Second fuse panel picture write up. (1 Viewer)

[Coolerman]

To make your aux fuse panel come on with the ignition you need to use a relay. Here is a circuit with the relay to accomplish this. The circuit shows all of the fuses being powered through the relay. If you only want some of them switched then only jumper those fuses. The jumper kit from Blue Sea is Part #9217 and contain 5 jumpers. They will work on most of the Blue Sea panels. Be aware: that relay requires two 3/8" or.312" terminals for the power feed. The other two are standard 1/4" .250 terminals. I have the larger terminals if you need them.

 

[TCSTARK]

Coolerman - is there a preference between the #5035 and the #5025? Do you have a part number for the 60 amp fuse? What are yours asking for the larger terminals? Do you also have the relay to purchase?

 

[TCSTARK]

Ok, so I got all of the parts purchased and was sorting everything out for the install. I went with the Blue Sea 5035 auxiliary fuse panel and I have a question. Where do I connect the main power in from the battery? I noticed that the 5015 has a connection post for both + and - where as the 5035 does not..

 

[FishTacos]

I think you can get jumpers from blue sea so that one wire in powers one whole side or however many circuits you want to jump... You could also just make a bus bar out of a piece of brass or splice together several leads for the batt+ side for switched and then the same for unswitched. I think the 5015 has a built in ground bus. Fiberglass boats need this for obvious reasons.

 

[fountainhead]

To make your aux fuse panel come on with the ignition you need to use a relay. Here is a circuit with the relay to accomplish this. The circuit shows all of the fuses being powered through the relay. If you only want some of them switched then only jumper those fuses. The jumper kit from Blue Sea is Part #9217 and contain 5 jumpers. They will work on most of the Blue Sea panels. Be aware: that relay requires two 3/8" or.312" terminals for the power feed. The other two are standard 1/4" .250 terminals. I have the larger terminals if you need them.

This makes total sense. Is there a clean/weatherproof way to connect the mentioned relay? I'd like to designate one of my Blue Sea 12 circuit fuse blocks as the 'ACC' block and have it hot when the key is in or past the Accessory position...just wondering about the best way to tie in the relay.

 

[70 FJ40]

I know this is an old thread but there is some great info here. I will be doing this in the next couple weeks as I am adding a second battery. Mud does it again. Thought it was worth mentioning so it would resurface and others could find it.


Oh and the "stickers are courtesy of my daughter.

 

[imyahucklbrry]

Here is the finished product!

I hope this might help someone who wants to add that second block. Only thing I'd change is adding two more at once! I am already out of room on this one, and they don't make a fuse panel with more slots than the 6 shown. But if you are willing to swap over to the blade style you can get about a gazillion circuits on one fuse panel.

I will be adding my Hella 4000's to the panel tomorrow and I hope to get the labels for the CB and Ham soon.

Hope it helps!
View attachment 225196

Old thread I know but hope you still check in... dumba$$ non electrical person question... where did you ground the neg bus from the new fuse panel?

 

[REZARF]

Old thread I know but hope you still check in... dumba$$ non electrical person question... where did you ground the neg bus from the new fuse panel?

You can ground anywhere that has a good connection to clean metal. However, I just ran a line back to the battery to eliminate any future gremlins down the road. That said, on our old 40's grounding is one of the bigger issues we face, and to take a lazy Saturday and clean your grounding surfaces and install a new star washer and some dielectric grease will do wonders for your electrical system.

 

[imyahucklbrry]

You can ground anywhere that has a good connection to clean metal. However, I just ran a line back to the battery to eliminate any future gremlins down the road. That said, on our old 40's grounding is one of the bigger issues we face, and to take a lazy Saturday and clean your grounding surfaces and install a new star washer and some dielectric grease will do wonders for your electrical system.

Thanks much... heard it done both ways but wondered what you did... I'm looking to do a similar project and really appreciate your pictures (me of simple mind) with explanation as I get humbled sometimes trying to follow schematic electrical drawings!

 

[AutaviaFJ40]

Looking good! Very neat installation. Blue Sea does make quality stuff.

A suggestion for those contemplating this install would be to add a resettable circuit breaker instead of a large fuse. Waytek Wire : Electrical Wiring Supplies & Industrial Products carries a full line of marine grade resettable circuit breakers up to 200 amps. Push button disconnect so you can work on the circuit and push to reset should you accidently trip it with a screwdriver!

You mentioned backlighting the labels?
View attachment 225207

Reviving an old thread...Im about to install this same fuse box in my glove box. Great write up.

Regarding the fuse or circuit breaker- if my Fuse Box is 100a (Blue Sea 5015), should the circuit breaker also be 100a?

How far can I locate the circuit breaker from the battery?

 

[REZARF]

Yes, you'd be fine with a 100amp breaker. Ideally, installing near the battery is best as it is there to protect the wire in case of a short. The shorter you can keep the battery to breaker wire, the less chance you have for a short along that section. Ideally try to get as close as reasonably possible, that is best... anything under a foot or so is acceptable IMHO.

