Hey all.
I wired auxiliary back up lights with power coming off the battery positive side into the cab to a push/pull switch. I have an inline 30amp fuse at the battery, my questio9n is should I also include a relay of some kind? Lights are aftermarket LED driving lights I took off my Magnum.

I want to wire in a hidden kill switch under the dash. What has anyone done for this? Wire it into the ignition switch?

 

That's not the right way to wire high current circuits. You need to add separate relays for both the backups and auxiliaries.

Each circuit should basically look like this:

 

Cool just what I need. On the relay what amp is best?
Sort of expanding the question. Can't remember where I saw it, there was a guy that wired a second fuse block for accessories, lights, stereo and such.
Anyone done something similar? I know a full wiring harness upgrade is the best option it's just not in the budget for now.

 

I am also curious about the second part of the original post: how would/did you install an ignition kill-switch?

 

I haven't done it yet to my trucks but just last night I was re-wiring a lawn tractor project with auxiliary headlights, LED tail lights, and a horn. I buy electrical components from www.DelCity.net .. relays, pre-made relay pigtails, wire, auxiliary power posts, fuse blocks, terminals (of all kinds!), they have TONS of stuff.

To add a fuse block, the current flow is: Battery --> circuit breaker --> fuse block ..which then distributes power to each protected circuit. Relay sizing depends on what is being powered... Volts x Amps = Watts, or reversed "Power equals Voltage times current (amps)". Solve for amps!

For example, one 55 Watt lamp powered by 12 volts uses 4.6 amps. Then apply a fudge factor of 1.2 or 1.4.. let's say 6.4 amps. Two lights on one circuit is 12.8 amps. A 20-amp relay would be fine but I think the smallest I've encountered recently is a 30-amp and that's okay. Do the math for one 100 Watt lamp.. uh-huh. 8.33 amps times 1.4 is 11.66 amps.. or 23.3 amps for two. Now the 30-amp relay is sized more better.

A kill switch can be installed to interrupt the signal to the "I" wire going to the starter solenoid. A buddy of mine modified the cigarette lighter so that it has to be pushed in to complete the start circuit.



hey.. this is my 9,999ht post! SCARY!

 

That's a cool site thanks for the link.

 

Wiring the switch I'm not using a rocker or toggle it's a push/pull sort of looks like a mini headlight switch. Usually I don't sweat how I wire a switch but wiring in this type of circuit will the post or connector be wire specific? The relay wire on a certain post?

 

The switch simply interupts the cicuit so it is not polarity dependent. Meaning you can put the wires on either post and it will still work.