[bone]

ok, im a self confessed idiot in regards to all thing electrical.
right now im wiring in my uhf. the wire supplied is to short to reach the battery.
its got a 3amp fuse on it.

i bought some dick smith 'automotive wire' today, its a little thicker and on the sheath is has '15a' printed on it.
does this mean this wire will conduct 15 amps??
if so, will that just continue to blow the fuse on the existing wiring loom? or is this ok to use??

sorry if i made you dumber after reading this, i just dont want to fuck my brand new uhf haha.
thanks in advance electrical gurus!!

[tombutt]

the 15amp is the max you can draw on the cable but doesnt mean you draw that with that cable

[Ben_Sierra]

It means the wire is capable of conducting 15 amps...

But the wire will only conduct the current that the uhf draws from it...

You want the wire to be rated higher than the fuse protecting it, otherwise if there's a short the wiring will heat up and catch fire before the fuse blows.

[bone]

you are too good to me gentlemen!
much appreciated
thanks for ya help!!

[skye]

the 3amp fuse will blow long before the 15 amp wire burns, all will be ok if you use the 3amp fuse and holder.

[royce]

get power off the radio wiring or somewhere closer, if you plan on getting power and earth direct from the battery you need a fuse on BOTH power and earth AT THE BATTERY.

[bone]

royce wrote:

get power off the radio wiring or somewhere closer, if you plan on getting power and earth direct from the battery you need a fuse on BOTH power and earth AT THE BATTERY.

good idea, ill just tap into the head units power and earth and that should be ok yes??

thatll save running anymore wires off the battery

[tombutt]

personally id try pull power from before a fuse then fuse your own new cable just because then if one thing fucks out everything doesnt die

[steak_knife]

tombutt wrote:

personally id try pull power from before a fuse then fuse your own new cable just because then if one thing fucks out everything doesnt die

cigarette lighter is always a good point to get power..

[eldo]

It's good to see your having a go mate and asking the questions before burning your car down. Auto wiring is pretty simple and with enough practice you will be a guru

[bone]

hahaha
the night is not over, the car can still burn down

*gets the hose, puts it arms reach from car*



edit - will this need constant trickle of power for memory??

[royce]

no

[fordem]

royce wrote:

get power off the radio wiring or somewhere closer, if you plan on getting power and earth direct from the battery you need a fuse on BOTH power and earth AT THE BATTERY.

What's the purpose of fusing the earth - under what circumstances will that fuse blow?

Standard practice dictates the fuse should ALWAYS be in the hot line, never the return.

[bone]

ok, so what is the 'dome' fuse?? EDIT its the interior light...


i got the uhf working fine, but when i plugged the cd player loom back in the dome fuse blew.

i have tapped into the earth and the power from the head unit (yellow)
im thinking i shoul have done acces (red) with the power yes?
red to red... makes sense now

[atari4x4]

yes

[bone]

success
who would have thought colour coding would be the key *face palm*