Add Offroad Lights - Safe Amp Draw?

From : lint radley

Q: hello im going to be adding some off road driving lights to my 2003 dodge ram 2500 cummins diesel has two batteries. my question is how much extra power is it safe to draw from the stock electrical system each light is 130 watts @ 12 volts so by my calculation thats a little under 11 amps each. the only electrical add on at the moment is a backup camera which draws less than 1.5 amps. otherwise completely stock electrically. thanks so much -lint radley .

Replies:

From : tom lawrence

power is it safe to draw from the stock electrical system each light is 130 watts @ 12 volts so by my calculation thats a little under 11 amps each. as long as you put them on their own fused circuit 30a inline directly off the battery and switch them with a relay this is no problem at all. use the proper gauge wire so you dont cause a voltage drop to the lights and overheat the wiring - 12 gauge from the battery to the relay and relay to the lights should be fine. .

From : lint radley

cool thanks for the response. i already planned a relay and fuse so im glad to hear that. the gauge i hadnt looked up yet though planned to. -lint tom lawrence wrote power is it safe to draw from the stock electrical system each light is 130 watts @ 12 volts so by my calculation thats a little under 11 amps each. as long as you put them on their own fused circuit 30a inline directly off the battery and switch them with a relay this is no problem at all. use the proper gauge wire so you dont cause a voltage drop to the lights and overheat the wiring - 12 gauge from the battery to the relay and relay to the lights should be fine. .