wire size

My vehicle has a hefty 6AWG fused 80AMP line. This is the recommended tapping spot for the 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander.

I'm a bit rusty but I assume if I tap in a 10AWG line this should be more than fine for a CompuStar remote start controller(two 20AMP 16AWG 12V constant wires) and one SPDT relay?

If this is the wire that feeds the fusebox under the hood, then yes it will be fine. You are not adding any load to that wire, it is the wire that handles those same things, just via the ignition switch. No extra current on anything.

What's wrong with keeping it all INSIDE the car and picking up constants at the ignition?
Craig, sorry to hijack but is there a table to convert wire gauges to ISO?

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Actually I'm being hypocritical, so I apologise, on my last Mits, I ran 2 x8 gauges into the car, 80amps fused at battery to a junction box then separate fuses for all the aftermarket stuff, from R/S to trunk solenoid.
Generally I won't run alarm-R/S power feeds under the hood for two reasons, security and power loss.

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

It's the recommended wire to splice from iDatalink. It feeds the fuse box under the steering column.

It's the correct wire your making us repeat ourselves.

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

My question wasn't whether or not it was the right feeder wire, the question was whether or not adding a 10AWG wire was sufficient for adding constant 12V to a remote start at this particular location. Sorry for any confusion. Sounds like I should be ok.

Does any one know how this translates into ISO sizes?
Personally I would agree with the last post.

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

i am an idiot wrote:

---

If this is the wire that feeds the fusebox under the hood, then yes it will be fine. You are not adding any load to that wire, it is the wire that handles those same things, just via the ignition switch. No extra current on anything.

---

I'm struggling a bit wrapping my head around this. I tapped in the two 14AWG constant 12V wires from the remote start to this source. These lines are both fused inline at 30AMP.

If this location I tapped into is such a large wire fused at 80AMP, I would assume its powering the majority of the vehicle electronics right from the battery. I'm now by adding on the remote start am I not running everything back through this same source when I remotely start the vehicle essentially overloading that source?

Not at all as Mr.I says, you're simply paralleling the original functions.
We keep repeating ourselves here because you don't appear to understand something that's blindingly simple, as long as you keep the Compustar fuses you're doing the equivalent of running directly from the battery.
In fact if your'e unsure, extend those wires keeping to the same gauge or thicker to the battery, fuse them at the battery, that's 100% safe but IMO completely OTT.

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

I apologize if I'm testing your patience. I know enough to make it work, and want to learn and understand enough to make it last and take from this experience for future installs.

What you said makes sense, the wire is coming from the battery and I'm tapping it prior to its connection point essentially the same as running a new feed from the battery. I just don't understand what happens when the constant power gets to the remote start controller. If it's fused with two lines combined up to max 60AMP's is the controller bearing the load of everything running while remote started? If not, why fuse it so high?

The answer to your last question is YES.
But naturally there are exceptions, remember a top of the line manufacturer like compustar has to cover all possibilities.
Generally a starter wire draws as little as 5 amps if it's relayed say under the hood (engine bay fuse box).
British Fords in the 80s drew up to 30 amps on the then single ignition wire, one reason why modern cars have multiple ignitions.
Whereas Mk l and Mk ll VW Golfs only drew about 5 amps on the ignition because it went straight to a fuse box with a thick battery fed constant and the various functions were relayed out.
It also had an ignition ll.
Also on nearly all vehicles except BMW and Porsche, on crank only ignition 1 and starter are powered.
In practical terms run those fused wires to either the internal fuse box constant feed or the constant feed (s) at the ignition switch.

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

So in my case, the majority of the vehicle wiring is 24AWG. I'm assuming most of the power coming IN leaves back through the accessory wire? If this is the case, how does it not melt?

Sorry, you've completely lost me, maybe you should take this up with the alarm manufacturer.
I've connected to the battery, ignition constant and main fascia fusebox feed over the years with never a problem.

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

And no it leaves through the ground wire.

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

I guess I'm just confused with what happens since we have all that power running into the controller to power devices through the two 12V constant lines.

The 12V accessory and 12V ignition lines are both inline fused at 20 AMPs from the CompuStar harness. The vehicle wiring for both of these wires is 24AWG. Should I not reduce the fuse size?

NO!
I don't want to take this daft thread any further but you are getting over involved in totally irrelevant minutia.
The R/S manufacturer has to cater for differing wire sizes by different vehicle manufacturers. It's that simple.
I'm involved in a tracker + immobiliser contract involving Toyota Prius, the wire we cut to immobilise the vehicle is on a 10 amp circuit and is equal to 28 ga wire.
The immobiliser wires are 12 ga.
It works, who cares.

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Essentially that's the attitude I'm trying to avoid by asking these questions. I work in the mobile world as well on a fleet of over 1000 vehicles scattered throughout our province all fitted with aftermarket goodness - some built in house by our mechanics and others by joe contractor. I question why wires are melted, fuses blow, why solder joints fall apart, etc because I end up having to fix these things and want to prevent re-occurrences however my knowledge is limited so I ask questions so that I can learn.

If the wires are undersized and the fuse is too high in most circumstances you're asking for trouble. This would never be acceptable in residential or commercial electrical systems. That's one thing that has always bothered me about the 12V world - lack of standards and code. Too many things are built to just "work".

This was my first remote start install from scratch by myself so understanding exactly what is going on with the power and what direction it flows took me a bit but I'm pretty sure I have a firm grasp of what is going on thanks to your advice. We can leave things be.