Advice request: How to wire aux equipment (winch/lights/GMRS) to GX460 battery

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Roody

Roody

Joined
Dec 21, 2016
Threads
12
Messages
1,295
Location
Connecticut
My GX460's auxiliary wiring situation needs some attention, partially because it's just a mess and partially because I want it to be easier to work on, track down issues should one occur, etc.

Currently, every auxiliary part going to the battery is a bit of a hodgepodge:
  • Winch wired directly to the battery, with a large inline fuse
  • Driving lights, with a large inline fuse
  • GMRS unit with a small inline fuse
  • GMRS antenna with small inline fuse

It looks like this sans battery:
55096843112_c86c688f7c_b.jpg

55097717406_2a1f6afeed_b.jpg



I'm in analysis paralysis mode about how to remedy the situation. The options seem to be fuse block, bus bar, junction box, junction block... truth be told, I'm in over my head. A friend is recommending adding bus bars for positive and negative terminals, but he's also running an Auxbeam which is above and beyond what I have any need for. Maybe just a bus bar is the easiest path here? A way to incorporate the fuse into the ordeal would be great but if it adds complexity now might not be the time/place for me to do that much messing with things.

Anyways...
Requesting assistance from the GXOR hive. Thanks everyone.
 
I'd have the winch activated via a large on/off switch. Then it can be kept off unless you are wheeling. I would also upgrade your battery terminals - I have SDHQ terminals and they are 100X better than the OEM terminals if you are adding more cables to your battery, and IMO they are worth their $140 pricetag.

The other stuff is a bit tricker. What you need is an aux electrical system that connects to the battery via one set of wires, with a circuit breaker or fusiable link, and then has a few relays and fuses that your accessories connect to. Then everything is clean and isolated from the battery, and you avoid a rat's nest of wiring. You can either DIY an aux system (requires a circuit breaker and fuse/relay holder) or buy an off-the-shelf system like an Auxbeam/Switchpros. I DIY'd mine (see below) and love it, but it took hours and hours of my time and was not cheap either. If you aren't comfortable DIY'ing something, I'd consider a off-the-shelf system.
20250603_183759.webp
 
x2, Just having the winch +/- and an Aux +/- on the batt is what you are after.

In the old FJ I had the winch to a switch to cut its power. No fuse. This would also make someone have to open the hood to use the winch. Good practice.

HP0cDiD.jpeg


For my other stuff I had mounted a black plastic box above the fuse box and used it to house relays, power, and a ground bar.
But they pretty much sell them complete these days so would be a worthwhile route to go.


3Cm2I3A.jpeg
 
Rednexus said:
I'd have the winch activated via a large on/off switch. Then it can be kept off unless you are wheeling. I would also upgrade your battery terminals - I have SDHQ terminals and they are 100X better than the OEM terminals if you are adding more cables to your battery, and IMO they are worth their $140 pricetag.

The other stuff is a bit tricker. What you need is an aux electrical system that connects to the battery via one set of wires, with a circuit breaker or fusiable link, and then has a few relays and fuses that your accessories connect to. Then everything is clean and isolated from the battery, and you avoid a rat's nest of wiring. You can either DIY an aux system (requires a circuit breaker and fuse/relay holder) or buy an off-the-shelf system like an Auxbeam/Switchpros. I DIY'd mine (see below) and love it, but it took hours and hours of my time and was not cheap either. If you aren't comfortable DIY'ing something, I'd consider a off-the-shelf system.
View attachment 4087236
Click to expand...
Thanks-- lot of good info. Questions/notes:
  • $140 for battery terminals is more than I can swing but I did order some new ones that should improve the situation vs the OEM ones
  • Off the shelf solutions (Auxbeam/Switchpros/etc) are intriguing but they seem to be primarily for the purpose of adding further lighting which isn't my plan. I don't need the controller they come with or the ability to toggle lights in the way those products tailor to. Otherwise this would all be a bit easier haha. Wonder if they can be used without the controller...?


iwashmycar said:
x2, Just having the winch +/- and an Aux +/- on the batt is what you are after.

In the old FJ I had the winch to a switch to cut its power. No fuse. This would also make someone have to open the hood to use the winch. Good practice.

HP0cDiD.jpeg


For my other stuff I had mounted a black plastic box above the fuse box and used it to house relays, power, and a ground bar.
But they pretty much sell them complete these days so would be a worthwhile route to go.


3Cm2I3A.jpeg
Click to expand...
Thanks. Do you have a link to the on/off switch, or to one that's comparable? Your fuse box setup looks clean, nice work.
 
Roody said:
Thanks-- lot of good info. Questions/notes:
  • $140 for battery terminals is more than I can swing but I did order some new ones that should improve the situation vs the OEM ones
  • Off the shelf solutions (Auxbeam/Switchpros/etc) are intriguing but they seem to be primarily for the purpose of adding further lighting which isn't my plan. I don't need the controller they come with or the ability to toggle lights in the way those products tailor to. Otherwise this would all be a bit easier haha. Wonder if they can be used without the controller...?
Click to expand...
An Auxbeam 4-circuit panel is $150. By the time you buy a circuit breaker, mounting panel, fuse/relay box, connectors, wire, wire crimpers, cable crimpers, etc, you'll spend $150 or more. You'd also be able to add a few other accessories (lockers, charge ports, other lights) if you wanted to in the future. However I have not personally used one of those systems, as I went the DIY route.
 
Roody said:
Thanks-- lot of good info. Questions/notes:
  • $140 for battery terminals is more than I can swing but I did order some new ones that should improve the situation vs the OEM ones
  • Off the shelf solutions (Auxbeam/Switchpros/etc) are intriguing but they seem to be primarily for the purpose of adding further lighting which isn't my plan. I don't need the controller they come with or the ability to toggle lights in the way those products tailor to. Otherwise this would all be a bit easier haha. Wonder if they can be used without the controller...?



