8 sources that need 12V switched voltage, Safe to take it all from Ignition harness?

[screamineagle]

alright, I already have 3 gauges and now i'm installing 3 more along with an AVCR. Is it safe to take the 12V constant, 12V switched and parking light voltage all from the same source? Or is the draw to much and it will start to make thing malfunction?

Is there a better way to wire all these things in? I've got 6 gauges, ebc, TT and alarm all wired into this same circuit. Can't be the ideal way to wire them.

Anyone have any suggestions/methods?

 

[Kevin Jewer]

I always tap everything into the cigarette lighter, but as you stated, it's not the ideal way to do things. Guages and the like don't take much power, but the AC inverter for example can take a decent amount of current. I recently picked up a 6 or 8 circuit fuse panel at Advance Auto (summit sells nicer ones for more money) to mount up under the dash with a straight feed from the battery, switched by a 40 amp relay. Someday I'll actually install it. But something like this should be the way to go.

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

I agree with Kevin. I am reluctant to pull anything that goes to the coils or ignition as it might cause a voltage sag and you don't want that. Get a relay kit say for a cooling fan or something like that and install it so it operates all your gee whiz gauges

Good Luck

 

[turbodsm18]

I never even thought of how you guys wired your gauges, I just checked summit and the fuse block kit was less than $60.00. The reason ive been avoiding gauges is because i havent wanted to deal with the power source(damn electrical problems). Thank You for the help.

 

[Kevin Jewer]

The ones at summit are real nice, but just for reference for my fellow cheap bastards, the one I picked up at advance auto was about 8 dollars. Not as nice, and you'll want to use fully insulated female terminals, but it will work. I haven't put it in yet because I'm trying to work up the motivation, and I have considered spending the money on the better ones at summit. Funny thing with the EVO, I'm more willing to spend money on it than I was with the DSM. At any rate, I was planning to use the usual cig lighter source to trigger the relay to keep it simple. I should do this this week, I really need to get the AC inverter hardwired in and off my passenger floor.

 

[screamineagle]

How do you deal with guages that need 3 sources? such as greddy electrical guages that need constant 12V, switched 12V and parking light(lights/cig lighter)