitter. I don't see this pulling more than one amp. Do you think this is a dumb idea? My car is a 2000 Chevy Impala
Retro Pro Frank no it doesn't sound like a terrible idea. If you aren't charging a phone off of the transmitter then yes I'd imagine it isn't pulling much amperage. I'd try and find out how much before I committed to it. Something around 1-2A of less I'd say would be fine. I can't seem to find a spec on random ones online though.
I have watched a few of your videos & have learned a lot about auto electronics. I want to put an on/off switch on a particular fuse on my SUV. Fuse #14. How can I do this? Will one of those Fuse circuits work? Thanks, love your stuff!!!
I'm going to need more information. What's the vehicle and what does that circuit do? I can think of how to manage that with a few circuit styles but not without knowing how yours actually is laid out. A fuse tap wouldn't be my recommendation to do it though.
Can I use a fuse tap to power a fiber optic starlight kit for my headliner? If not, what’s the best way to go about wiring it?
It depends on the power draw. They seem to come in 3 Watt or 6Watt versions. Either of those should be fine to use with a Fuse Tap as they draw less than 1 Amp. Those are oddball smaller power draws than I was thinking of when I made this video.
I’m looking to get one with a bigger light engine that has more options for twinkle effects. Obviously they have higher watts, what’s the most ideal install for this model?
if you get power from a fuse tap, is it still necessary to add a relay if i'm gonna add a fog light?
You should use a relay. The fuse tap is just protection. The relay still needed to provide proper wiring circuit. otherwise the fuse at the fuse tap will risk blowing frm potential overload.
Can I use a fuse tap for my rock lights ?
Hey there. Silly question: do we have to use one Fuse for each Relay and vice-versa? Thanks in advance for the reply, and sorry if too basic question. Cheers
Yes, you use a relay/fuse for each thing you are going to power. Think of it like charging your phone... a charging box/charging cable for each phone.
What about using them tap fuses for a load of 1 maybe 2 Amps, on a empty fuse slot?
Doc. FunkBlack on an Empty fuse slot I wouldn’t be opposed to using them for even maybe a 5 or 10 Amp load. When I made this I was more thinking about the use cases I commonly came across where people were “misusing” them for larger load devices. Backup cameras have gained a lot of popularity since then and they only draw 1-2A on average and are generally safe to use. I wasn’t thinking of that use case in this script.
I really need to make a 2020 update video to this one and clarify the discussion.
My fuel pump relay took a shite and takes 5 to 10 attempts to start in the a.m. and due to a recall that my vehicle is not a part of, the relay bypass kit is not available to me. I have no choice but to tap the cig lighter fuse to the fuel pump fuse for emergency starting when it finally gives.
I added a fuse tap/add-a circuit to power a relay but it did not work. positive side was on opposite side from what I expected. Could not fit it in the opposite direction. check the positive side source.
Can you please advise me, I'm trying to add led lights to my fj crusier foot rail that's connected to interior lights so when I hit unlock they turn on with the interior lights, can you tell me what i should do trying to DIY
As long as you get a fuse tap with 2 fuses in it (one for the original lights and one for your LED lights) you will be absolutely fine. Fuse Taps do NOT put any additional load to the existing downstream circuit (in your case your lights) because they are wired in PARALLEL to the existing circuit branching from the point of the replaced fuse. The only thing that is taking extra load is the fuse box itself, and that will be absolutely fine because it is built to handle this (after all there are many fuses for many circuits all branching off the same pair of switched and unswitched 12v supplies).
There is no garauntee that tapping into the interior light fuse would achieve the desired effect. In fact I'm quite certain it wouldn't. I'd have to see the wiring diagram to be sure but the fuse for the interior lights should be hot all the time and the lights are controlled somewhere else in the circuit. Using a fuse tap for this purpose will just put the lights on all the time. You would need to run a relay that triggers the foot step lights when the interior lights are triggered. Not complex but hard for me to explain if you don't have a good grasp of circuits. What year is the FJ?
The point is you cannot know for certain that the fuse feed side (as you noted the box sees the increased load) can handle the load applied. People often put too large of a load in these fuse taps, unnecessarily risking it. Yes many fuse panels run buss bars that feed branches of circuits but you cannot know the intended vs maximum load of the individual portions of that. Many fuse boxes also have physical wires going to each circuit in a fuse box (like many GM engine wiring harnesses for instance). Those absolutely could be overloaded.
People who gravitate to using Fuse Taps as their first course of action rarely research or know how to check whether a circuit is capable of handling the increased load being applied. Thus why I say, just don't use them.
