Tyrone Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 Looking at what I need from the Vehicle Wiring Products catalogue, is this a reasonable take on cable sizes: Thinwall 0.5mm², 11 amps. (general wiring and guages) Thinwall 1mm², 16.5 amps. (Side & tail lights, reversing & rear fog lamps, horn,) Thinwall 2mm², 25 amps. (Head Lights, fog ,windscreen wiper motor, Fuel Pump, all dash earths) Thinwall 4mm², 39 amps. (Ignition) or Thinwall 6mm², 50 amps. (ignition) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted September 3, 2012 Leadership Team Share Posted September 3, 2012 Use thinwall 1mm for all the general wiring. Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrone Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 Cheers Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mav Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Optime II's are the ones to use. Wiring for pro seven sport is here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted September 4, 2012 Leadership Team Share Posted September 4, 2012 Discovered today that my mum has a proper Autocom headset that isn't being used ..... they have a motorbike with sidecar and she's decided my dad needs to concentrate on the road these days and not talk to her whilst he's driving/riding ... he's 75 today 😬 Opportunity to pull a set apart and see what can be improved Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrone Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 Well, it looks like have all the smoke in the wires again, but I have a question. I used a live feed from the ignition to the lights switch as this is shown on the wiring diagram from Caterham. I think this was not as the car was originally, as I could leave the lights on without the ignition on. All traces of that were gone! However, I reckon this will cause bother with the switch at some point due to the current the lights draw. This will happen more quickly if I ever forget and switch off the engine with the lights on. Could I feed the light switch direct from the cut-off switch through a fuse in an external fusebox (I bought this to replace in line fuse holders for the accessory socket and the intercom)? Is that OK? If so, what fuse should I use (Discussion with my team ranges from 20A up to 30A) and what wire should I use. I need wire big enough to cope with 30A continuous and 45A momentary. The same feed to the light switch powers the flash switch and you could flash the lights at the same time as having dipped beam on plus of course the rear lights. So a max of 45A. Edited by - Tyrone on 3 Oct 2012 16:34:57 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Could I feed the light switch direct from the cut-off switch through a fuse in an external fusebox (I bought this to replace in line fuse holders for the accessory socket and the intercom)? I would have thought so, but... ...have you considered the scenario where you are driving along at night and have cause to kill the FIA feed before you can stop the car? Unlikely, I know, but it might be preferable to reduce the lifetime of the main lightswitch rather than pretending you were the Jap team from Canonball Run... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted October 4, 2012 Member Share Posted October 4, 2012 Quoting Tyrone: Well, it looks like have all the smoke in the wires again, but I have a question. I used a live feed from the ignition to the lights switch as this is shown on the wiring diagram from Caterham. I think this was not as the car was originally, as I could leave the lights on without the ignition on. All traces of that were gone! However, I reckon this will cause bother with the switch at some point due to the current the lights draw. This will happen more quickly if I ever forget and switch off the engine with the lights on. Could I feed the light switch direct from the cut-off switch through a fuse in an external fusebox (I bought this to replace in line fuse holders for the accessory socket and the intercom)? Is that OK? If so, what fuse should I use (Discussion with my team ranges from 20A up to 30A) and what wire should I use. I need wire big enough to cope with 30A continuous and 45A momentary. The same feed to the light switch powers the flash switch and you could flash the lights at the same time as having dipped beam on plus of course the rear lights. So a max of 45A.Doesn't this depend on the presence or absence of a relay for the high-current lights? See posts above. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_pank Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Quoting Myles: Could I feed the light switch direct from the cut-off switch through a fuse in an external fusebox (I bought this to replace in line fuse holders for the accessory socket and the intercom)? I would have thought so, but... ...have you considered the scenario where you are driving along at night and have cause to kill the FIA feed before you can stop the car? Unlikely, I know, but it might be preferable to reduce the lifetime of the main lightswitch rather than pretending you were the Jap team from Canonball Run... What's the point in the an electrical isolation switch that doesn't isolate all the electrics? I could just as easily say the same about the indicators, or the hazards, or the windscreen wipers etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrone Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 Myles, not for the first time you leave me baffled 😬 What does the Cannonball Run reference mean, all I remember is Jackie Chan in a Subaru. Did they have some kind of stealth mode or did they just burst into flames? My car never had a headlamp relay! Apparently, the headlight switch on my car (older cars) is allegedly designed to switch the full currents for the lights. The lights worked without the ignition being on which means I had a live wire connected to the input terminal on my headlight switch. This wire wasn’t fused and probably came from either the same place as input to the fusebox or even direct from the battery. When I pulled the switch out of the dash this live wire or the feed wire to the lights may well have earthed against the metal dash. The lights were stuck on so the output terminal on the switch was live as well. The switch I bought to replace the burnt out one came from CBS or VWP, I can't remember and may not be rated for a live feed, so I have ordered a replacement from Redline. They don't know the rating but it is the one they've supplied since 1981. They think it's odd that my lights aren't running through a relay, but I know mine is not the only one. I have space in the new relay holder for another relay, so I am going to make the mod. Whatever gets hooked up will be hooked up to the isolator. Jackie Chan! Hi Ya! 😶🌫️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keybaud Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 'This infrared is the cat's ass' 'Bye, bye, Smokie' Edited by - keybaud on 4 Oct 2012 17:46:40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrone Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 😬 Thanks for clearing that up Si. 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keybaud Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Quoting Tyrone: 😬 Thanks for clearing that up Si. 😬 Always available to help the cannonball-challenged. You won't believe how hard it was to get a proper copy of the film on DVD. 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianmurray325hotmail.com Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Just remember the one primary point, the fuse is there to protect the cable not the device its a corner stone of the IEE Wiring regs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrone Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Agreed, a nadged switch or even the alternator is easier to replace than the three miles of wiring I've cut out and renewed! Are you coming out to play on Sunday Brian? It's ages since I last reversed in to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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