Adding an accessory power source

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 8:16 am

Energizing the fused accessory power stud in the engine compartment power distribution center...is as simple as adding a maxi fuse and 6mm-1.00 nut. For terminal ends a 1/4" hole should work
This is a handy place to provide power for added accessories.

Another option after the addition of a dual post battery is the solder a 1/4" loop terminal end into a positive battery cable end. This makes a good place to bolt wires, or add breakers-

The resettable 150 amp breaker is for my removable winch, and The other wire with an inline fuse is for the amp in the Bazooka tube.

Items that are high draw , or need a filtered power source are best taken directly from the battery so the noise from the distribution center is not an issue and it is not overloaded.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 10:07 am

Outstanding as usual, HJ

adrenalnjunky · Post by **adrenalnjunky** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:13 am

Man -- Iposted a big long post in the stock audio/electrical just now, and then came over to find this.

Other post is deleted -- this rules. you think a set of 100watt KC's and my rear back up lights will bee too much pulling from this if I use a 30 amp fuse? I can't think of too many situations I would be using both sets of lights at the same time.

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:39 am

adrenalnjunky wrote:...you think a set of 100watt KC's and my rear back up lights will bee too much pulling from this if I use a 30 amp fuse? ...

The KC's should be under 20 amps I would think, so that leaves about 10 amps for the back-up lights.

With the appropriate sized wiring i think you will be safe

barch97 · Post by **barch97** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:28 am

Amps = Watts/Volts

"a set" = 2?

2 x 100watts = 200w/12v = 16.66 amps

adrenalnjunky · Post by **adrenalnjunky** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:32 am

cool so the 200W of KC's and 110W of dual 55W reverse lights comes up under 30 amps.

Thanks -- I haven't worked in 12V audio in too long -- lots of those formulas get forgotten when you don't use em anymore.

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 7:56 pm

Notice there is a front stud mounting hole but no stud? Anyone know if it can be connected, I'm guessing a connection would be made between one of the empty maxi fuse spots and the stud. I'm wondering if the fuse box from another gm (full size truck maybe) is the same but has this connected.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:03 pm

eugene wrote:... I'm wondering if the fuse box from another gm (full size truck maybe) is the same but has this connected.

It does have it on the fullsize

I haven't explored what would be needed to make the addition to ours though.

Oh, and welcome

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:14 pm

I almost pulled my fuse box apart one day to see but decided I'd pick up a spare from a yard or ebay first

Thanks for the welcome, my truck isn't a crew though but I want to swap a crew cab on someday (among other mods) so I've lurked for a while. Finally got some pinouts of the underhood fuse box so I could see what needs changed for a cab and engine swap and used the pin for the export s10 headlight leveling system to power a battery isolator.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:19 pm

eugene wrote:... to power a battery isolator.

So you are running dual batteries?

Where did you mount the second?

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:33 pm

At the moment its sitting in a box in the bed until I make a permanent home for it.

adrenalnjunky · Post by **adrenalnjunky** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:48 pm

Heanry -- you had to add a maxi fuse? On ym blazer it was already there, but nothing was bolted to the stud -- I still had to add the 6x 1.0 nut to hold down my battery connectors for the realys I wired to it.

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:43 pm

Mine has the fuse there also, but then I have the rear defoger relay without a rear defoger and the relay was plugged in backwards (I was temp using its power source for something else and it took me a bit to figure out why the pin I was using wasn't working until I checked the opposite corner and realized they relay had been put in backwards)

quickbiker · Post by **quickbiker** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:24 am

Kewl, is that power stud only powered with the switch on or in accessory possition of the ignition? I just ordered this thing, and maybe I can hook up the solenoid wire to it instead of a seperate switch.

adrenalnjunky · Post by **adrenalnjunky** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:46 am

The stud is a constant 12v+ regardless of ignition switch. From wht I can tell, it is on a solid 12V bus directly from the batterym fed by about a 4 ga. cable. the only thing that appears to energize that post is the 30Amp maxi fuse that is nearest it. If you needed more than 30 amps on that circuit, I don't see why you couldn't put in a bigger rated Maxi fuse, as long as you appropriately fuse all components attached to the stud.

