switched ignition connection.....

[paxton350]

ok im installing an inline fuel pump for my paxton oil cooler.... on the diagram it says to tap into any switched ignition wire to activate the pump upon startup. i was thinking since my cigarette lighter is not being used in any way shape or form, could i snip the lighter off the wires and run the 12v and ground to those orange and black wires which are attached to the lighter? thanks,

oh btw im assuming the orange is the hot lead and the black is the ground, please correct me if im wrong, havnt checked them with a meter yet....

-chris

[MN6WS6]

I wouldn't do that. First of all, orange in a GM is 12v constant, not switched. Also, that wire is not intended to carry a lot of load, and is the most likely fuse in the car to blow, which means whatever you're powering (something to do with the oil I presume) has a better chance of shutting off. I would go directly to the ignition harness, or better yet, to a wire under the hood at the factory relays. Ignition wires in a GM are pink, and there are plenty of very large gauge ones at the factory relay box on the driver's side of your car.

[Injuneer]

It would be easier to answer the question if you told us more about your car, like the year and model. From squinting at the avatar, appears its a 4th Gen Camaro. There are switched and unswitched terminals in the fuse box at the end of the dash panel. You can see the "IGN" tap on my 94 fuse block... other years may be different, and the Camaro fuse block is "upside down" compared to the Firebird. You crimp a 1/4" female spade terminal on the wire and push it over the lug in the fuse block.

That is good for voltage to run a signal wire to a relay, but you wouldn't want to wire the pump directly from that circuit. It would overload it. Shoebox's Tech Pages has the location of a "hidden" power supply in the front of the console on (I think) 95 and newer Camaros.

Also not sure if I understand "installing a fuel pump for the oil cooler"??? If you are installing a booster fuel pump to feed the engine, you should take the signal wire for the relay off the pin for the fuel pump activate signal from the PCM. You can pick it up at the fuel pump relay or the terminal block at the back axle.

[paxton350]

im sorry its a 94 z28 lt1. sorry i was so vague, the oil cooler kit i got for my paxton sn2000 (which is a self contained blower) has a fuel pump incorporated into the return line system to maintain steady oil psi back to s/c. on the diagram it says tap into any switched ignition wire to activate the pump on ignition.

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so your saying that there should be a spare ignition connection that i can tap into in order for me to make a relay to the "oil cooler fuel pump"? what gauge would you recommend running from the relay to the "oil cooler fuel pump"? 14? also one more thing, my msd unit doesnt say to include an inline fuse in its power supply i think i should add one but to make this clean are there existing plugs on the fuse box i could utilize for this itself? thanks alot any input is greatly appreciated im still a fairly newbie at these systems.

-chris

[Injuneer]

How big is the pump? A pump can pull 10amps pretty easy, if its big enough. I would still use a relay, no matter what the load is. Run a 12ga orange wire directly from the battery terminal (red plastic) box, with a 15amp or 20amp fuse in it. Run that to the load side of the relay. Run a 14ga wire from the pin in the fuse block to the signal side of the relay. The pin in the fuse block is protected by the adjacent 15amp fuse (where the "20amp" is right above it in my photo). As noted, your 94 Camaro wiil have a fuse block identical to mine, but it will be "right side up" rather than upside down as in the Firebirds.