TheGloriousTachikoma
TheGloriousTachikoma New Reader
5/29/12 4:13 p.m.

Hello all.

I'm adding an e-fan to my '90 RX7 and a few days ago had an idea. Down the line, I'm installing fog lights and replacing the $300 turn signal and headlight combo switches with pushbuttons on an A/M wheel like the Radical SR3. This, naturally, would require new relays.

I'm going to the junkyard soon and thought I might pull a fuse/relay panel from a car if it was suitably small, perhaps six or seven 30A relay slots. Naturally I'd need to grab the whole block, but if I eventually migrate the fusing function from the factory block to the new one it would be an improvement.

So what I'm asking for is suggestions of cars to look into pulling a relay panel from. I'm in southeast MI, if that helps with what cars I'll find in the yard.

Thanks for the time.

TheGloriousTachikoma
TheGloriousTachikoma New Reader
5/29/12 4:14 p.m.

Sorry, accidentally double clicked.

AngryCorvair
AngryCorvair PowerDork
5/29/12 10:24 p.m.

hit up parts galore, look for any mid-'90s GM FWD like olds ninety-eight, they've got a stamped sheetmetal bracket with eight or so relays mounted to it. i think they charged me $2 apiece for the relays and nothing for the bracket. i just went through all my pix and couldn't find any of the relay bracket, sorry.

TheGloriousTachikoma
TheGloriousTachikoma New Reader
5/30/12 12:06 a.m.

I'll check it out, thanks.

novaderrik
novaderrik SuperDork
5/30/12 5:11 a.m.

yeah, 90's GM cars are good for these things.. for some reason, they decided that each car needed no less than 3 fuse boxes and as many different relay panels scattered in random places in the cars- sometimes under braces that you needed a 15mm and 13mm socket to move out of the way..

later Cavaliers have a relay/fuse pane mounted on the driver's side shock tower by the air cleaner housing and battery that has 5 or 6 relays in it and a few big Maxi fuses.. it is held to the car with a push pin and takes about 5 seconds to get it out so you can snip the wires that go to it on the back side.

another good place to look is in the 94-96 B bodies (Caprice, etc). they have all of the important fuses and relays for the entire car located in one fuse box that is mounted on the passenger side inner fenderwell on a bracket attached to the AC dryer.. it is the main fuse box for the entire car- there are about 20 mini ATC fuses in there, along with 4 Maxi fuses, a few small relays for things like the fuel pump, ignition, and AIR pump, and 4 big relays for things like the cooling fans. but the best part is the big terminal that hooks to the battery + terminal to power everything that also doubles as a place to hook up jumper cables. it is pretty easy to get the whole thing out of the car- it just snaps off the bracket- and pop the actual fuse box out of the outer shell, which allows you to easily remove any terminals and wires you won't be using to clean things up and to figure out which wire goes to which fuse..

i'm using one of these in my 86 Camaro, you can see it in this pic on the heater box next to the fan motor.. i'm only using the big external relays for the fan and ignition power because i had already gutted all the unnecessary circuits and relays out of the fuse box before finalizing my plan of attack, but i may get another box and put everything back inside it. my whole car is powered from the big terminal on the side with the plastic cover on it- i'm even using a replacement + battery cable from NAPA for a 94 Caprice 9C1 in my car. maybe tomorrow i'll pop the lid off and get a closer shot of the innerds...

Grtechguy
Grtechguy PowerDork
5/30/12 6:18 a.m.

I think early 90s GM trucks had a small relay panel near the passenger headlight.

my 96 Aurora had a relay/fuse panel under the hood with 4 relays, and 10? fuses. Countless others under the rear seat

TheGloriousTachikoma
TheGloriousTachikoma New Reader
5/30/12 9:20 a.m.

These are all a big help guys, thanks!

mad_machine
mad_machine MegaDork
5/30/12 10:29 a.m.

if you can find one... old saab 900s have neat fuse/relay panels under the hood too. Long and slender, they have sealable clear lids

You can see it here in the lower right:

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