I'm getting ready to wire up my buggy and was wondering how many of you all run relays to your lights, fuel pumps and the electric fans?

Inline fuses or use fuse block?

I'm sure i'll have alot of stupid questions about this wire job. I am an industrial electrician by trade but never wired a buggy up before.

Thanks for the new forum Dean!

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Bryan

Relays are good to run on power circuits like lights, oil cooler fans, starter solinoids and Electric fuel pumps. They are not nessasary however if you dont you will have to run heavyer gauge wiring and at least 15 amp rated toggles for them. If you use relays and locate them at the devices you can run #18 pilot duty wire to the coil circuits and use 3 to 5 amp togglr\es. They are cheaper. Then depending on current of device use #14 or 12 on the power side. As far as circuit protection I prefer automatic circuit breakers. You don't have to worry abut being out of fuses and trying to change them when everything is all muddy. If you are going to use fuses at least put one 30 amp circuit breaker off the Plus terminal circuit to your Ignition switch B+ termimnal. Also use 10 gauge wire for that circuit.

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Water cooled Dry Sumped Subaru Powered Turbo Charged Fuel Injected 2500CC Tank. Oh Rah! He who dies with the most Toys not only wins, He also wears them out!

This is what I run and never had a problem. They automatically reset if they get tripped and like Odyknuck said no need to carry spare fuses.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-Manu ... 0148209148

i used 4 gauge from my starter to my dash then it runs to a fuse block and out. i run 20amp metal switches. i had a 20amp plastic one burn out on my ignition side. that was a tricky one to figure out hah. anyways run 20amp metal switches and good feed line and you'll be fine.

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2332cc Air Cooled Screaming Meanie. Predator Singleseat.

"Lets go get stupid"

Kyle, maybe you have better luck than me. I ran the same switches in my old buggy and at 3:00am by myself down along the creekbed, I melted one. And you know how dark it is in the middle of the night in the creekbed.

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When in doubt, hit it in second gear!

Melting switchs is the major reason to use relays to switch the power circuits. Relays are designed to handle the inrush current a whole lot better than a switch and will last a whole lot longer.

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Water cooled Dry Sumped Subaru Powered Turbo Charged Fuel Injected 2500CC Tank. Oh Rah! He who dies with the most Toys not only wins, He also wears them out!

yea, you gotta watch out for the bears

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**********"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity."
- Sigmund Freud **********
**********"The problem is not the availability of guns, it is the availability of morons."
- Antonio Meloni **********

[quote='DVS1']Kyle, maybe you have better luck than me. I ran the same switches in my old buggy and at 3:00am by myself down along the creekbed, I melted one. And you know how dark it is in the middle of the night in the creekbed.[/quote]

i know how dark it is, haha.

i always carry my cell phone with me. not for calls but to have some light to walk out of the woods with. not the first time i have done that haha

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2332cc Air Cooled Screaming Meanie. Predator Singleseat.

"Lets go get stupid"

can you say flashlight

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**********"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity."
- Sigmund Freud **********
**********"The problem is not the availability of guns, it is the availability of morons."
- Antonio Meloni **********

[quote='plumberbill']can you say flashlight [/quote]

At least he carry

you dont walk out of the woods and leave ur buggy at wellsville!

Will a 30/40 amp relay work for a powertrain relay that supplies the coils, o2 sensors, maf sensor, fuel injectors? And what size will I need for fuel pump, fans, and intercooler pump? Thanks for any advice

I ended up using 40 amp relays for all my circuits. Been working great so far.

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Bryan

I also like the starter relays from Ford trucks and relays from snow plow pumps. They are big and ugly but they pull the amps and work great. Thanks Dave T

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RAJAY + SAND = FUN!!! Can we put a turbo on that??*** Hey look in here for more junk.*** http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o157 ... ndoffroad/