Best option for switched power in the engine bay?

[NskLJ]

I'm confused, why do you need to add a main fuse for the actual unit? If there is a spike in amperage then 6 fuses will pop! What is the benefit in installing a large single fuse? You don't have a main breaker between the battery and the OEM fuse blocks so why have one for this?

You would just be protecting the main power feed wire from battery to the unit. That size wire shorting is hard to put out. But our battery cables and winches don’t have circuit protection

 

[pagrey]

You don't have a main breaker between the battery and the OEM fuse blocks so why have one for this?

For accessories where you are playing around with your own wiring a breaker can be very useful at least for me because I make mistakes. I've popped mine countless time messing around with stuff. It's a low cost mistake, a small spark and press the reset button. Oops, don't do that again. For things like the alternator and diodes that hardly ever fail the fuse-able link is great and extremely reliable. You almost never need to reset it. If you are messing with wiring and adding different devices that have all types of loads the breaker can be a good idea.

 

[Big John 04LJ]

For accessories where you are playing around with your own wiring a breaker can be very useful at least for me because I make mistakes. I've popped mine countless time messing around with stuff. It's a low cost mistake, a small spark and press the reset button. Oops, don't do that again. For things like the alternator and diodes that hardly ever fail the fuse-able link is great and extremely reliable. You almost never need to reset it. If you are messing with wiring and adding different devices that have all types of loads the breaker can be a good idea.

That makes sense. Thanks for explaining.

 

[mrblaine]

I'm confused, why do you need to add a main fuse for the actual unit? If there is a spike in amperage then 6 fuses will pop! What is the benefit in installing a large single fuse? You don't have a main breaker between the battery and the OEM fuse blocks so why have one for this?

I've seen more than one TJ owner wish there was a circuit breaker between the battery and something when they screwed up hooking up their winches and the brake lines turn red hot. It is better for us to protect the stuff we add to protect us from ourselves.

 

[NskLJ]

I've seen more than one TJ owner wish there was a circuit breaker between the battery and something when they screwed up hooking up their winches and the brake lines turn red hot. It is better for us to protect the stuff we add to protect us from ourselves.

Grounding the winch to the frame? I remember your post about if the frame is grounded. When I read that I looked at my Jeep and could not find a frame ground only a body and engine ground. I guess stainless flex hoses may be the path of least resistance. I have seen throttle and shift cables as grounds not brake lines though

 

[mrblaine]

Grounding the winch to the frame? I remember your post about if the frame is grounded. When I read that I looked at my Jeep and could not find a frame ground only a body and engine ground. I guess stainless flex hoses may be the path of least resistance. I have seen throttle and shift cables as grounds not brake lines though

I've never been able to figure out how they screwed up. They have never come clean. I suspect that some have tried to ground it to the frame and others maybe hooked the positive up, accidentally hit the controls without the ground hooked up and the ground cable touching the frame.

No need for flex stainless to complete the circuit, the hard lines are mounted in clips bolted to the frame.

I get the call because they are trying to find out what parts in the brake system need replacement.