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:10 pm

Put a breaker or series of breakers mounted parallel on the power for the winch someplace, and tap the battery directly for a load of that size.

The stud in the fuse box won't handle the load of a winch.

If you were just looking for an ignition source under the hood, GOOD LUCK!
I went into the dash fusebox and added a fused ignition source to that box.

quickbiker · Post by **quickbiker** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:05 pm

HenryJ wrote:Put a breaker or series of breakers mounted parallel on the power for the winch someplace, and tap the battery directly for a load of that size.

The stud in the fuse box won't handle the load of a winch.

If you were just looking for an ignition source under the hood, GOOD LUCK!
I went into the dash fusebox and added a fused ignition source to that box.

I'll probably just use the switch it comes with. I was looking for a switched accessory source for the relay that will control the main power for the winch, it will not feed the winch's power.

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:00 pm

HenryJ wrote:
If you were just looking for an ignition source under the hood, GOOD LUCK!
I went into the dash fusebox and added a fused ignition source to that box.

Pin A3 in the headlight harness plug (green) is a switched ign source that comes from the IGNE fuse in the underhood box. Its normally used for a headlight leveler in the export trucks so its unused in ours. I added it to the light harness and brought it over and under the battery to the E terminal on my isolator. If your mounting your winch relay near the battery simply add it like I did and bring that wire out next to the horn connector on the passenger side.

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:19 pm

quickbiker wrote:I'll probably just use the switch it comes with. I was looking for a switched accessory source for the relay that will control the main power for the winch, it will not feed the winch's power.

Ok, but I'd still like to see you use a circuit breaker with a rating to match the winch, and below the alternators maximum output , in the line to power the winch.
Granted if something goes wrong the solenoid should burn up first, but I'd feel safer with a circuit breaker protecting the system.

BTW, that is just a heavy duty starter solenoid that you bought. It may be rated for continuous duty, but I doubt it since it is the two post solenoid. I'd recommend installing a switch in the cab to "arm" or energize it. It will last lots longer, than if it is energized whenever the key is on.

I have been using them in the fleet to power the fuel transfer pumps.

I have found them to be less than reliable, but they are cheap and every parts store carries them, so replacements are not a problem.

When you replace it get the single post continuous duty solenoid, it will cost a little more ($12) but they seem to last better.

quickbiker · Post by **quickbiker** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:33 pm

Well, should last as long as my starter solenoid which I have never had one go bad that I remember. I'd rather just put a big 'ol breaker at the battery also, but I think this will do. I just don't want anyone hooking up to it and operating it if I'm not there. lol. And for safety reasons.

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:45 pm

quickbiker wrote:Well, should last as long as my starter solenoid which I have never had one go bad that I remember. ...

Yeah, Just don't run that winch more than 30 seconds at a time and it will last as long as your starter solenoid

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:12 pm

eugene wrote:Pin A3 in the headlight harness plug (green) is a switched ign source that comes from the IGNE fuse in the underhood box. Its normally used for a headlight leveler in the export trucks so its unused in ours. I added it to the light harness and brought it over and under the battery...

Any chance of getting some pictures of where and what you added for the underhood ignition source under the hood?

Oh, and what vehicle do you have?

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:32 pm

I've been meaning to take some pics of the wiring but it hasn't stopped raining since I did it. I haven't even mounted the isolator permanently yet, its still attached to the scrap wood I used to make the template for the metal I need to buy to make a real mount http://www.ninefamily.com/images/isolator-640x480.jpg

Stupid rain

Oh, mine's a CC wannabe (extended cab) with the big powerfull 2.2

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:56 pm

Appreciate the rain situation, Eugene

Lost a 35 " inch diameter oak, and my wife's cute rubbermaid lawn tool shed last night to it combined with the wind.

My first clue came when my wife was going out this morning, walked back in and said "Honey, you better put on some shoes and walk behind the house"

A typical understatement from an ER nurse

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:08 pm

I'm putting a new front door on my house last night and tonight and tomorrow night and ...
I had the new door laying in the yard when I pulled the old door out then went to stand up the new door and there was 1" of water laying on it (frame side up so the frame made nice sides) I guess I know the seals are good. Walked back to my shed and sunk in the yard over the top of my shoes and got my feet soaked. Still have a leak in my roof between the house and garage I need to fix too and now my gutters are overflowing with all the leaves, I just can't get ahead

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:20 pm

You sound like me

A former supervisor took me aside one day and told me "Reed, if you had a pet duck it would drown!" Really worried me being a K-9 handler.

