Hey George, You are quite the asset to this site, and I can only imagine how many other sites/avenues you belong to (helping others). You are always helping with direct posts/pictures, or posts, pictures, and parts! I am sure many who benefit do not take the time to post a well deserved accolade. If they don't (or forget), I don't mind doing it for them (and I know you don't need any posted thanks because that's just the way you are)!
I am so **** in regards to safety, and hope everyone who installs accessories/trickle charger harnesses, that they put an inline fuse on the cables/wires they connect to the positive buss of anything they wire in. I care not (really) if the thing installed doesn't have a fuse included in its kit. (full disclosure, I am not talking about adding things like the brake light flasher module, that circuit has any number of circuit protection devices back to the battery, I am talking about other accessories that people install that sometimes involves just finding a 'HOT' wire somewhere under the dash or hood. It mostly means those who tap directly to or before any other main/branch 'HOT' lead available (if you could just see some of the wiring I have seen over the decades) I live by the rule 'SAFETY FIRST' (yeah, I shout it from the highest). If anything was to happen, and someone got hurt or damaged anything, there just isn't too many things that could be said especially if someone got hurt. Especially if the cost to replace or make right was higher than they very inexpensive addition of said fuse holder. Just for an example, many years ago I watched (from a distance trying to intercede) a couple of people (men, but then again it could have been any combination) attempting to jump start a vehicle, by accidentally hooking up the jumper cables backwards to a running (new) pickup truck. The owner of the newer truck jumping the older P/U surely regrets being the one under the hood at the time. The guy attempting to 'start' his vehicle from that kind man couldn't figure out why his dash acted so funny before everything went blank. Of course, the running (jumping) vehicle went 'dead' and by then it was too late. Good intentions of course, but again that famous saying doesn't help does it? Smoke, melted wiring, and the tow truck for BOTH vehicles afterwards was so unnecessary (not to mention luckily no one got hurt by what could have happened). Modern vehicle electronics do not like direct shorts especially at the source of the battery, for sure! The facts were the owner of the vehicle being jumped had replaced the cables with whatever fit, and the red wire was the ground not the positive. I was watching all this (saw a thick red wire having a pigtail going to ground) and it was like a slow motion video when I saw the jumper cables going to connect up wrong (shouting 'STOP' did nothing, too little too late). I have seen the results of a vehicle battery explosion on people and property, NOT PRETTY! In this instance neither battery exploded, but enough damage was done to both vehicles (and nerves including my own because when that spark started I dove for cover). Accidents happen, they are sometimes unpredictable, otherwise they would be called 'on purposes'. Welding machines use less current to melt metals, than is available at the terminals of a vehicle battery. My only intent (here) is to shout out loud. SAFETY FIRST! All to many times complacency bites those who think it'll never happen to them. In the big scheme of things if one person heeds this post I would have done my due diligence. Happy mods to all! And, thanks again George, for being such a great contributor!
PS: (shhhhhhhh) I've been called crazy before, sometimes I actually believe it. Crazy is as crazy does huh?