[AT] What is a Relay?

Ron D Haskell rdhaskell at juno.com
Fri Dec 10 08:41:57 PST 2004


Hi Ricky.
Someone else can probably explain it better than I can; but here goes. 
Your regular switch sends a low draw current to the relay, causing it to
close.  The contacts in the relay are heavy duty and have an input of
large wire from the battery or other good source.  The output of the
relay goes to the high draw item.  The relay can be close to the lights
or other high current draw so the large capacity wires can be short.. 
Like a starter solenoid.  I hope this helps.
The input from the light switch would close the relay, then a single new
large wire would go back to your trailer lights.
I always do that on my trucks, makes it handy to flash your load lights
independent of the truck lights.

Ron Haskell
rdhaskell at juno.com
Riverside California USA
http://www.oldengine.org/members/haskell/

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 09:03:32 -0600 "Ricky Prescott" <diamondp at centex.net>
writes:
> How does a Relay switch work?  My lights on my truck went out.  It 
> burned up the plug that goes into the switch.  I rewired it. My 
> Mechanic said I need to install a relay so when I hook up my trailer 
> lights it won't burn up the plug again.  I am wondering what I need. 
>  The wiring in the  old dodge is not heavy enough to handle all the 
> amps the trailer lights draw.  I hope I made this clear.  Thanks, 
> Ricky 
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