yet another electric fan wiring question
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: vt
yet another electric fan wiring question
right now i've got dual 12" flex-a-lite fans wired up so that they will stay on even if the ignition is off. the only reason i hooked them up like that in the first place was because it was the quickest and easiest way to do it. now i want to wire them up correctly. i would like to run the switched power wire to one of the existed accessory fuses on the panel under the dash. what's the easiest way to get at the fuse panel to add a wire to it? i looked at it briefly the other night, and it doesn't look very easy to get to where i need to get to add a wire back there. any ideas/advice would be appreciated.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Year of car, and then a voltmeter will tell you where to wire it....
IF you have a HEI in the car, just splice into that HEI heavy red positive wire, do NOT do that for a points ignition....
this would feed the COIL of the controll relay, and of course release controll voltage to relay, and turn off the fans when engine is still.....totally eliminating the temp controlls on the ground side of the relay coil no voltage, no closing the relay, not a consideration at that point.........
IF you have a HEI in the car, just splice into that HEI heavy red positive wire, do NOT do that for a points ignition....
this would feed the COIL of the controll relay, and of course release controll voltage to relay, and turn off the fans when engine is still.....totally eliminating the temp controlls on the ground side of the relay coil no voltage, no closing the relay, not a consideration at that point.........
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,024
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From: AL
agree with above
(didn't read your post slowly enough; sorry)
there may be an extra acc terminal on the fuse box.
i tapped into the back of the ignition switch by resoldering a new connection with the existing and a new wire. the new wire goes to a terminal block mounted on the passenger side behind the dash. this was so that i'd only have to get to hard spot once (but now with i'd done same with ignition side)
i like everything about the setup except that i have no way of turning off the fan(s) if i want to listen to radio after parking; radio is on the acc terminal also. only drawback so far. . .
(didn't read your post slowly enough; sorry)
there may be an extra acc terminal on the fuse box.
i tapped into the back of the ignition switch by resoldering a new connection with the existing and a new wire. the new wire goes to a terminal block mounted on the passenger side behind the dash. this was so that i'd only have to get to hard spot once (but now with i'd done same with ignition side)
i like everything about the setup except that i have no way of turning off the fan(s) if i want to listen to radio after parking; radio is on the acc terminal also. only drawback so far. . .
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: vt
i'm not looking to run the power through the fuse box, just the switched signal that turns on the relay in the controller. the power for the fans will be coming off of the alternator.
the car is a 78, and has HEI. mr vette you're talking about splicing into the main power to the distributor? is this really the best place to go? i would think on of the best places would be on the existing fuse panel...
the car is a 78, and has HEI. mr vette you're talking about splicing into the main power to the distributor? is this really the best place to go? i would think on of the best places would be on the existing fuse panel...
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: vt
i didn't even think of that. rather than going to an accessory power source, an ignition switched source would be the best way to go. sounds like mr vettes idea was probably a good one. or are there any other ignition switched power sources that might be better to use than the feed for the HEI?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,024
Likes: 1
From: AL
if it is like earlier vettes, the power comes from or through the ignition switch. there may be one terminal for the dist and one or two others for whatever. the better would be to go to the switch; the easiest/quickest would be to splice the wiring as per mrvette
comment:
assuming a hot engine, an advantage of using the acc terminal is that the fans are off while your engine is trying to start (switch in start position). with fans on an ignition terminal, fans run during starting
comment:
assuming a hot engine, an advantage of using the acc terminal is that the fans are off while your engine is trying to start (switch in start position). with fans on an ignition terminal, fans run during starting
Last edited by S489; Jul 2, 2007 at 01:44 PM. Reason: added comment
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
i'm not looking to run the power through the fuse box, just the switched signal that turns on the relay in the controller. the power for the fans will be coming off of the alternator.
the car is a 78, and has HEI. mr vette you're talking about splicing into the main power to the distributor? is this really the best place to go? i would think on of the best places would be on the existing fuse panel...
the car is a 78, and has HEI. mr vette you're talking about splicing into the main power to the distributor? is this really the best place to go? i would think on of the best places would be on the existing fuse panel...
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
hehe....I forgot about that yellow wire, of course on a stock ish vette that would work fine....wouldn't on MY car, but that's another story....
so take that yellow wire also over to the relay COIL high side, ign now kills voltage to the wire feeding the controll voltage to relay coil....
case closed.....
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: vt
sounds like i'm going to be spending some time in cramped spaces with a voltmeter. or i just may go the easy route and go with the yellow wire to the wiper motor.
thanks for all the suggestions guys. now it's just a matter of doing it.
waiting on a new alternator. the powermaster 85 A couldn't cut it. fried itself up pretty good. i was kind of surprised to see this alternator not be able to handle this load. i know the fans are pulling less than 25 A total, because i swapped the 30 A fuse they came with for a 25 A (after i acidentally arced the power wire and blew the fuse). and no high current CD ignition box or anything like that either.
thanks for all the suggestions guys. now it's just a matter of doing it.
waiting on a new alternator. the powermaster 85 A couldn't cut it. fried itself up pretty good. i was kind of surprised to see this alternator not be able to handle this load. i know the fans are pulling less than 25 A total, because i swapped the 30 A fuse they came with for a 25 A (after i acidentally arced the power wire and blew the fuse). and no high current CD ignition box or anything like that either.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,024
Likes: 1
From: AL
hehe....I forgot about that yellow wire, of course on a stock ish vette that would work fine....wouldn't on MY car, but that's another story....
so take that yellow wire also over to the relay COIL high side, ign now kills voltage to the wire feeding the controll voltage to relay coil....
case closed.....
so take that yellow wire also over to the relay COIL high side, ign now kills voltage to the wire feeding the controll voltage to relay coil....
case closed.....