I like the breakers because you can turn everything "off" downstream of the breaker, making work on the truck easier.

Post up your pics to the thread!

 

[loosechange]

I have a concern... this is something that I have written up on my to-do list since last year and i have purchased all of he necessary wiring from. 8ga to 0/1 I got the shrink wrap that has the adhesive as well inside it. I have all copper ends no clad and even two 150 amp wafer fuses and a resettable 200 amp circuit breaker along with 2-30 amp inline circuit breakers and a 50 amp inline breaker for each wire that is powered from the battery to my relays... however here’s where my question comes in

I went to buy a blue sea 12 fuse holder and was told although it will hold whatever amp fuse you want... the fuse block itself is only rated to 100 amps, for all fuses...

Basically I can use three 30 amp fuses and I’m probably maxed out for any other fuses. I was told I should use tiny little amp fuses like for my fuel pump at 3 amp etc etc. so basically I am not going to be able to run this blue sea fuse box for my electric fan, my arb pump,any off road lights or rock lights, or any other hi draw unit I have in this 40... even my “cold fire”system will need a separate wiring, circuit breaker relay etc

What is you max amp rating for the blue sea fuse block you bought? 100amp means for the entire block not the size fuses it will accept...

 

[AutaviaFJ40]

Basically I can use three 30 amp fuses and I’m probably maxed out for any other fuses.

even though you have a 30a fuse, do you believe you are going to use all 30amps on that circuit continuously and simultaneously with a full 30a from the others?
I doubt this would ever occur and think you wont have any issues. A 30a fuse is designed to protect a circuit that peaks below 30a...generally its not going to pull 30a continuously.

Look at your home panel as a reference...its likely no more than 400a total, yet you probably have 2-3X that in individual circuits.

 

[Coolerman]

Repeat after me:

Fuses are NOT to protect the device they supply power to!!!
They are there to protect the WIRE that feeds the device!

To determine fuse and wire sizes you must first know the max current a device will draw AND the distance from the fuse to the device being protected.

Example: You have a light bar with two Hella spot lights on it that draws 6 amps total when on and it is 10' away from the fuse panel. What size wire and fuse would you use for this circuit while not allowing voltage to drop more than 3%? (Voltage drop affects light output!)

Answer: 16ga wire and a 15amp fuse. Why? 10' of 16ga wire will actually handle 25 amps of current but you don't fuse for the max allowed, you fuse to keep the wire from overheating if a short occurs so 15 Amps is what you choose.

Blue Sea has one of the best calculators out there for determining this stuff. You input the circuit voltage, load current, and distance from fuse to device. Also enter in the battey CCA and if the panel is the main fuse panel, or a branch panel, and it will tell you not only the wire gauge to use but what size fuse is needed.

Circuit Wizard - Blue Sea Systems

You can also get this as an app for your phone...

Now that being said: You need to add up all the device currents that will be connected to this 100 amp rated panel. If the sum is greater than 100 amps, you need a bigger panel. Another factor to consider is that you will not have all devices on at the same time. This means you can have 60 amps of device draw on a 30 amp fused circuit as long as you do not have all devices on at the same time. OEM Toyota fuse panels usually have 1 to 3 devices on one 15 amp fuse. If you added them all up it will be over 15 amps but the odds are you will not have all devices on at the same time. Even then, fuses will handle their rated current for a period of time before they blow allowing for brief periods of "overload".

Example: You have one slot left in a fuse panel. You have two devices that each pull 6 amps EACH when on. Both devices MIGHT be one at one time. What size wire for EACH device, and what size fuse for BOTH devices do you use?

Answer: 16ga wire for EACH device from the fuse panel to the device, and a 20 amp fuse. (A 15 Amp fuse can be used if the devices are turned on one at a time. )

So find out the current draw of each device
Determine how far from the panel the device will be
Go to the link above and calculate the wire size needed for that run of wire and the fuse size needed to connect it.

 

[REZARF]

I agree, don't over think it. To run each circuit at the maximum output continuously just isn't going to happen. A fuse block protects circuits from shorts and over draw of power. Don't over think it, I am not going to run a winch through this block, but normal accessories are a-okay. Your parts list and plan look solid @loosechange so go for it and plug it up, you're going to be fine.

 

[NYIronPig]

This is an awesome thread for running a 2nd fusebox in your glove box. Ordering all the needed parts now! Thx @REZARF

 

[livesnake]

The way Land Rovers had it the fuses are on the firewall under the hood where they stay dry if someday you are wading. The glove box idea is cool. Is there a diagram showing al the wires connecting to a stock fuse box and their source? I am unable to twist around in the fuse box area it kills my back.

 

[pb4ugo]

The FSM has wiring diagrams that id fuse circuits, it also has other pics in it identifying the fuse box circuits.
You can checkout coolermans website. Click on schematics or diagrams, then scroll down to your vehicle year.

Cruiser Wiring

 

[pb4ugo]

This link should take you directly to the diagrams.

Coolerman's Electrical Schematic and FSM File Retrieval