Electrical

In our previous articles on vehicle electrical systems we talked a lot about the OEM components and some basic upgrades dealing with adding things like lights and associated switches. This article series is going to focus on auxiliary electrical systems, their components, and ultimately designing and installing an auxiliary electrical system into your vehicle — […]

Electrical

Jeep Tech

Making a “Good” Rig “Better” – Part 2: Lighting Upgrades

2024-04-19

I know what you’re thinking. “Dean, your Jeep already has upgraded lighting.” You’re not wrong. Way back in 2016 I upgraded the stock halogen headlights in the LJ with a set of LED ones from Rigid Industries. I also installed a set of high/low D-Series LED light pods as auxiliary fog (low) and driving (high) […]

Electrical

Vehicle Electrical Systems – Switch Install Tips

2022-11-11

One of the most popular accessories to install on any four-wheel-drive vehicle is lights. It’s also one of the most popular upgrades as well. In prior articles I went over why I was choosing LED lights and a break down of installing new LED Headlights and LED Fog Lights on my Jeep. This time around […]

Electrical

Jeep Tech

Vehicle Electrical Systems – Ignition Repair

2022-05-31

There is nothing worse than having a vehicle that won’t start. Well, maybe starting your vehicle and not being able to shut it off. It’s the absolute worst when you have each of those problems on both of your vehicles. Last year the ignition on the 2004 LS powered LJ broke. A few weeks later […]

Electrical

Vehicle Electrical Systems – Power Distribution

2022-05-24

Gearheads love to add accessories to their vehicles. It could be auxiliary lights, a stereo amplifier, or maybe just some utilitarian charging ports. Regardless of the accessory in question power distribution is something many people overlook. Think of it this way, when do you install the fuse panel and wiring in a house: before or […]

Electrical

Vehicle Electrical Systems – Automotive Battery Basics

2022-05-17

Battery Basics Without patronizing you too much I’ll just say this about batteries. They are an integral part to a vehicle’s electrical system. They provide the necessary electrical power to turn the starter motor which in turn gets the motor’s alternator turning in order to provide the electrical power necessary to keep the vehicle running. […]

Electrical

Vehicle Electrical System – Basics

2020-03-27

Vehicle electrical systems can be somewhat scary for the uninitiated. I remember how nervous I was when I installed my first car stereo amp when I was in college. Now, many years and a lot more experience later, I honestly can’t say I’m any less nervous when doing vehicle electrical systems. When you hear about […]

Jeep Tech

Electrical Upgrades: Round 2 – Odyssey AGM Battery

2017-07-28

It’s been a while since I’ve done anything with the electrical system on the LJ. Thankfully that’s because everything has been working just fine <knocks on wood>. That said, a recent addition to the Jeep led me to upgrading the battery on the Jeep. Had to go to the local freight terminal to pick up […]

Jeep Tech

Phase 1

Lighting Upgrades: Round 1 – LED Headlights and Driving Lights

2016-03-11

As I mentioned in the last post on lighting, no 50″ LED light-bars will be harmed in the making of this post. This is about upgrading OEM lights with aftermarket lights. Look at it this way, how often have you seen someone going down the road using a 50″ lightbar? No? Neither have I. Trust […]

Jeep Tech

Phase 1

Electrical Upgrades: Round 1 – Go!

2015-09-21

There are few more disheartening moments for an automotive enthusiast than that moment you turn the key and nothing happens. No clicking. No start then stall. Just dead silence. A few days ago I had one of those moments. Not a good sign when you’ve turned the key. In this week’s post I’ll go through […]