nikbass

Yep, glad I finished reading before I made the same observation... I want to do this to and I'd never thought of a breaker for the fuse box though. Good call on the side of caution. Or maybe it was just an obvious oversite on my part.

hansen65

No problem, I just had the same issue. It looks like a great install and I will need to do the same soon. You can't run very much off that lighter for very long.

madmax92104

Oddly, I just did this today (or very similar) BUT I didn't do the breaker...great idea! It's looks like I'm off the the marine shop tomorrow to finish the job

midwesterner

I didnt use a breaker on the power wire to the fuse panel either. My reasoning was that the 8 guage wire is only about 10" long and is in plain view and easy to inspect on a regular basis. Besides all of the circuits are fused anyhow.

Mjkrakow

This is a wicked write up. exactly what i was looking for. Been trying to decide how to add more circuits and this will be perfect.

ronjenx

Got to this thread from another post.
A couple comments:

The breaker on the box doesn't protect the wire from the battery as the op intended. The breaker should be mounted as close to the battery as possible in order for it to protect the wire. If the box were mounted close to the battery, there would be no need for the breaker.

Tapping relay power from the cig lighter wire is unnecessary and less than ideal. There are 4 unused (on most people's JKs) RUN/ACC sockets in the fuse box that would be better for this purpose.
Here is a link to it: https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...d-Power-Source

arbrnrngr

subscribed

JK-Ford

Sorry Ron. With all due respect. ( Anytime you extend a new circuit from a power source, a fuse is "required". ) In this case, if the buss-bar system of the new distribution block were to experience a catastrophic failure, the fuse would protect your Jeep.

ronjenx

I agree, mostly. A short run to a very near-by fuse panel won't need a fuse, because there isn't a need to protect such a short, (and properly sized), wire.
The lead to the TIPM has no fuse because it's such a short run from the battery.

No harm in installing a fuse, though. If it's not a very short run to the new box, a fuse is required.

JK-Ford

Ya Ron. I don't claim to understand why automotive manufacturers install electrical circuits without a fuse. But I also don't understand how the distance of a conductor would protect it from a short circuit? I remember reading about some strange properties where a short may occur on a generator circuit. But I can't remember where I seen it.