I need to use a fuse tap to add a circuit, and I'm not sure if the cherokee uses ATC, ATM, etc style fuses. Looks like ATC, but I saw somebody else say that's wrong as well. It's an 89 Laredo.

 

How about looking at the fuse box?

Fuse taps are bad news, anyway. They can mess up the fuse box contacts. Usually do, actually.

Much better to go behind the fuse box and use a proper splice. If you use a quality splice it will be far more reliable than a fuze tap.

 

Fues box should have a couple of slots extra just get the connector for them then use inline fuse.

 

I have no open ACC spots. I do not want to use the battery ones because I need it to turn off when I shut the car off.

 

How about a picture of your fuse box? And how much amperage are you planning to draw?

 

I plan on drawing only 5 amps.

 

Those are ATC fuses. The smaller ones are ATM (I hate them!).

If you want to just slap something in there, you can just use a T-tap on that white wire with the black stripe coming out of the IGN port. Double check it, but I'm pretty sure that's switched with the key.

Fill the tap with dielectric grease before you connect it and you won't have any corrosion problems there. Always connect a T-tap with a fully insulated male connector, to maintain the connection's integrity.




Don't use one of these cheap pieces of junk - they are notoriously unreliable.

Now if you want to do it right, and make room for future circuits that will be switched with the key, tap as above and then use that to switch a relay. Power your new devices off that relay. Naturally, you'll fuse the relay's hot lead.

http://www.the12volt.com/relays/relaydiagram25.html

 

I didn't know fuse taps existed. Looks pretty nifty! This is ATC here> http://www.allelectronics.com/item/f...FQqHaQodgAMEwg

 

Oh, that kind. Yeah, those are fine.

 

I hadn't known it could get confusing. Maybe the std, (ATC) was just called "blade type" because that's all there was besides barrel fuses. Then "mini" and others were added. I did check, the regular blade fuse is indeed 19mm. (As stated in the above link)

 

They were always called ATC, most of us just didn't know it because the others weren't commonly seen at first.

Anyway, this is the kind of fuse tap I was thinking of that is NOT good. Old school. Basically, you slip the end into the blade of the fuse and shove it in, leaving a .250 connector sticking up, and wrecking your fuse socket by forcing it open too far.

 

Note from DJ Caution
Even though you only want to add a fewer more amps to this Accessory Circuit be prepared for connector meltdown; it is already loaded very heavy and has been known to fail
Renix Ignition Switch Brown Wire Circuit Information
The following items are all powered by brown wire on the ignition switch I think:
Front Wiper Washer
Rear Wiper Washer
A/C Heater Blower Motor
Turn Signal Flasher
Back Up Lights
Rear Defogger
Power Door Locks
Horn Relay
Cigarette Lighter
This is an example of what happens:

 

Yeah, that kind of stuff is why I prefer to use a relay when adding any circuit.

 

My .o2 yea...but 5 amps, max? A relative drop in the bucket. What are you going to run anyway Zac?

 

Why don't you just install a fuse block with 2, 3, 4 fuses behind the dash. For a small investment of some wire and an aux. panel (fuse block) no more worries of tapping and splicing into the OE electrical wiring and fuse panel(s).