> Relays, push buttons. There's a reason why these kind of systems were
> not commonly added to cars until there was solid state electronics to
> fail all as one monolithic molten mess. Reliability.
<<SNIP>>
> Bang it around in a race car and you're asking for trouble.
My 1960 Land Rover has been rewired with relays on high and low beam
headlamps, the auxiliary driving lamps, on board compressor, winch, a
relay for isolating the second battery, and even the complete switched
electrics are on a relay.
I can not imaging any race car taking more banging about than a leaf
sprung Land Rover that sees serious long range expedition travel. I
have yet to experience relay failure from the after market automotive
relays.
Any off roader running higher than stock wattage lamps, and auxiliary
electrics that draw high power are using relays with great reliability.
I used to own a 1970's Saab. That vehicle had relays on everything. i
suspected they used relays to activate the relays. Other than a hiccup
in the Bosh fuel injection system several factory trained technicians
were never able to find the electrical problems were repeated failure
of the radiator temperature sensor and German style fuses burning out
where the metal of the fuse contacts the fuse holder. It the 5 or 6
years i owned that car I never experienced a relay failure.
Personally I have found automotive relays to be quite reliable over
time, long drives on deeply wash boarded roads and rock crawling.
TeriAnn J. Wakeman
Marigold Ltd.
www.marigoldltd.com
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