Job of a relay?

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Sep 21, 2007 | 01:13 AM

SchultzLT1

Thread Starter

TECH Enthusiast

iTrader: (5)

Joined: May 2007

Posts: 701

Likes: 0

Job of a relay?

Can you wire up a nitrous kit without any relays? What does a relay do? It seems like it is just a switch... or is there more to it?

Sep 21, 2007 | 07:50 AM

SchultzLT1

Thread Starter

TECH Enthusiast

iTrader: (5)

Joined: May 2007

Posts: 701

Likes: 0

bump for the morning crowd

Sep 21, 2007 | 08:00 AM

z28mccrory

TECH Resident

iTrader: (7)

Joined: Jul 2003

Posts: 756

Likes: 1

From: Southern Indiana

A relay keeps the switches from having to deal with the higher amp draw of the solenoids. You would have to have some beefy switches if you didn't use a relay.

Sep 21, 2007 | 09:53 AM

Ray@Nitrous Outlet

Guest

Posts: n/a

as stated above the relay allow the solenoids to pull power straight from the battery

Pins 85 & 86 are the control wires...when you have 12v and ground supplied to those wires it creates a circuit between pin 30 and pin 87.

This reduces the amp load the other components see....the avg toggle switch would not be happy having to pass 30-40amps

Sep 21, 2007 | 12:00 PM

SchultzLT1

Thread Starter

TECH Enthusiast

iTrader: (5)

Joined: May 2007

Posts: 701

Likes: 0

gotcha, thanks Ray

Sep 21, 2007 | 08:23 PM

Robert56

TECH Senior Member

iTrader: (2)

Joined: Aug 2003

Posts: 9,557

Likes: 1

From: Tacoma, WA

Quote:

Originally Posted by z28mccrory

A relay keeps the switches from having to deal with the higher amp draw of the solenoids. You would have to have some beefy switches if you didn't use a relay.

In additon, this allows a short run to the item needing power. We certainly don't want the high amp load wiring going through the interior, not safe at all. That's why you see all the relays with heavy loads under the hood, a safety thing. There are plenty of toggle switches out there that can handle the amp loads, and are used for such in other appilcations; however, if ya ever had a wiring melt down in your interior you would instantly know why we keep the high amps in the engine bay. Furthermore, the longer the wire/the farther away, the larger wire gauge you'll need. The device will work much more efficiantly with a short close power source.
Robert

Sep 22, 2007 | 12:03 AM

SchultzLT1

Thread Starter

TECH Enthusiast

iTrader: (5)

Joined: May 2007

Posts: 701

Likes: 0

Yeah I wired the relay about a foot from my battery, and then the solenoid is about another foot or foot and a half away. no long travel, all under the hood.

only things in the car are the switches... I even put the WOT switch on the TB.