Batboard

Going to be installing some equipment into a 2005 Tacoma for a friend (scanner, dashlight etc). Want to run a relay line off the fuse box with a fuse tap, but the fuses in the Tacoma are these strange little things (smaller than a mini-blade style fuse). Has anyone worked with these, or know a good way to tap power off them? I checked some websites, but cant find anything to fit them. Any input would be appreciated, thanks!

Ugh. Fuse taps completely suck. The best way is to find an appropriate wire to cut and solder together with a wire out to your relay. I'd look at the black/red and blue/yellow wires in the ignition bundle for such a wire.

http://www.tessco.com/products/displayP ... ventPage=1

Best way to do it. but the fuse size of the fuse your replacing in the fuse box in front and the fuse for the device your hooking up in the back.

No. Wrong. BAD way to do it.

Those add-a-fuse widgets are a great way to tear up a fuse box and net yourself a multi-thousand-dollar repair bill.

The best way is to run primary A+ off the battery, and find a wire to cut and splice for low-current ignition control (to the coil of a relay ONLY).

tvsjr wrote:No. Wrong. BAD way to do it.

Those add-a-fuse widgets are a great way to tear up a fuse box and net yourself a multi-thousand-dollar repair bill.

The best way is to run primary A+ off the battery, and find a wire to cut and splice for low-current ignition control (to the coil of a relay ONLY).

I DISAGREE...

The tapa fuse holders like that one are PERFECTLY FINE for running a relay coil. Using them to power a radio however, VERY BAD...

I always use a tapa fuse on the stereo circuit to provide ignition switched power to actuate the relays which in turn power the radios and other equipment. The Tapa Fuse products resemble a fuse, and will not "tear up" the fuse box unless your a complete moron. You unplug the factory fuse, plug in the Tapa Fuse, plug the factory fuse in and then put the added fuse in for the added circuit. As a general rule though i don't use them for anything more than 3-5 amps.

If you go digging in the dash and cut and splice wires to control your relays you should be thoroughly flogged while standing naked in a snow bank while its -30 wind chill. I am so sick and tired of people chopping up the vehicles wiring when it takes five minutes to use your brain and add a perfectly safe tapa fuse and relay.

As you can imagine i have been doing nothing but dealing with other peoples crap installs. About a week ago i got a call from a friend stranded with a dead vehicle, turned out the local Moto shop chopped up the steering column wiring and one of those cheap ass splice connectors fell apart and the ignition wire shorted to the column, burnt out about two feet of wiring before a fuse finally blew, made a hell of a mess, took hours in the cold and freezing rain to repair, and only ended up making me money in the long run.

Do yourself a favor and do it right the first time. My rule is simply this..

DO NOT DAMAGE OR MODIFY THE OEM VEHICLE WIRING UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES...

Especially when used in a situation that may indanger someones life or in a PS vehicle that is highly depended on.