Accessory Wiring Questions

[Rice Eater]

I have 3 switches in the cab....Zex System, Bottle Heater and Line Lock. All the switches are next to each other mounted to the back of the shifter counsel.

All the accessories are grounded at their installed locations in the engine bay and bed. So all the switches need is a power supply coming in and a power going out to the accessory. What is the best way to provide the power source to these switches?

Options I thought of/used:

1. Use a wire tap/splice into the power supply to the accessory outlet in the counsel.

2. Run a wire directly off the positive battery terminal to the switch itslef (inline fuse of course) but this gets messy with 3 switches.

I am SLOWLY learning this wiring business and I appreciate any insight!

 

[AWDisuzu]

you need both!

 

[TheMoparConnection]

nice diagram!

 

[BigRed460]

When I did nx on my hemi (clase to the same wiring) I ran a relay off the pink and yellow wire under the dash(that way key off then everything off) then a thicker wire from the battery to under the center seat to a terminal block then I split power off to everything from right there. To get the wires out of the cab I drilled a hole through the boottom of the floor and put a gromet in...

 

[Rice Eater]

Nice Diagram! Wish I could read it better....i'm goint to get one of our electricians on the job to help explain it.

I currently only have the Nitrous System wired and it is working like the following:

10 gauge wire off positive terminal- in line fuse- wired to one terminal of the switch. off the other terminal of the switch is the red wire which runs to the Zex Box containing the selonoids. The box then has a ground wire which is grounded to a bolt in the engine bay. This is working. Why would I need a supply off the battery and a second supply off the 12V accessory outlet? Unless the only purpose of that is to only allow it to come on when the key is on but as long as the switch is off the system is off.

 

[AWDisuzu]

you need to use relays to turn those devices on, and use switches to turn the relays on. otherwise, you're running high current through your switches.

 

[Rice Eater]

the relay part is the part I don't understand.....what the hell is a relay?

whats the issue with running high current through the switch as long as you have an inline fuse?

 

[AWDisuzu]

relays are electronic switches. it's basically just a safety thing, since high current wire is much thicker and harder to install, plus there is the chance it could get hot and cause a fire or melt the switch itself. so you use thin wires to turn on the relay, and the relay has a big fat switch inside it that can handle the extra amps that the NOS solinoid draws.

also, you want the high current wires as short as possible. I put my relays close to the battery. you can put them close to the nos solinoid also if you prefer. just dont put them in the cab.

 

[Rice Eater]

Ok I'm getting it now...thanks for the advice. In the Zex directions all it said to do was tap an existing 12V accessory outlet wire to supply power to the switch and then from the switch to the box. Is this method acceptable because the outlet wire most likeley has its own relay already built in? "Assuming you do not use the accessory outlet and switch at the same time?"