Relays, Rocker Switches and Fuse Panel Wiring Explained

Why do you use a relay going to the fuse box?

Why would it matter weather 85 or 86 is powered or ground unless it is wired that way somewhere else, they would work just the same?

I do have another question, I just got a sound bar and want to hook it up to a 5 pin rocker switch so it doesn't drain the battery slowly, the sound bar harness has
Pos/neg and acc input. Would I hook pos/negative to battery and run acc input to rocker pin #3?

Can i have multiple switches running off one 100a relay?

Incredible demonstration...Thank you

Great your a great trainer

Best videos that explain how a relay works !!!

Finally! I have my answer - two switches would require two relays - thank you 🙂🙏

So I bought a 6 rocket switch box Nilight 6 Gang Rocker Switch Box 12V SPST ON Off Switch QC 3.0 USB Charger Voltmeter Waterproof Aluminum Rocker Switch Panel has one black and red that goes to power the box and each rocket switches has one single white wire that goes to the accessories. My question is where I should get the power for the box? Straight From the battery or from the ignition accessory? But it needs a relay or fuse?

great video, very informative!

Can I wire two switches for two different lights but only one relay? Nilight bar and rear spot lights on my ranger? Thanks

Where does the white wire go to on a light bar harness to a 3 prong switch but I'm using a 5 prong rocker switch.

Great job expaining. Well done

Hey one thing I didn’t understand..maybe I missed something (or I’m just stupid 🤷‍♂️) in a circuit that triggers a relay your fuse block only protects the side of the circuit with the switch…the low current stuff. Do you have some kind of device in the loop that goes from battery to relay to device (light bar, air compressor, etc.) to ground? Is it that 100A breaker or maybe a different device you didn’t call out?
In the dome light circuit with no relay that 5A fuse protects the whole circuit, switch, lights, etc.
If I’m going to drop 30A through something using a relay I am going to want a fuse of appropriate size between the battery and the relay (pin 30) I’d think…asking for a reality check here.
Video is great…excellent explanation of the relay and the two sides of the circuit. You know a video is good when you watch several times and review specific parts for reference well done! 👍👍

Hi Chris, very informative. I'm thinking through the idea of using the Voswitch rocker switch bar I'm about to install in my Jeep as a kill switch for the ignition using a rocker switch label that says it's for something else. In this use case, is connecting a relay to the fuse panel of the Voswitch the only way to go or could it be more simplified to route the ignition wire through the rocker switch and bypass the Voswitch fuse panel altogether? Wouldn't this effectively be making the rocker switch the relay using the same current as the ignition currently sends if the switch is activated?

Very informative ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I hope that I don't 🤬🤬🤬🤬 it up😁

Very informative, but no mention of a diode.

Well done, good vid. thnx.

This maybe a stupid question but I must ask, does the bracket on the housing have to be screwed down to metal or is it just a mounting bracket nothing to do with grounding? thnx.

If I'm following correctly, you used the fuse block to fuse the switches? How did you fuse your main 12v for your accessories? I disagree with this entire method. The best way to wire these is to daisy chain all your switch grounds, accessory 12v and lower LED. That way you only have one ground and one 12v source (accessory) powering all your switches. Then you only have the output to the relays. The fuse block should be fusing all your pin 30 connections on the relays.

Do you think i should use a relay on a turn signal ,horn,hazard kit for a honda talon ? When i installed the plug in play signal kit with the provided switches 2 one for left right signal and one for the horn /hazards ,activating the horn it popped the fuse for everything . My power in comes from the key on acc port on the talon wire harness for a winch install that i don’t have . Thanks again .

Great video . Thank you for the quality production .

Thank you! Learned a lot from this video!!

So simple yet so effective
Amazing little box and very well explained.

excuse my sir why did GM exactly put field wire for alternator to 4pin defroster relay to be exactly pin 86???
that same relay started to draw current on me when the car is off and unusual problem acured me car cinde of self acelerates its carbureted engine Opel from the 80s tipical GM design.
I think the integrated diode is faulty but I removed the relay and 2pin buzzer 3pin blinker 6pin wiper relay only thing I didnt remove is the 3pin blinker and still engine delf acelerateas so do head lights have some thing to do with it?
I do have xenon bulbs with out ballast but car worked that way for years only thing ells I gave dual fillament bulb and positive linear voltage regulator and hei 4pin gm ignition module nothing ells as for electronics so Im confused what culd cause engine to become magnetised???

Thanks for sharing. Question: if you were to add a diode, where in the circuit would you add it?

I have these relay with wires pre installed. 30 would be your rocker switch or ignition to activate relay using 16ga wire. ( 86, 87, 87A are all 12ga wires to carry the power load.) 86 connects to batt. positive term to supply power (Not 30 ). and 85 to batt. ground term. 87A provides constant power until you turn ignition / switch on, 87A closes / off and then 87 provides power from batt. Turn ignition / switch off and through power switches back to 87A. Turn power switch / ignition back on and power flow through 87.

awesome explanation!

Hey VC, just watched a vid where you explained “relays”. Kudos brother! Very informative! I’ve always heard about relays but never understood their use…until now. I’m taking on a project…my pontoon. A basket case from the get go! So watching videos such as yours and another one I’ve tuned into, Toms Toons, are both game changers!! Thanks again….👍🏼🍻

So the center pin on the gang switches goes to the power side of the fuse panel.?, then the red wire from the light accessory goes to the bottom pin on the switch.... ?, where does the ground wire from the light go?, confused

So when wiring a 3 pin LED switch to a relay…86 out to the switch in and out, but what do you wire to the bronze connector on the switch? Ground?

can i run a switch on a 4 pin relay?

The 12volt 5 pin 100 Amp waterproof Relay has 2 contacts & not 1 contact & I'm hoping to use this relay for a radiator electric cooling fan & so would this 12V 100 Amp relay unit work with a radiator electric cooling fan unit Kind Regards Peter

Brother what a tutorial, thanks for the training it was excellent.

Nice visuals and explanations

Dope 👍

Very good video thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated.

This video has helped me understand better what I'm doing with my car wire connections. Thank you!

This is the best video I have seen on this so far. Question though, could you not run power to your rocker switch and main power to relay and light bar all off the fuse box? I see you ran the main power from battery to relay. I'm wondering if it's okay to just power it from the fuse box instead.

Chris, How is the Venom Switch wired? Do you have an inline fuse from the battery to the switch? Do you run the ground back to the negative terminal on the battery or to ground?

Very informative . A lot of people are so intimidated, I try to encourage to my acquaintances to draw things out and see if it makes sense first. I come from doing a lot of marine wiring such as radar array systems and sonar setups. They say to me “ well you have experience doing that “ when they find that out .. I tell them , it’s nothing special , It’s all the same !
Wiring my Duster as we speak , bigger pain in the butt than a vessel, lol.

how can you tell if your not getting ground at 85???

Wow thats great, i'll defo wire it so all the lights go on when its pressed. Or maybe wire the bottom to the dash light circuit

I’m preparing to set up my own wiring on my SXS. I’m just confused on the 120 amp relay and you having those smaller relays by the second battery for the light bar. Can’t you just use the 120 amp relay alone or am I missing something?

hey Chris amazing video!! do you have an email address I can contact you at I am having trouble wiring a dual push button switch to some off road lights.

Great video! watched multiple times. explained perfectly. saved to my favorites. But how sad viewed 40k and only 63 comments. Bastards!