Best Way to wire up A Compressor

I just got a new compressor what is the best way to wire it up ? I was thinking of running it to a toggle for now . The best i know now is run red wire to toggle then another wire from toggle to battery I know there is got ot be a better way out there ? Thanks for all the help guys!

don't do it that way unless you have a toggle switch made to handle the amperes the compressor is going to draw

easiest way is to get a box relay, u can get it from electronic stores like radioshack or whoever sells compressors should actually sell them.

what it is basically is a switch within a switch, there are 4 prongs on the relay
1prong to the battery, 1 prong to the compressor, 1 prong to the switch, 1 prong to power/ground depending on how you wire it

let me see if i can find a diagram

that's a way you can do it

and this is what th erelay looks like

your toggle switch would go either on the 86 terminal or 85 terminal..dont really matter

I know many people say never to run them to toggle switchs but my two compressors are ran to toggle switches. I've ran them like that for close to a year with no problems..I did put a fuse on them and made sure the switches can hold the amperage to avoid problems, but if common sense is used theres no problems with running toggles. I'd rather run a switch than a pressure switch so I can decide when I need the air and want to hear the dang compressors run.

do it just like the picture up there

mine's been that way for a year, compressor comes on automatically, and will only run when the truck is running

you can wire a toggle switch to your pressure switch, so u can cut the system on and off when you want to

where did you get your toggles and what compressors are you running bro. those toggles don't get hot at all when you run the compressors?

o and if you want it to only run when the truck is on, wire it the toggle/pressure switch to the accessory of your truck, same system your radio is on

I bought the toggles from a local autozone just picked up some plain chrome toggles that were rated to 30 amperage each and checked the amps on my viair 450 which are each 23 so no they don't get hot and work just fine. I know you can run it to a pressure switch to but I don't have a problem with the way it is ran and looks cleaner without a pressure switch coming out of the tank.

Originally posted by 1BadFord



I bought the toggles from a local autozone just picked up some plain chrome toggles that were rated to 30 amperage each and checked the amps on my viair 450 which are each 23 so no they don't get hot and work just fine. I know you can run it to a pressure switch to but I don't have a problem with the way it is ran and looks cleaner without a pressure switch coming out of the tank.

i have a few questions for ya forst off.

1.) whats up with you running compressors with a 3/5 drop?2.) Second if your not running it constantly like having it turn off and on from hitting switches how would you know how the switch will take it. Most compressors amp draw spikes well above 30a when there turned on.