Wiring up an Engine Saver

[SimonM]

To get power to the engine saver which is the easiest wire to connect to, has to be a fused supply that switches on off with the ignition? And while we are at it where is a good earth point?

Which is the best way to connect the wires?

Cheers

Simon

[robzilla]

when i put mine in i made up a new accessory power board as i was adding a few accessory-powered items and didn't want to keep piggy-backing off existing lines.

it's just a 4-fuse fuseblock and a relay and uses an existing accessory +12V to trigger the relay. the relay gets power direct from the battery.

Also makes it's easier for hooking up future gadgets. I now have my engine saver, EGT unit, CB Radio and head unit running off it.

Mounted the relay and fuse block on a little board and stuck it under the dash.

5-minute paint diagram... :p

[SimonM]

Thanks mate that sounds like the go for me. What size fuse did you put near the battery? And what existing 12v accessory did you tap into?

[robzilla]

think it was just a 30amp fuse, was the biggest i could find in the garage :p
but accessories draw so little current, it's mainly there in case the power cable shorts out somewhere.

not sure what the accessory wire is i piggybacked off. There was an old power-cable for a CB radio on it, so chopped that off and put the new relay-trigger wire on.

it's under the steering column, green wire with white tracer.
can see it in the middle of this pic, with the fat red wire coming off it.

[adonuff]

Hi
I used one of the terminals in the fusebox under the steering wheel, must be for an acc that is not fitted to mine

[biggin]

Hi
I used one of the terminals in the fusebox under the steering wheel, must be for an acc that is not fitted to mine
Me too! Very simple this way.:cool:
And neat.

[SimonM]

think it was just a 30amp fuse, was the biggest i could find in the garage :p
but accessories draw so little current, it's mainly there in case the power cable shorts out somewhere.

not sure what the accessory wire is i piggybacked off. There was an old power-cable for a CB radio on it, so chopped that off and put the new relay-trigger wire on.

it's under the steering column, green wire with white tracer.
can see it in the middle of this pic, with the fat red wire coming off it.

For the life of me I can't find that wire on mine. Would it be ok to connect up to the green wire from the electric mirror?

[SimonM]

Hi
I used one of the terminals in the fusebox under the steering wheel, must be for an acc that is not fitted to mine

Thanks mate. There is a spare terminal on the right hand size of the D1 not sure if I can use this or not. Sorry my electrical knowledge is pretty poor :(.

[greg-g]

I used a spare relay socket next to the fuse panel near the steering wheel
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=25985&stc=1&d=1275959235

[adonuff]

Thanks mate. There is a spare terminal on the right hand size of the D1 not sure if I can use this or not. Sorry my electrical knowledge is pretty poor :(.

Should be fairly easy, Get a cheap test lamp and put the clip onto any exposed bit of the body, ie nut bolt or anything not painted put the test lamp point into the terminal with the ignition off, for what you need the light should not light up until you turn the ignition on