We should try to stick to the topic (my fault) or HJ will put a black star beside our names on his chart on the wall in his custom built moderator room

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:43 pm

I'm good for getting off topic. It sure does pour though, not just the rain through. Two weeks ago I got an outbreak of shingles on my face, didn't know what it was at the time so someone at work who saw my face all swelled up thought maybe I had an infected tooth. I poked a little plastic plaque scraper up into my teeth an one hurt so I thought that must be it. Went to the dentist, and of course I just switched from a contractor to an employee of the company I'm at and this happens within the 4 days I'm not covered by insurance. Spent $75 for a tooth x-ray to have the dentist tell me he hasn't a clue, then went and to the doctor and paid that out of pocket, then paid for a bunch of medicine out of pocket (and some nice string pain pills the dentist prescribed because he thought I must have really been in pain by the way my face looked). Then someone steals the license plate off of my wife's car, then someone breaks in my shed and steals two lawn mowers and two bikes.

Anyway to get on topic, my education is electronic engineering so I like messing with electrical stuff. I've found partial schematics for my 2000 s10 and am mapping out plugs and such (found a lot of the pins on the schematics were mis-labeled). I've gotten a couple plugs mapped out in spreadsheets that I could share, I'm not sure about copyrights but since the source I used has so many mistakes that I had to double check everything I'm not copying much except the circuit numbers.

I still need to take a couple pics of my tranny temp sensor because everyone asks where to put one.

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 1:30 pm

HenryJ wrote:Put a breaker or series of breakers mounted parallel on the power for the winch someplace, and tap the battery directly for a load of that size.

The stud in the fuse box won't handle the load of a winch.

If you were just looking for an ignition source under the hood, GOOD LUCK!
I went into the dash fusebox and added a fused ignition source to that box.

Here's what I used http://www.ninefamily.com/images/im002173-640x480.jpg

The green plug is the head/park/signal/foglight wiring harness. Pin A3 is a switched source and comes directly from the IGNE fuse in the underhood box. Its normally used on export s10's for a headlamp lever. I added the thicker yellow wire you see in the picture here (right side 3rd up from the bottom) and brought around through the light harness and under the battery for to the E terminal on my isolator. That fuse also powers things such as the A/C relay, AIR relay (CA emissions), rear defogger relay, and automatic leveling system.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:02 pm

eugene wrote:...(extended cab) with the big powerfull 2.2.... normally used on export s10's for a headlamp lever...Its normally used for a headlight leveler in the export trucks....

Seems to be some pretty big differences between yours and the crew cabs. What year is your ex-cab?

On a 2001 that would be refered to as Underhood fuse block connector C4. It is a 32-way F metri-pack 280 series that is green. It attaches to the bottom side of the underhood fuse block.

A3 is listed as a pink wire - ignition 1 voltage.

C1-C4 are not used on the 2001 and you added a yellow wire to C1. So you jumpered from A3 to C2? And then added a fuse from C2 to C1?

I can't see A3 in your picture, so really can't tell what you've done.

Anyhow... Thanks for the tip, and I'll know where to look for an ignition source in the future

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:08 pm

Mine is a 2000. There are some differences in the ECU wiring but the headlight harness is the same between the extended cab and crew cab.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:43 pm

eugene wrote:Mine is a 2000. There are some differences in the ECU wiring but the headlight harness is the same between the extended cab and crew cab.

You're right the headlight wiring should be the same, I just found no mention, or provisions for a "lever" or "leveling" system in the export version of the 2001. There is an unused provision for export dimming and some of the Envoy differences. Is that what you are refering to?

Anyhow...moot point and splitting hairs on my part. Sorry for my confusion

Thanks again for the tip

eugene · Post by **eugene** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 3:05 pm

Sorry, typo, should be headlamp leveling. I have noticed that there are a few misprints in the docs I have, it even had this listed as pin C3 not A3.