where to buy relays

[jrobie79]

I'm looking for a SPDT 5 pin relay to hook up my amps/fans/light/antenna for my sound system off of my aux power wire off my deck and am gonna use the12volt.com suggested method by using a relay, but I cant seem to find one and don't wanna wait for online shipping.
Ive been to all the auto parts stores around; CAP, VIP, autozone, advanced auto, pepboys....radioshack doesnt carry a 30amp SPDT, only SPST, anyone know places that would sell this....google gave me a bunch of online stores, no brick and mortar

[Ryann]

Are you looking for just a relay or the relay with socket/wires? If you're just looking for a VF4 relay or two go to a junkyard with 80's era euro cars and you'll find heaps of them. Any foglight wiring kit from an auto parts store will have relays with plastic sockets and pigtails.

[StereoInstaller1]

You can use the SPST for what you are describing, or pop in any car stereo shop you see.

We pay about a buck for them, don't let them charge you more than $5

[jrobie79]

the SPST will work luke? I'm just going by what this says:

Connecting Additional Devices to the Remote Turn On Wire

Using a 30 amp SPDT relay, connect terminal #87 to constant 12 volts positive with a fuse rated to the sum of the additional accessories you've added and the components you need to turn on. (If you have two fans rated at 5 amps each and a neon light rated at 10 amps, you would use a 20 amp fuse plus 200 ma for each amplifier and processor.) Connect terminal #85 to ground, terminal #86 to the remote turn on wire from the head unit, and terminal #30 to each accessory with an appropriate fuse. A fuse (not shown) could also be used between the output of the relay (#30) and the remote turn on wire of the amplifiers and/or processors for extra precaution.



I dont want to use one of the car relays b/c I guess the coil resistance is quite low, 50 ohms I believe, and if I'm gonna do it might as well use a relay with a higher coil resistance, I know its overkill but I dont wanna fry my deck or fuck anything else up.

[jrobie79]

I guess the SPST will work as I'm not going to be using pin 87a, at least from my reading thats correct. Now I'll have to find a 14-16 ga distrubution block to come off this. Thanks guys!

another quick question, should I fuse the wire from the relay to the distro block, and then fuse each wire off the distro block to each accessory?

[Ryann]

Now I'll have to find a 14-16 ga distrubution block to come off this... should I fuse the wire from the relay to the distro block, and then fuse each wire off the distro block to each accessory?

I'd just pick up a relay kit if it were me. Painless makes a bunch, they have relays with mounting tabs, sockets (weatherproof even), and pigtails.

You don't HAVE to, but yes I'd fuse all pos. wires. EDIT: just re-read your question- I would fuse the pos. feed TO the relay, and pos. wires coming out of the relay (like your diagram shows).

As for a distribution point, you could protect outgoing pos. wires with an auto reset breaker. Many have mounting tabs as well and they make great distribution points because they have long studs that can accommodate multiple connections.

Here's a pic of a 30A Painless fan relay kit that includes a breaker.

[jrobie79]

awesome thanks, hopefully the rain holds off tomorrow and I can get some tunes bumping

[DaveSmed]

I'm a relay whore at the junkyard. I'll walk out of there with damn near 100 Bosch, Hella, Tyco, etc. relays. Name brand good stuff.

[bimmerteck]

I'm a relay whore at the junkyard. I'll walk out of there with damn near 100 Bosch, Hella, Tyco, etc. relays. Name brand good stuff.

This^ except I pull all relays/fuses/modules before I send the customer's wrecked car to the yard. ;)