Hi guys. The new X is now residing in my driveway. I've got the mod bug real bad because it just looks so plain compared to the previous one. Here's the problem. Jess is afraid I'm going to blow the new one up when messing with the electronics and honestly, I've got a little shell shock myself. I have a Warn M8000 getting shipped with the bumper that I'm going to need to hook up, a Cobra CB, and two 6 inch PIAA's. I'm also planning on installing a power converter before we head out to Alaska. Pre-fire, I would have just hooked this stuff up through the fuse box and right to the battery. Now I'm looking at not half-assing the electronics in the new truck and I'm as electronically incompetent as I am mechanically lol.
I'm going to put in an Optima Red or Yellow top due to the extreme conditions we're going to experience in Alaska.

I'm hoping the fire was just a fluke and the result of putting a cheap winch onto a high performance batter (I had a red top in there).

Do you guys who are electronics wizards recommend just continuing to run stuff to the battery and fuse box, or should I install another fuse box to run this stuff to like I've seen on some vehicles or are there other options that are safer than that?

Any advice would be great and thanks in advance.
Ed

PS - You guys/gals who don't carry fire-extinguishers around in your truck or don't have some stashed around the house, please go out tomorrow and buy some. They're only 20 bucks for the little 10 second ones. They won't put out a plastic/rubber fire very effectively though.

Well I'll let the others chime in on the electronics. Never one of my strong parts.

But I know for a fact that the winch is going to have to be connected straight to the battery. I think Warn actually suggest you doing so..

Gene - I've seen that in Warns installation instructions. I guess under a load you need raw power.

Well, when I was thinking about winch stuff I was thinking about the quick disconnects they sell. You could have both ends right there, but no power hitting the winch yet.

As far as running everything from the battery, I'm a fan of an Aux Fuse Box. I like everything having fuses on everything.

I got mine from West Marine, and then just put in a large fuse. When I don't think i'm going to use the accessories I can open the breaker and no power is hitting the fuse box.

I know I have a first gen, but if you want photos let me know.

Here are some links to what I have:

http://tinyurl.com/6hr9hk

http://tinyurl.com/cxhgm6

Link to the quick disconnect stuff:
http://www.winchking.com/gpage3.html (further down the page)

Not an expert in any means but personally I run everything in the cabin through an additional (aux) fuse box with a 100 amp circuit breaker. For the winch to be safe, if you are that worried, you might want to consider a battery disconnect for just that connection. If a disconnect runs enough amps to start the vehicle I would think it should work for a winch. At least you would be able to monitor it during a pull and not have to worry when it is parked.

Now I do have a Warn Jumper kit which is hooked up directly but there isn't any connection until the extension is connected to jump a vehicle.

If you want a good electrical site (which Coolerman used) check out Waytek . I know the prices are not cheap but the quality of the product is good.

You connect to the fuse box? Kind of risky, I had a set of driving lights hooked up to the fusebox on one of my Toyotas. The line was also fused, the fuse didn't blow when there was a problem and ended up melting the relay below it, for the fuel pump and damaged the computer. Took the mechanic 4 hours to find the problem....cha-ching! I just run off the battery and fuse the line. Auxilary fuse box was what I was going to recommend as well.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D2&item=260353449681&category=50437&viewitem=

Oh, and other then the winch (future) and my cb, everything runs off of relays.

A flaming river battery switch should fit in there nicely for the winch wire. you could mount it inside the bumper so you dont have to pop the hood to use the winch.

I'd go with an aux fuse block for accessories. The winch will need to be directly connected to the battery but as these guys said, you can get a quick-disconnect if constant power to the winch worries you.

You guys are awesome. Thanks for the outstanding advice. I think I'll go double safe and get the aux fuse box and the quick disconnects for the winch. I appreciate the advice. I knew I could count on all of you.
Ed

Another note is you might want to have the winch cables insulated from wear with a wire loom (auto parts store should have). That way if the cables do rub the loom will take the damage first and avoid a ground out situation.

Well in researching further, I did find this Warn Battery Cutoff Switch which if connected properly won't power the winch until the power is on in the cabin and turned on. Installation instructions. Not sure if this would work for a winch but couldn't hurt to contact their customer service.

Gene - If you want to move this to the "Backyard Mechanic" that's cool..it's kind of turned into that.

Thanks again for all of the info. I picked up my Optima Yellow Top today. It seemed like the right way to go since Valdez routinely gets temps well below zero in the Winter. I'll also be able to power anything else I pick up off of it.

If you guys could clear something up for me. I've been surfing until my fingers bleed to get some clarification on this with a little

A few more questions for anyone with some patience.

If I'm reading the stuff I see correctly, the aux fuse box will allow me to run switches to all of my electronics, allowing me to secure power to them at will from inside the truck if desired or by hooking them into an ignition source, shutting them off when I shut the truck off.
Even with an aux fuse box, do you still have to run the power cables for accessories straight to the battery?
Is an aux fuse box going to make the items I connect any safer or is it just a neater way to connect things?

Thanks again for all of your help.
Ed

I hope a remote starter is on your list of things....

That was on the list of "Would you like to include this for only 8 dollars more per month" visit with Lindsay in the financing office lol. It works great!