Is this right? What am I missing?
 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...id=251909&.jpg

I want to add a CB and some flood lights to my pick-up, but am getting tired of hunting for wires that are constant hot or switched hot under the dash. Not to mention the rats nest of wiring that results, and the potential for overloading the factory wirinng.

Above is a diagram that I came up with while trying to figure out how to add a constant hot fuse block, and a switched hot (or ACC) fuse block to the truck to clean up the wiring.

Am I using the relays in the right way? (Never used one before)

Any help or input will be appreciated, thanks!
:-drink
Bones

Can you please explain what the three circular items in your diagram mean (are they relays)? Here is an example for wiring a keyed terminal block. This drawing uses a conventional schematic symbol for a relay and is much easier to understand.

http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/.../accy_feed.jpg

Sorry about that! They are the relays. I read that you should use relays to handle electrical that are pulling heavy loads (as in amps), instead of just relying on a toggle switch. From what I understand, the toggle switch just energizes the relay, and the relay makes the electrical connection to turn the item on. (lights for example). So the circles are the relays, a 12V power going in, a line to the toggle switch to energize the relay, a ground, and a 12V going out to the lights, or whatever.

Here is another pic with a little more information:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...id=251915&.jpg

What is outlined in the red circle should be just a connection to a wire from the truck harness that is only hot when the key is switched to "on" or "acc" right? I don't think I would even need a toggle switch there.

Edit: Looks like my red circle didn't make it. To the left of the left circle, where it says "To 12V switched hot " is what I am talking about.

FMC: That looks like what I am trying to draw above. What does the triangle mean that is coming out of the bottom left of the relay?
And what does "Fused Hot-in-Run from fuse block" mean?

If I want to put the relay on a toggle switch, (single throw, either off or on), would I connect one wire to the relay, and the other to a ground, or to a 12V source?

You do not need relays for small amp draws. You may be making this too hard. There are lighting kits available at any automotive store for lights. CB is a pretty small draw.

Steve

Thanks Steve, but what I am trying to do is set up a circuit in the truck that I can add components to or remove from without continuously hacking up the trucks factory wiring harness. So I am trying to learn how to set up a terminal block that is continuously hot, and one that is on a switched hot (for key-on or ACC positions). Besides, those kits would probably cost a lot more to buy that to build, and then what would I learn? :-X04


"FMC400 Can you please explain what the three circular items in your diagram mean (are they relays)? Here is an example for wiring a keyed terminal block. This drawing uses a conventional schematic symbol for a relay and is much easier to understand."

I used your schematic and redrew what I had scratched together earlier. Hopefully you can see what I am talking about better. I think I have it worked out, but am still confused as to where the wires on the switches go?:-huh THe "Where does this wire go?" #1 and #2.

The rest I think I understand:
The triangles = Ground
Load = electrical item, lights, CB GPS, air system etc.
Terminal Block is that, a terminal block.

Does this make more sense as to what I am trying to do?
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...id=251916&.jpg

Thanks for ya'lls help!
:-drink
Bones

Your relays switch by a hot and a ground. There may be a terminal for the ground or the relay itself my ground through the body so there is only a hot and the chassis ground completes the circuit and closes the relay.

I would share a couple of thoughts. Keep your work as simple as possible in terms of the number of connections for both reliability and effeciency. Plan everything out before you start wiring and do work with the power to your circuit off until you check everything with a meter. Know you amp loads so you can size our wire and fuses correctly and have fun!

Good luck,

Steve

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...d=251916&.jpg=

Point #1 and #2 are what's going to activate the new relays. This will depend on how you want them to function. If you want the relay on the left to activate anytime the keyswitch is in run, then you will need to hook #1 to a spot in the fuse box that is hot when the key is in run(this is like in the darkblue diagram). In the darkblue diagram #2 was hooked to a toggle, because apparently they wanted the relay to activate with a toggle switch.

Both of the lines with the arrows(one of them says " switched hot terminal block" will go to ground. This will complete the circuit through the coil in the relay and make the relay click.

Thanks Steve! That is the idea, slow and steady here, just call me the tortoise!

Thanks Franklin, that helps clear things up.

I think I will use an existing switched hot, and constant hot wire from the factory harness to activate the relays for the two circuits. Then anything that is going to draw a bit more power I wil use an additional relay and another toggle switch to activate it. I will power this toggle from the terminal block to keep the wiring clean and clutter free.

For the smaller items that don't draw as much, I can put them directly on a toggle from the terminal block if I need to.

Now I need to figure out where I want to mount all this...
Cheers!
Bones

Hey Bones,

In the RVs I work on, I often spend more time planning where to run the wires than it takes to do the wiring once I decide. When you do it right, no one should be able to tell you worked on it. :-jammin

Steve

Steve- I agree totally!! I like to think my wiring is decent. I rewired my old 65 Mustang (Painless kit) and spent DAYS on the layout, routing, bundling, marking, ziptieing, soldering, shrink wrapping, hiding etc! I think it turned out nice though! But there is still so much that I don't know and have yet to learn (relays for instance :-X22).

This is what I have come up with as far as the truck goes:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...id=251917&.jpg

If anyone sees any problems please let me know! I think I may be able to do away with the Constant hot relay (before the terminal block). It looks like it is not really required.

Cheers!
Bones

I agree with your summation regarding the relay on the constant hot. If it is constant, the relay isn't really doing anything. Otherwise it all looks good.

Steve

So here is what I have been working on the last few weeks. Since getting the wiring sorted, I have built this:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=117960

Sorry about the crappy cell phone pic. i started to go with just half of the switch area in aluminum, but changed my mind as you can see here. This is a better shot of the almost finished console:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=117958

And here:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=117956

I put all the wiring on the inside of the box. The fuse block on the left is my switched hot, and the one center is the constant hot. I have since cleaned this up a lot, and added additional interior light to the sides of it.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ctureid=117957

I have routed all the wires for my external lighting, and have been busy getting those hooked up so they look good, and not some thrown together piece of junk. I will get the console installed sometime today, and get pictures of it inside the truck, and of the lights.

:-drink

Bones