Boiler's Lighting & Fuse Block(s) Install

[Boiler]

Now I've been judged by a few for making this overcomplicated, but I think it's pretty simple and straightforward.

I wanted to wire four Hella FF50 lights in front on two seperate switches (inner lights and outer lights), and two Hella FF75 lights in back with their own switch. The are all 55 watt but I wanted to run wiring so that I could upgrade the bulbs.

I used some 2 color LED light switches that needed to be wired to accessory so that they'd be off when the key was off. For this I ran a jumper from an accessory splice to power a relay that allowed power from my main fuse panel to the accessory fuse panel. The accessory fuse panel feeds my switches and fires all of my other relays. The battery fuse panel feeds the contacts on the relays, and ultimately the lights.

Not shown: I used a 60 amp Buss **** Fuse & holder right off the battery, and then ran 6 gauge welding cable from there, through the firewall at the little knockout next to the main wiring hole, and to my fuse panel install. All grounds terminated on the little piece of sheet metal by the hood release. I ran two 14 ga wires to each light from the panel & the ground plate. The run under my door trim, up the B pillar, and through a hole in the roof that's lined up with the hole in my rack foot. The rest should be pretty clear fromt he pictures and such.

Electrical Schematic: I make these schematics at work for designing scissor lifts. It simplifies troubleshooting and planning.

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I also make a wiring diagram that shows you exactly where each wire goes.

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Panel for mounting under steering column:

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Panel wired on the workbench:

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Panel installed. Orange cable is the welding wire.

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Connection at each light, before heat shrink:

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Rack pigtail at light after heat shrink:

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Wires from light entering the rack:

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All wires are fished throught he rack and exit the front left foot.

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Rack wired and ready for install:

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Switches, with panel inside:

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Finished pictures:

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Lights on:

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[Dave]

WOW........you did an awesome job.

Dave

 

[Marlon_JB2]

That is NOT overly done! That is called DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!!!

Great job!!!

 

[kj924]

Nice clean looking install. Just curious why you used a separate relay for each light on the front and a single relay for the rears? Wouldn't 1 relay for each pair work up front too?

 

[HoosierJeeper]

That is NOT overly done! That is called DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!!!

Great job!!!

x2...Great job!!!

 

[Ry' N Jen]

Nice clean looking install. Just curious why you used a separate relay for each light on the front and a single relay for the rears? Wouldn't 1 relay for each pair work up front too?

Two correct answers for that question.

I did the very same in my Mini's.
Two headlamps, each headlamp has 260 watts= 520 watts.
Four 130 watt driving lights= 520 watts.
Total of light= 1040 watts.
Ohms Law 86.66667 ampere
Competition preparation.
One 30 amp relay for a 55 watt is overkill. But once you step up to 100 watts, 130 watts, of an H4 dual filament bulb with 100 watt and 160 watt filament's, and you have one lamp putting out 260 watts each. 21.66667 amps. then one relay per lamp makes sense.
Should you have an electrical problem, instead of both lights shutting down, only one will. Leaving you with at least one light working. Especially handy when you like flying down Ralley stages at night at speed. Try doing 50mph plus on a gravel road in pitch black. One lamp out is better than both out.
It is Light Insurance/ AKA Life Insurance.

Also, using "Re-settable" circuit breakers instead of traditional fuses comes in handy. Just push or click to re-set. Instead of trying to install a fuse, at speed in the dark, with gloves on!
These tend to be very expensive!
Here are two such examples of "Re-settable" circuit breakers.
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?cls=MSPORT&pcode=ETA483-10A
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?cls=MSPORT&pcode=ETA1170-21-20A

Back up lamps are not on for very long periods of time, so one relay for two 55 watt bulbs is more than adequate.

Same applies if you run two 55 watt axillary lamps, then yes, one relay for two lights will be fine.

Over Kill when it comes to extra electrical demands in automotive wiring, to me makes alot of sense!
I've only had electrical problems in other peoples vehicles.

Two of my old friends were going to get into Ralley racing come heII or high water.
They didn't have enough money to buy multiple wire colours to do the wiring right the first time...
So they bought the best at the cheapest price... Yellow 16 gauge wire. Something crazy like 600 feet.
Their whole VW Golf (Which was also Yellow) was wired with yellow wires!
And I mean everything!
The scary thing about this?
One is a Metals and Material Engineer for a very very large U.S. Company!
The other guy is a Commercial Electrician! For British Columbia Hydro Company!

Under the dash, under the hood, every "F"in place had yellow wire!

That yellow VW Golf looked like it spilt its yellow guts all over the inside of the car
It was either that or Jason and Noah had a bad acid trip and their "pretty colour" was yellow!
Psychotic yellow Spaghetti from the planet Kuisbane!

One Ralley, they were about to launch from the start line and all the Golf did was smoke! Inside the car, under the car, everywhere. That's when my boss asked me to step in and sort the electrical out for my fellow friends, and he would pay for it!
It took me a solid 40 hours to label as much as I could. And rip out what was wrong!

 

[Boiler]

Exactly right. The rears are 55 watts and I have no intention on replacing them. The fronts are 55's, and I could have paired them, but I wouldn't want 100 watt bulbs paired. The relay could handle it, but the wire would be the problem.

55 watts = 4.6 amps
2 lights = 9.2 amps. A 10 amp fuse can handle this, and each 14 ga power wire can handle 10 amps if shorted, and still be protected by the fuse.

If you have 2 100 watt lights, for a total off 200 (16.7 amps). I'd have to run to the relay first, then to two seperate 10 amp fuses, and I didn't want to do that. I like fusing the relay contacts as well. If you go to the relay first, you'd have to use a 20 amp fuse and then each wire would have to be 12 ga IMO, as a 14 ga wire wouldnt handle 20 amps if shorted. Long story short: because of fusing.

 

[jnaut]

Dude, that is some of the nicest electrical work I've yet seen. Nice work.

 

[Boiler]

Thanks. It did take a while...but it was fun and got me off the computer for about a week.

Wiring is FUN