Automotive Relays
There are many components required to run all the various parts our cars need to work properly. Several of the car parts you may or may not be familiar with or have even heard of before. They all serve an important purpose and learning about what they all do can help you understand your car better and how it works. One of the car parts that are beneficial to the car is an automotive relay.
An automotive relay is used to switch a load current that is very powerful. In our cars we have many devices that need to run off of high power. Most vehicles run off of a 12 volt system and unfortunately that may not be enough to power many of the devices we want in our car. Our cars air conditioning is one feature that draws very high currents along with added amplifiers and other modifications we enhance our cars with. A car stereo alone can require at least 25 Amps to work and a regular PCB mounted relay is not capable of handling these type of requirements therefore a stronger amp is needed. A PCB relay can handle 10 amps or less which is not sufficient in powering many of the features we enjoy in our vehicle. When you are trying to determine how many amps are required to run your device you need to calculate how many volts your car has and how much power or wattage the device is. You divide the power by the voltage and you will get the amount of amps required. So if you have a 200W amp and have a 12 Volt system you would take 200w/12v and you would know that you need a relay capable of handling at least 17 amps.
When purchasing an automotive relay you will find some of the most common Amps available. The relays that are purchased and used most often are the 20A, 30A and the 40A. The 40A is probably the one that is purchased the most since it is capable of running devices that require a lot of amps. The automotive relays are relatively inexpensive and are very strong. This makes them ideal for any vehicle and you can rest assure that your devices will be powered correctly and effectively. You can find many types of automotive relay switches to fit your needs. Before purchasing an automotive relay make sure you understand exactly what type you need. Certain types of automotive relays are better for different devices than others. Research the relay thoroughly before purchasing it. Make sure it can handle exactly what you will be using it for. You can find the right relay for the job through various manufacturers and car part dealers online.
Without installing the proper amps to run your devices you will pull all the power away from the other necessary parts of the car, including the headlights. You must upgrade your relays in order to prevent the necessary parts of the car from being effected. Installing automotive relays can be a bit tricky if you are not used to dealing with wiring and soldering. Before you install your new automotive relay switch you will need to get detailed instructions on how to do this correctly. You may consider hiring a professional to complete the job for you if you have little experience in relay installation. This will ensure you have the relay wired correctly and the device will work properly. This will also ensure that none of the other parts of the car will be affected during the installation process. After your new automotive relay switch is installed you will be able to enjoy all your new devices and equipment with confidence knowing that they have all the power required.
