Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Re-wiring the emergency equipment

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Re-wiring the emergency equipment

    Today I started to put together my new Troy center console that I bought on E-Bay. I had cleaned it up, and repainted it with some of the spray in bedliner stuff... came out really nice, and should be more durable than regular paint.
    Last year, while at the Chicagoland Emergency Vehicle show, I kept having a problem with the main cicuit breaker kicking out, and turning off the lights... in the middle of the parade... After checking all of the wiring for shorts the next morning, (Fun pulling carpet up and checking everything in the parking lot of the motel!) and letting it sit there and run, with no problems, until I turned on too many lights... I came to the conclusion that it was the circuit breaker getting weak. So since I am installing a new console... I am redoing ALL of the wiring going to it, and a different switch panel.

    So here is what I am doing with the wiring...

    First, TWO 6 gauge wires coming from the battery, and the starter relay, so I will have a "switched" and "unswitched" circuit... Since the two way radios need both to work right, and some things I want to go off when I turn the key off.
    Both wires will run through a seperate (2 cicuit breakers) circuit breaker like this:

    Then thru the firewall on the passenger side, with a grommet and sealed with silicone
    Then it goes to the fuse panel inside the switch panel:

    This will power the radios, and other small amp circuits.
    Then another 6 gauge wire from the terminal on the fuse block, (On the same terminal as the one going into the fuse block) Going to another cicuit breaker like this:

    This will then go to the input of the switch panel for all of the emergency light controls.

    I had one of these already, which I cleaned up,repainted it with the bedliner stuff, and put new labels and switches in it.. it now looks like new. The switches I got for it also looks alot better... they were a little more expensive switches than the originals... but look nicer, and seem to be a better switch.
    Then the individual light circuit wires will come out of the switch panel, and go to some high amp plugs like these:

    These can be bought in four different colors, in 50 and 100 amp sizes... For my application, I will be using the smaller 50 amp ones... There will be four plugs, so I can wire in:
    Power
    Ground
    Rotating lights
    Front take down lights
    Rear Flash
    Left alley lights
    Right alley lights
    "Pursuit" front flash, that makes the front take downs alternate when you hit the flashing headlight switch

    Then the wiring harness will go from the plugs to the lightbar.



    Pictures when I get this done....

    Tom...
    Last edited by trwp72; 03-02-2009, 06:14 PM.


    Agent Caitlin Todd… You know Tony, Statistics show that married men live longer…
    Agent Tony DiNozzo… It only seems longer….

    http://www.tomspolicecars.com/

    #2
    Gotta love proper wiring design. It costs more up front, but once its done you never have to fiddle with it again.
    86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
    5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

    91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

    1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

    Originally posted by phayzer5
    I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

    Comment


      #3
      a lot really goes into all of that i see. Hope this solves your kicking out problem.
      ~David~

      My 1987 Crown Victoria Coupe: The Brown Blob
      My 2004 Mercedes Benz E320:The Benz

      Originally posted by ootdega
      My life is a long series of "nevermind" and "I guess not."

      Originally posted by DerekTheGreat
      But, that's just coming from me, this site's biggest pessimist. Best of luck

      Originally posted by gadget73
      my car starts and it has AC. Yours doesn't start and it has no AC. Seems obvious to me.




      Comment

      Working...
      X