Automotive wiring 101
From Crankshaft Coalition Wiki
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==Switches / Relays / Sockets== | ==Switches / Relays / Sockets== | ||
| − | + | *[http://www.colehersee.com/home/catalogs/ Catalogs] | |
| − | + | ==Circuits== | |
| − | + | Individual circuits fall into one or more of the following categories: | |
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| + | 1. Branch circuits. These supply power to a single device or system. This will be most of your harness (but not all) and includes most of what everyone thinks of when you say 'wiring'. | ||
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| + | 2. Feeder circuits. These supply power to multiple branch circuits and/or have combined loads on them. These can include the wiring from your battery to a fuse panel or a switch, or the power wire out of your generator/alternator to the battery. These can also be a power wire supplying a circuit that has multiple devices/loads connected to it. | ||
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| + | 3. Continuous loads. These are all the circuits that if you turn them on, can be on for an extended period or will be on anytime the vehicle is running; most lights, ignition, radio, heater, and so forth. | ||
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| + | 4. Intermittent loads. This will generally be power accessories like power windows, locks, seats, etc but can include any load that will be usually on for short periods of time (like under one minute). | ||
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| + | A feeder circuit will almost always be a continuous load, but a branch circuit could be either. The reason for splitting the branch circuits into two types is so we can apply a concept known as 'diversity' when figuring feeder loads. This is based on the idea that not everything will be operating at once. | ||
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Before you start running circuits, it is best to know how much amperage each one of those accessories will take to power it up. Keep in mind there are four types of accessories we will be dealing with; un-switched continuous, un-switched intermittent, switched continuous, and switched intermittent. | Before you start running circuits, it is best to know how much amperage each one of those accessories will take to power it up. Keep in mind there are four types of accessories we will be dealing with; un-switched continuous, un-switched intermittent, switched continuous, and switched intermittent. | ||
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===Grounding=== | ===Grounding=== | ||
| − | Many of the functions on a vehicle are electrical, which requires a way for the current to get from the battery to the load and then another way for it to get from the load back to the battery. | + | Many of the functions on a vehicle are electrical, which requires a way for the current to get from the battery to the load and then another way for it to get from the load back to the battery. Often times, fellows will be chasing around trying to find a problem when the real problem is the lack of proper grounding in the vehicle. |
A framed car gets a line from the negative battery terminal to the motor, motor to frame and frame to body (3 separate cables). A unibody car gets a line from the negative battery to the motor and motor to body (2 separate cables). | A framed car gets a line from the negative battery terminal to the motor, motor to frame and frame to body (3 separate cables). A unibody car gets a line from the negative battery to the motor and motor to body (2 separate cables). | ||
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