Thanks. Do you have a link to the on/off switch, or to one that's comparable? Your fuse box setup looks clean, nice work.
Click to expand...


Switch is just a Blue Sea 9003e.

But for off the shelf, you could just get a relay and fuse box....basically a compact version of what I had made. Like this - just need to make sure it can handle your amperage
www.nilight.com

12V Fuse Relay Box 6 Relays ATC/ATO Blade Holder 4Pin 5Pin 40A

Nilight Prewired Relay Fuse Box 12V 6 Slots Relay Block ATC ATC Blade Fuse Holder with 4Pin 5Pin Relay and Fuse 40Amp Relay Box Kit for Automotive Car Truck Camper Boat, 2 Years Warranty. The box is an insulating case with strong tamper-proof performance, with a top and bottom cover for...
www.nilight.com www.nilight.com
 
i learned the hard way last week. make sure you have properly sized wires and connectors for your load. as i was getting ready for my trip, i found my dc dc charger wasn’t working. turned out i had a melted connection in my ground wire.
 
llm said:
i learned the hard way last week. make sure you have properly sized wires and connectors for your load. as i was getting ready for my trip, i found my dc dc charger wasn’t working. turned out i had a melted connection in my ground wire.
Click to expand...
Agreed, you need to add up the amperages of all of your accessories to select the wire gauge going into the aux electrical system and size the circuit breaker/fuse. Then you need to terminate all of the connections and build the harness well (i.e., heat shrink connections, adding secondary sheathing/protection over the wires, waterproofing if needed, then securing everything). I'd budget $100-200+ in just the tools to DIY the stuff right.

Once you learn the wiring, it's a very nice skill, and I honestly really enjoy it. But there is a bit of a curve and you need to have at least a basic understanding of circuits (college physics class from 20+ years ago is where I got mine), as the consequences of getting it wrong can burn down your rig.

EDIT - here are a few more detailed pictures of my system. Required 5 separate sets of crimpers, a pair of strippers, a label maker, and a heat gun to build this :).
20231226_133436.webp

20231103_193059.webp
 
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If you don’t bite the bullet and buy a switch panel, your set up will just become a bigger and bigger rats nest as you go.

If you need more power, like for the winch, you just wire a relay to that circuit from the switch panel. You can get a high amp relay pretty cheap. I have my Switch panel controlling a 50 amp circuit, which is bigger than the Switch panel itself can handle. That drives alternator charging to an Anderson plug at the rear of my rig for my trailer and for air compressor service.

If you don’t do get a switch panel, every time you add something, you’ll be pulling another wire through the firewall. You’ll quickly get close to that expense in adding fuses and switches for an old-school set up. Think of it as replacing all the switches, fuses and wiring between the cab and the engine bay. If you need something more powerful, just drop a relay on it.

Bluesea makes a two post battery mounted fuse holder that serves as a great terminal up to 300amps. Get yourself a cutting board to mount it all to and industrial velcro it to the top of your fuse box.

Add a fire extinguisher before any of this if you don't have one.

IMG_3583.webp
IMG_3582.webp
 
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WTITW said:
If you don’t bite the bullet and buy a switch panel, your set up will just become a bigger and bigger rats nest as you go. If you need more power like for the winch, you just wire that circuit from the switch panel into a relay. You can get a high amp relay pretty cheap. I have my Switch panel controlling a 50 amp circuit, which is much bigger than the Switch panel itself can handle. That drives alternator charging to an Anderson plug at the rear of my rig for my trailer and for air compressor.

If you don’t do that, every time you add something, you’ll be pulling another wire through the firewall. You’re quickly get close to that expense in adding fuses and switches for an old-school set up. Think of it replacing all the switches and fuses and wiring between the cab and the engine bay. If you need something more powerful, just drop a relay on it.

Bluesea makes a two post battery mounted fuse holder that serves as a great terminal up to 300amps. Get yourself a cutting boards to mount it all to and industrial velcro it to the top of your fuse box.

Add a fire extenguisher before any of this if you don't have one.

View attachment 4087558View attachment 4087559
Click to expand...
yes! i’m now 7 accessories deep and know i made a mistake without going with a central switch box
 
Fire extinguisher is indeed a great add. I have a plate mounted on the front bolts for the driver's seat, and a marine fire extinguisher mounted to it (they are rated for fuel and electrical fires and are better than a household extinguisher). Well worth the ~$75 investment. Even if it's not your rig, you could end up using it to put out a fire on someone else's rig.
 
WTITW said:
First electrical mod should probably always be a fire extinguisher.
Click to expand...
I did it backwards. First was a rear cargo area charging port, than a fire extinguisher :). Per my build thread it was added way back in May 2021! That was a crappy metal-latch household extinguisher that rattled a lot - the marine one I have now has a plastic latch/valve and is much quieter.
 
Ouch. I'd be in tears watching my GX burn down. Looks like this guy took the time to set up the camera and document it. More likes to pay for the replacement Jeep I suppose :).
 
WTITW said:
Ive driven by two separate gladiators burning out on the freeway. Im not sure its a pattern but they seem a little over eager to get to the campfire.

Nvm. Googled it. It’s a pattern.
Click to expand...
Chrysler electronics are not known to be the best.
 
for those with experience, where do vehicle fires typically start? where do electrical fires usually start, and where do fluid leak fires usually start?

I have a fancy Element fire extinguisher mounted on the driver door, but do not believe I have trained enough reps should a fire occur.
 
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