ignition switch maximum load

[Rob_Jennings]

I'm just about finished with a serious tidy up of my wiring.

It was a mess to say the least, with the old fuse box failing to hold one of the fuses and alternator conversion all tangled up in insulation tape. A new fuse box has sorted most of that but I have a question....

What is the maximum load that ignition switch can handle?

A CD player has been fitted in the past (looks like a Halfords job to me) which is wired direct off the battery (with a line fuse). It would be nice to have a proper fixed and switched supply for the unit as intended, but is it best to place a relay in line and drive that from the switched feed rather than connect the player directly from the top of the switched fuse group? It all depends how much load the ignition switch can handle.

[Willie]

Yes, but you will not be able to play the unit without having the ignition 'ON'
then which will be inconvenient. Your direct supply via a line fuse sounds
ok to me ( it should be connected to the Brown wire on fuse 1) to avoid overloading the ignition supply.

[lowedb]

I don't know the spec of the switch, but if you use a relay there won't be a problem.

If you leave it connected to the battery, you may forget to switch it off, and end up with a flat battery. Also, some types of radio take quite a current through the switched circuit even when apparently switched off, so if you leave it permanently on check the power drain.