What about the two fuse tap. Pull the fuse put it in the bottom slot and a new fuse on top . Like i did with my dash cam . I pulled a 10 amp it goes in the bottom slot and i put a 3amp on the top slot . For the dash cam .
Question ... How to best and least expensive power a led strip that only needs 2 amps ... someone please
What if u have a spot not being used for a fuse and had the connections for one can I just use that one
isaac mack sure an unused fuse holder would be fine. Though I'd be careful how large of a fuse you put in.
What if your wanting to run led lights would a tap be ok for that
Can I use the tap in fuse tap into radio fuse to power led and should they still get power with
key out car?
Power LEDs should be ok, they are low power enough. As for whether they will work with the key out, I cannot say. It depends on whether the Radio fuse is Key Hot or Battery voltage. I simply cannot say, maybe I could look it up if I knew the car, but no guarantees.
@@HotRodHippie I already did it tbh I'm trying to figure out which fuse I should tap into they do stay on is that good or bad? I want to make sure I tap into it right u said key hot good I believe would I tap into the fogs? Its gmc yukon denali 05 sport v8 6.L really need help thanks
If I have a fog light bezel and all I know is that it need 12V power. I want to wire it to a switch so it can be turned on command. Everywhere I look, I see 40Amp relay with 30Amp fuse. Is that really needed for a small LED Strip?
libinls I would not expect that to be necessary at all. Folks are probably thinking of the actual fog lights themselves, not the strip lights like you are talking about. I can't say for sure what they will draw though. What brand are the bezels?
HotRodHippie Thank you so much for getting back to me. You have no idea how much ur help means to me. This is the exact product. Unfortunately they don't tell you anything aside from the 12V.
m.ebay.com/itm/FOR-15-17-SUBARU-WRX-STI-PAIR-OE-BUMPER-FOG-LIGHT-BEZEL-COVERS-W-LED-DRL-STRIP-/401403396844?txnId=717737948027
You are right I can't find anything. Even the one company I found that sells a wiring kit to install those doesn't list what siZe fuses they use. I can't believe those will pull more than. 2-5A but that is a shot in the dark guess. I think I'd feel safe using a fuse tap with those. Though if it was me I'd probably splice into the headlight wiring closer to the fog light and just do a neat solder job with heatshrink and sleeping.
HotRodHippie thanks Alan! I would've spliced into it as well. But, I'm trying to do a setup like a toggle switch. So it only turns on for shows and stuff from inside the cabin. I hate electric and I was hoping I could really do this. I might just end up doing the generic switch setup with the 12v. And pray it don't burn out. Lol
Great inflow
The fuse taps are insanely popular for hardwiring dash cams. Would you recommend not using them for that either? I just installed my own, and used a 10amp circuit, with a 5amp fuse for the dashcam. The dash cam only draws 5v 2amps
A lot of folks have asked this since I posted this video. Dash cams and their relatively small loads were not a use case I was considering when I made this video. So yes, I largely feel fine about Fuse Taps used for those and other sub 2A loads.
I was coming at it from more of a perspective of the classic car world I work in where people use them for 5, 10, 15A loads and that I have issue with.
@@HotRodHippie Thanks for the quick response!
I found my (daylight) fuse broke. The aluminum brackets that are originally in the the fuse slot is gone. I don't know how it happened but it did. Is it ok to use a fuse tap for this instance? I need my daylight brake lights working. Brake lights & signals work. It's just the brake lights (running brake light) that don't.
What would you be putting the fuse tap into? If I'm understanding you properly it sounds like the receptacle for the fuse is gone. If so what would you be installing the fuse holder into?
HotRodHippie Yeah you said it right. The receptacle is gone. So I'm not even sure that the tap will work. I just need to make connection for the fuse. When I looked I found there was no fuse, so I bought the fuse & then that's when I noticed there was no receptacle for contact
Ouch. Yea the fuse tap just goes in place of the fuse. So it won't work for your needs. The best answer I could give isn't the simplest. I'd pull a signal off slither wire like your headlights and use that to power a relay. Have the relay with a fuse send power to the parking lights. It isn't a simple solution but that's the safest way I can think to do it without having to replace the entire fuse box unfortunately.
HotRodHippie I thought about either replacing it or taking it out & rebuilding the connection area. I know how to solder. Would that work? If not I could just follow what you just said to do. Ugh it sucks.. but just part of building up a project car.
Victor Huerta if you are up for it then yes that is something that could possibly be doable. Maybe pull a junkyard fuse box and piece it together if you are up for it. What is the car if you don't mind my asking?