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HOW TO: Relay that SAE Terminal

6K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  Intuit 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm adding a USB Charger to power my GPS for longer trips.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7CHYCF/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N1993MV/
Amazon.com: Techmount 4-10105 - Universal Motorcycle Fork Stem Mount Kit - This is a Mount only and Does not Come with a Cradle to Hold Your Device. Perfect for The Customer That Already has a Cradle! : Automotive
Amazon.com: EDO Tech USB Charger Cable Power Cord Car Adapter for Garmin Nuvi Drive DriveSmart 55lmt 56lmt 57lmt 58lmt 66lmt 2497lmt 2539lmt 2555lmt 2557lmt 2589lmt 2597lmt 2598lmt 2599lmt with Traffic (5' Long) : Electronics (if your OEM Garmin USB charging able doesn't work, that one will)
(Until now I've been literally turning the GPS off for long stretches of road.)


Here's the plug and play wire harness.
SAE Terminal with Relay A of B.jpg
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhsZJDCN8kMMgaRYwaKyYDmVtifc5A

I found that the aftermarket flasher relay, while it does okay at 12.6v, flashes a little too rapidly for my animated turn signal at 14.0v.

So I bought these connectors and reconnected my OEM relay.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BJGVJRG/

End Result:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhsZJDCN8kMMgaRWRxBzGiNGqBiesQ

==============================================


It appears that most if not all USB chargers will continue to consume power, even with nothing plugged into them... and within a matter of hours or days, that means a no crank for our tiny batteries with tiny capacities.


All it takes it just once to forget to unplug it before it'll leave you stranded. I'm not chancing it. So, I'm putting a relay on it.


The following is based on the manual for my 2nd-Gen bike. One page shows where the relay is located. Another page toward the end shows a fully color-coded diagram of the wiring and components.



Our ignition, powers a signal fuse.
The signal fuse powers the turn signal relay.
The turn signal relay is located in the rear of the motorcycle, underneath the driver seat, close to the ECU.
A solid brown wire will be feeding that relay.
That wire will only be hot with ignition on.


I'm going to use power from that solid brown wire, at the turn signal relay, to power the coil on my NEW relay.

The NEW relay's coil will be grounded at the battery.



The NEW relay's switch, will be spliced in-between the positive wire for the SAE Terminal. (So I'll cut the positive wire and put the relay within it.)


So the net effect of this setup is, the terminal will only be active, when the ignition key is turned to the on position. The reason I'm using the signal fused circuit, as opposed to the headlight or fan fused circuits, is because it is the least critical of systems.



Any questions, want a circuit diagram... pictures... video... let me know.




=======================

If interested, here's a similar guide or how-to for adding and wiring additional horns.
https://www.r6-forum.com/forums/51-how-tos/444878-guide-wiring-new-horns.html
 
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#2 ·
If you're thinking about forgoing the additional relay and simply tying whatever in with an existing circuit... bad idea.

Taking the signal circuit for example, its fuse is 15A. The USB charger claims 3.1A output. (though they rarely actually output what they claim and due to efficiency losses, draw is going to be a little higher than output) The addition would have the potential of placing an additional 20% load on that circuit. General engineering practice supposedly is with 10% margin.

Also, this explains why "Add A Circuit" is an even worse idea...
https://www.r6-forum.com/forums/51-how-tos/393018-usb-charger-stupid-simple.html#post5734342

Do it right, do it by relay. Save yourself the potential for electrical gremlins at some point down the road.
 
#4 ·
Thanks. But that second part of the response only tells me I've done a poor job of explaining it. :)

The Mroinge USB Adapter (linked in the original post) is pretty slick.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhsZJDCN8kMMgaRWRxBzGiNGqBiesQ
Nothing plugged in, it gives a continuous battery readout.
Something plugged in, it gives an alternating volt/amp charging output readout.

Here's the SAE Terminal. (not suited for jump starts) I replaced the supplied 10A fuse with a 5A.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7CHYCF/
This is the same USB Adapter but in different packaging. I don't think the water-allowing USB port cover is any good though.
https://www.amazon.com/YonHan-Voltmeter-Motorcycle-Disconnect-Waterproof/dp/B072JM3NWG/

So the OEM wiring to that turn signal relay appears to be of *very* light gauge wire. I didn't want to unwrap and tap it, especially in such a tight space. So I left it unmodified and used a flasher relay that I already had instead.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073J82PNF/
That allowed me leave all OEM wiring unmolested.

Here's the plug and play wire harness.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhsZJDCN8kMMgaRXAri3GQO0FJN5rg
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhsZJDCN8kMMgaRYwaKyYDmVtifc5A

I found that the aftermarket flasher relay, while it does okay at 12.6v, flashes a little too rapidly for my animated turn signal at 14.0v.

So I bought these connectors and will reconnect my OEM relay.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BJGVJRG/
 
#5 ·
I think you explained it in a way most "inclined" people can understand. Not to mention, this is a how to or the right way to do it, instead of taking short cuts and putting your electrical system at risk. And now you have provided visuals. Very thorough write up. Im sure this will help someone on here out a ton.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Thanks. Interesting comment. First I've heard of that. What would you use to crimp those taps together? (may help others) Keep in mind that both ends of that wire already have something on it; so we can't easily slide anything over/onto it. Provided there's space in the blade connector, I would fold over the wire before inserting into the blade connectors; then crimp with a small part of the insulation catching the end; thus providing some amount of strain relief.

Proper crimping may be quicker, cheaper, far less time consuming, but never thought of it being superior to proper soldering. It would be ideal to solder nearly everything of eighteen gauge or thicker, but not actually necessary. Note the zip-ties (and quality electrical tape) securing the wires together. (photos are a little dark but are high-res so you can zoom in to see the knubs) This protects the thinner gauge wire by securing against the thicker gauge. The tape and "solder creep" provide additional strain relief.

Great stuff to solder with...
https://www.radioshack.com/products/silver-bearing-solder

It may help change your opinion about the durability of wire soldering. Wwwwaaaaaayyyyy easier to work with! But soldered or crimped, strain relief is important.
 
#8 ·
Nice solution.

I decided to use the USB adapter with an on/off switch connected to the SAE battery tender lead in the back of the seat, and then run a long USB cable hidden in the frame to the bars where the iphone is mounted.

Since the USB adapter has an on/off switch, I can keep it plugged in and just turn off the USB adapter unit after the ride to avoid battery drain.

I use a Lithium battery on the bike so I can keep the USB adapter hooked up since the battery does not need regular battery tender maintenance.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Highly Recommended: Keep a set of jumper cables in the back. There are also some pretty small jump start packs that are based on Li-Ion though, I'd avoid storing them on the bike due to the "extreme" temperature cycling over peak Summer/Winter. Last thing you'd want is to have one of those ignite. Self discharge rate also increases significantly when they're hot. So it may be necessary to periodically check on the booster during the Summer months; if stored on the bike. Also, many of those cheap Li-Ion boosters are junk.

Motorcycle batteries don't have much capacity. Forget once, and it'll mean a jump-start or tow. It might take a eight months, a year, longer to forget. But that one time you do forget to turn it off, is a real PITA. Best to stick a relay on it, and not have to worry about it.
 
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