ARB Wiring Loom

[DX 80]

Had to buy a new ARB compressor today - cheers CBUYUP.

Anyway, just curious to know if the loom is the same as my 7 or 8 year old one.

I noticed it has a 40amp blade fuse, where as my old one has a 30 amp glass fuse.

BTW cracked the plastic where the pressure switch screws in - a bit flimsy if you ask me. Anyway, that's another problem.

Dave.

[DX 80]

Was just havin a chat to DumbDunce and he reckons cut the old 30 amp fuse out and splice the 40 amp in.

Any probs anticipated with the hacking that will occur shortly?

Dave

[DX 80]

Mods, please feel free to move to General 4x4 tech

[HotFourOk]

Depends if the wire originally used can handle more than 30 amps. If not, it will heat up, suffer voltage drop and could even melt if it gets hot enough.
In saying that, ARB usually overdesign things a bit, so you might be safe. Just have a look at the wire and see what size it is.

Can you get away with using the 30A fuse anyway?

[DX 80]

This is my point, I don't wanna start melting wires. At the same time I don't wanna pull out the old loom - poo$ter of a job.

[micka1]

IMHO i would use the new loom . In my experience after having 2 of the old arb compressors i melted the wiring on both of them, i now have the new one and it seems fine so far .

[Slunnie]

I'm in the same boat here as the old ARB compressor died.

I'll just do it right and change the loom, then there will be no probs and the wires will be new.

[Cliffy]

Have just completed the same swap, but still retained the old 30 amp loom. I figured if there was going to be some serious amp draw then the 30 amp fuse would blow, it was designed to protect the original circut anyway?

It has been in a month and have used it frequently with no issues

[joeblow]

there are other slight changes with the loom...would run the new one in its entirity.

[DX 80]

Ok, bit the bullet and put the new loom in, on advise from ARB Moorebank.

A crunt of a job and I hope I never have to revisit it.

Dave

[joeblow]

is one of the easiest looms to install....depends on how it was fitted originally though....done so many....lost count.

[DX 80]

The loom itself is piss easy. It's the pulling out drivers seat, fart assing around mounting compressor, yada yada.

[joeblow]

ahh yes...done that wayyy too many times too....still....beats doin an engine conversion.....

[Cossie]

You can use the old loom quite safely, however for maximum performance you should use the new one - it is thicker wire and will have less resstance.

You can reuse the smaller part of the loom that connects to the switches and ignition etc, just plug the new one into it.

edit: dont forget to cut the big fuse holder out and relocate it close to the battery. Some retard who designed it put it in the wrong place

[dbongard]

edit: dont forget to cut the big fuse holder out and relocate it close to the battery. Some retard who designed it put it in the wrong place

Cossie,

The fuse is positioned inline as far away from the compressor as could be said to be automatically included in a 'battery next to the compressor' installation.
Any further away and we found that too many of the general public were trimming the fuse off of the loom completely, and thus exposing themselves to a high fire risk. The fitting instructions clearly advise that the fuse should be located as close to the battery connection as possible.

-the 'retard' department

[TRobbo]

too late for you now but I was chatting to the blokes at ARB and they reckon you can get away with just replacing the loom between the battery and the compressor. The rest of the loom will suffice.

[Slunnie]

I thought the switching part of the loom was unchanged.

[DX 80]

It all depends who you talk to. I didn't wanna risk shite burning out/ fusing yada, yada so I replaced the lot.

The new loom does look heaps heavier gauge.

Dave

[Cossie]

edit: dont forget to cut the big fuse holder out and relocate it close to the battery. Some retard who designed it put it in the wrong place

Cossie,

The fuse is positioned inline as far away from the compressor as could be said to be automatically included in a 'battery next to the compressor' installation.
Any further away and we found that too many of the general public were trimming the fuse off of the loom completely, and thus exposing themselves to a high fire risk. The fitting instructions clearly advise that the fuse should be located as close to the battery connection as possible.

-the 'retard' department

Thanks Daniel.

However as you are aware most of todays vehicles have little or no room left under the bonnet for the compressor, therefore it needs to go inside the vehicle.
If the general public are stupid enough to remove a fuse altogether they are surely stupid enough to not relocate it close to the battery. There is more chance of the power cable shorting out over this long length than if it was next to the battery, and the car will go up in smoke.
And while we're on the subject, the supplied loom is not long enough for under seat mounting on Hilux's, GU's etc. Can you make it about 30-40cm longer?

If people are dumb enough to remove a fuse altogether they deserve to lose their cars in a fireball.

[Slunnie]

Perhaps a better alternative may be to have the part of the loom with the fuse to have the battery connector on it already with the fuse close, and the area to trim and connect into the main loom to be up near the compressor. That would mean that the full loom is safe and if the owner is too retarded to put a joiner on the end to make the compressor work, then an auto leccy will do it properly for them - mind you the skill required is probably actually unchanged from what it currently is.

[DX 80]

Loom needs to be about a metre longer. I mounted mine under the pilots seat.

And yes, I did cut and paste the fuse closer to the battery. ARB needs to look at this for future looms.

Dave

[bazzle]

Ive always fitted an aux fuse box on the firewall etc. From this I ran Locker loom, fridge etc. This fuse will protect any downstream items.
With the old... ARB looms with the glass fuse, No, the contacts on the glass fuse get corrosion and a voltage drop causing them to melt. If you solder a link there (insulated and put a new blade fuse close to batt you should be OK.

Bazzle