I don't have a fuse link on the starter.  There is the heavy battery wire, and a skinny wire that connects to a flat terminal on the solenoid.  I was interested in knowing how much current is on that thin wire. when you energize the starter.

Edited May 18, 20177 yr by TomoHawk

That's exactly what I answered.

30-40A for an instant, and then about 8A continuous after that until you release the key.

I have the check the specifications for my relay, but is that too much for the inrush?  It's a 10A relay

 

Fusible links are like "slow blow" fuses.  Fuses are specified mainly to the gauge of the wire that they're protecting.  In the development world there's probably lots of testing to failure before the final specification.

It's an interesting topic.  You can go with a lower fuse rating if you add heat removal.  It's really all about the heat.  I've solved fuse blowing problems in the old house I live in by opening the fuse panel door in the summertime.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wire-gauges-d_419.html

http://aemcomponents.com/applications/faq/

I would use a cheap generic relay with maybe a 20A rating, and put it in an accessible spot so that when the contacts burn up, you can just pull it out and replace it with a new one. I don't think I would go as far as to use a 40A continuous rated relay.

The idea was to use one of the wireless relays to inhibit the starter.  But for a 10A relay, you could put it on the ignition coil in stead, although I'd rather not mess with the coil-  it could bite you at the worst time.

OK, what was the purpose of having the fusible link for the starter solenoid?  The L28 EFI engines just had a 16Ga wire, which is hardly the same.

OTOH, there are TWO fusible links for the EFI there by the relay box.  Did you disconnect a particular one, or was there no difference?  It might be a good place for  a kill switch connection-  that is, unless the engine will still run, which it shouldn't, if the injectors weren't flowing fuel into every cylinder.

 I haven't checked yet, but if the injectors had a common wire, there's another place for a kill switch-  and the injectors needed little current ( just a good 12V) to operate.

I think that at this time in this discussion, that we can say that unless you  can really find a place to truly "hide" a kill switch, the only truly hidden place for a switch is with you (in your pocket.)  With the benefit of small, wireless devices, you  can make sure that someone won't find the way you enable the car.

You just have to be sure to always keep the transmitter with you or never lose it, which is another thing.