Does anyone have any experience or ideas on installing (down near the fuse box on the passenger side) a neat, high capacity fuse block for power and ground? My numerous electrical and electronic add-ons is beginning to result in a real rats nest down there. By the way, that is a GREAT ground on the frame right in front of the passenger door. Thanks for any help.

Patrick

 

You want to run a single wire for both ground and power to the amps and do the block at or near the amps. You want a fuse in a fuse holder on the ground in the engine compartment close to the battery. Your ground doesn't need a fuse. Use 4 gauge wire to a block that splits to 8 gauge to each amp.

 

92:

Thanks for the response. My note was not clear, I have no amps to run. What I need is a neat connection method down in the fuse box area whare all my electronic add-ons are connected. These items include Valentine & remote, rearview mirror with compus and temp, cell phone cradel, cell phone hands-free speaker, etc. These connections, and future additions do not easily go under tho hood near the battery. Suggestions?

Patrick

 

The stuff I know is usually for larger size wires. http://www.stingerelectronics.com/st...stribution.asp
Most of the accessories you want to hook up don't need 8 gauge wire. They need 16 gauge wire. Maybe try Radio shack. You could get a dual post distribution block where basically its a vertical screw that you slip eyelets over and clamp them down with a nut. Regardless, they would have a better selection of distribution blocks for your purposes than audio accessory makers.

 

What you're referring to, and what he needs, are barrier strips - simply cut to length depending on how many devices you run. Then put an inline fuse on each line for the needed amperage.

Sam

 

:iagree: You can find them at Lowe's in brass for dirt cheap. The fuses can just be put inline with each power wire.

Also try www.meci.com

 

barrier strips ??? WTF are barrier strips ? Thanks anyhow. BTW, since my initial post, I have added a full blown, non-RF modulated XM connection utilizing a Delphi XM SKYFi and the 2 PIE Harnesses that work through the CD changer connection on the C5. It works great but there are now more connections down in my little rat's next of wires near the fuse box on the passenger side of my C5!

Patrick

 

I can't post pictures, but let me try a description of a barrier strip. Its a rectangular block of black plastic or bakelite (about 1/2 x 1/4 and various lengths) there are 2 screws and a metal strip between the screws every 1/2 inch in line with the 1/2 width. In between each set of screws is a rib molded into the plastic (the barrier) to keep the wires connected to each set of screws from touching.

I'm jfb and youre not.

 

 

There are plenty of fuse block panels available out of places like Jegs or Summit.

If you don't need a fuse you can use what is called a terminal block and make a very neat looking setup. It is basically a chunk of insulating material with metal bars running across it and screws down into the bars on either side. I don't know how well this will work, but it looks something like this.

|o|o|o|o|o|
========
|o|o|o|o|o|

They are connected vertically but not horizontally, so if you number it

|1|2|3|4|5|6|
=========
|A|B|C|D|E|G|

1 to A is connected but 1 to anything else isn't. This is great if you have a lot of wires and you need to make a clean looking splice for all of them. Or, you can do like I did. I got tired of always hunting a good chassis ground so I just found one and ran it to my block. I ran a large ground wire from the chassis ground over to G and then just jumpered the entire bottom row. G to E to D, etc. That effectively makes 1-6 a ground and it's very easy to get at and fairly decent to look at. You can do the same thing with power, and they make many variations. You can get them in whatever size you need and you can get them with fuses and such. Just remember if you use this for a power or ground and you jumper all the terminals together, be sure that you use wire heavy enough to handle the entire load. Also for a hot wire make sure that you put a fuse on it, heavy enough to handle the entire load, then you and individually fuse them as needed.

My setup is out under the hood mounted where the AIR pump used to be, but you can do the same thing under the dash. Many years ago when my father rewired his 1946 he used these terminal blocks and very carefully braided all of his wires together. It looks VERY nice.

Hmm, just saw the other posts. They look a lot like the "barrier strips" above, just picture two rows of screws, and each vertical pair is connected.


[Modified by Nathan Plemons, 10:48 PM 12/8/2002]

 

Here's a few pics that I found real quick, HUGE pics

Here are various different terminal blocks, the black one in the lower left and the white one to the right of it represent what I'm talking about.



These are Allen Bradley brand components. Put simply you will not find better electrical components. This brand is no joke, it's used in large industrial applications as well as in power plants and power substations. Their stuff is some of the best you can buy. A lot better than any of the overpriced automotive stuff. AB components are not cheap either but you actually get what you pay for.

 

Thanks All for your advice.

Patrick