Joined: Thu Feb 12 2009, 02:56AM
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 690
Ok one last time for all Regarless of whether you run a wire to the relay from the alternator or not it still has to have a clear load free path to the regulator or any accessorie you run in between the alternator and the sensing point will see a greater voltage than the rest of the system. so to the point for the last time disregarding all the technobabble. Hook up your lights relay power sourse to the batt side of the starter relay and it will work correctly. Im not going to get any further into the voltage drop versus heat versus resistance of the "Fusible link" as the theory behind it is beyond the scope of most people. I was traind by the US Navy as en electrician and specifically in Lead acid batterys and there application. Could write a book on the subject for you, however that is not why we are here. Pls remember this is a hobby and is supposed to be fun. If Ive offended anyone Im sorry I dont want to step on toes, Just want to help. If anyone wants to take the theory discussion further Id love to but pls suggest another forum so we can keep things on point here. Thanks VIP DRIVER
Joined: Tue Oct 11 2005, 01:33AM
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 5893
Running a wire directly to the start relay is Ok because there is still a fusible link in the circuit to provide the required voltage drop to protect the battery from over charging. Removing the fusible link or worse running the wire directly to the battery post is a no-no. It will great reduce battery life and creates a potential fire hazard.
No one was talking about exploding batteries. About the only way you can explode a battery is to get it start venting lots of hydrogen and hit it with a spark.
Hooking things up the wrong way in a car generally can only yield two results, the really bad ones blow fuses and the not so bad ones just don't work as well as they should.
So hook your headlights up any way that turns your crank, but realize they will work the best if you use the #1 splice. (on a 3 wire alternator car) or the alternator stud (on a 1 wire alternator car).
Joined: Thu Feb 12 2009, 02:56AM
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 690
Fury440 wrote ... Running a wire directly to the start relay is Ok because there is still a fusible link in the circuit to provide the required voltage drop to protect the battery from over charging. Removing the fusible link or worse running the wire directly to the battery post is a no-no. It will great reduce battery life and creates a potential fire hazard.
No one was talking about exploding batteries. About the only way you can explode a battery is to get it start venting lots of hydrogen and hit it with a spark.
Hooking things up the wrong way in a car generally can only yield two results, the really bad ones blow fuses and the not so bad ones just don't work as well as they should.
So hook your headlights up any way that turns your crank, but realize they will work the best if you use the #1 splice. (on a 3 wire alternator car) or the alternator stud (on a 1 wire alternator car).
This is what I was trying to say. SO thanks you said it better than I could.
Joined: Sun Feb 26 2006, 08:46PM
Location: Kingston,Ontario
Posts: 5622
I never run any accessories from the battery stud of the alternator. Will it work? Sure. Is it the best place to hook things up? I do not think so. I will have to agree with VIP on that. Any high amp load accessories I would recommend its own relay (like the Stern headlamp system) to the battery--or starter relay- with an appropiate fuse -whether it is a "fusible link" or some type of in line fuse that stereo guys use. Everybody is entitled to interpret things differently and do things their own way-even though it will work out in the end.
Let's get this thread back on topic guys. Let's all get along.
Joined: Sun Jan 18 2009, 09:54PM
Location: BRUNSWICK, GA
Posts: 120
so here is a question... say you want a nice sound system in the car... I wouldnt want to hook a big amp up to the starter relay would you? something that draws alot of current like that would worry me. also on the one wire deal. could you in theory install a distribution block for all the electronics and power inside the car, and hook the one wire charge up to one side of the block and then run another wire to the batt? or would you be back at square one... the reason i ask is because my c body is going to have quite a few electronics on board, I am going to have electric fans, electric water pump, big sound system, hid headlights, and god only knows what else. I am sure the little 60 amp wont keep up, so I wanted to put in a GM alternator, the 12si i think it is. anyways, what would be the best way to hook all this up. I am not afraid of relays and have no problems using them. I just want to know the best way to do this.
Joined: Thu Feb 12 2009, 02:56AM
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 690
Ok will try to answer this but there may be a better way than mine. If so PLEASE let me know as I am doing very much the same thing with my car. I was thinking of doing first a MAD conversion, Then bypassing the ammeter. Then running a cable from the alternater directly to the starter relay. This all helps with redistributing the load in the car so it is not all going thru the ammeter or the bulkhead connector. After all of that, I was thinking of wiring in a distribution panel as you suggested. But as you said where to wire it? I do believe the best "Read" simplest solution is to uprgade to a 1 wire or GM style Im assuming that is what you meant, And then you can runn a large gauge cable rite from the alternator to the distribution block and it should work great. Im really not sure where the best place would be to hook it up in a 3 wire alternator system, Maybee Leaburn knows?
Joined: Thu Feb 12 2009, 02:56AM
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 690
Awsome tech info you should really check out the section on headlite relays. Says to wire the power for them from the main power buss. This is the main splice on the Fury, Correct? Im not sure where the main power bus is at this time as I dont have the prints in front of me. But this makes a lot of sense and goes along with what I was thinking. Will definatly be calling MAD and ordering some stuff from them. Here is the link for the headlite wireing info http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/brighter-headlights.shtml
Joined: Thu May 01 2008, 11:15AM
Location: Chicago,IL
Posts: 2868
My 1 wire doesn't have any of the problems MAD writes about, just to stir the pot some more I have tried my 2g charge wire both straight to the batt and where it is currently, on the starter relay. I see consistent readings. I did screw up and put the power wire for my efi fuel pump relay to the batt instead of to the starter relay - I will correct that. Using the starter relay as a power hub in a 1 wire car seems to eliminate the issues MAD talks of. I copied the idea from others, so it's been tested. Essentially, your big loads are connected in the same spot as the charge wire, so you get the sensing in the correct place. If you hook the charge wire to the batt in the mopar setup, you could see low voltage at the starter relay.
Also, forget if it is buried back on page 3 of this thread or somewhere else, but if you search for VDO relays on amazon you can get them and the pigtails like MAD has for ~$5 set. MAD is really overcharging people from what I can tell. I bought mine off amazon. <span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited Thu Feb 26 2009, 10:29AM ]</span>
