# High voltage wiring for split pack



## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

If you run the conduit inside be sure to paint it Orange with durable flexible paint so it won't chip or peel and so if emergency crews need to access they know what orange means. 

Not sure what paint to use unless you can acquire some orange conduit. That would be best.

Like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LIQUATITE-L...594?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337fefafa2


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## migreig (Aug 5, 2011)

I would run it beneath the seat and carpet so it wouldn't be visible.


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

Still needs to be orange. I will be changing all my HV cables to orange coverings.


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## migreig (Aug 5, 2011)

I'm not sure I follow, is that a legal requirement? Work a high voltage disconnect on the dash as well as a manual disconnect under the hood I don't understand the need for outrage cables hidden beneath carpet.


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

Orange is a safety thing. Not required but would be a good thing. Using conduit would protect the cable. Even inside the vehicle should be protected. Have the disconnect away from the dash but cable operated. I use a big fat circuit breaker. It will have an emergency disconnect cable accessible from within the car but the cables are not any where near the dash. 

Cables can wear out even in the car if the feet move the carpet and vibration against the body and cable. Over time. I had my cables run through my VW Ghia but they were also within a very stout conduit so no part of the cable could be damages within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. I should have had them covered in orange for emergency crews just in case they needed to extract you and needed to cut the cables. If the cabling was not orange they would not know by looking that it was HV cables. Right. 

Thats all. Better to be safe and be safe for others just in case. 

Pete 

Some day it may be a regulation. It is a smart move. It helps keep the big guns off our backs. By being safe, it insures the continued ability to convert our cars safely to electric.


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## migreig (Aug 5, 2011)

Fair enough. The vibe I'm getting here is that I should just find a path under the car. If that's safest then it won't be too much extra effort. I can get electrical conduit from work so that's no problem (already orange). I had not thought about where to position the emergency disconnect but I guess cable operated mounted through the floor somewhere is the simplest route.


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

I know some have ran the cable through PVC underneath.


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## njloof (Nov 21, 2011)

I thought the Tesla guys did a clever thing: an easily accessible 12v wire clearly labeled in the "frunk" that cuts power to a contactor to isolate the pack. As long as one of the two long cables is not carrying current the safety requirement is met. That's what their training video for emergency workers is telling them to look for.


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

njloof said:


> I thought the Tesla guys did a clever thing: an easily accessible 12v wire clearly labeled in the "frunk" that cuts power to a contactor to isolate the pack. As long as one of the two long cables is not carrying current the safety requirement is met. That's what their training video for emergency workers is telling them to look for.


Yes, easily accessible if there is nothing in the frunk and there is no frontal damage. Just cut the cable to get the effect of a simple off button.


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## dladd (Jun 1, 2011)

my main pack cables are run under my car in white PVC. Doesn't seem like the best way to go, but it's pretty common. In my car's case they are fairly well protected up in the exhaust tunnel, then behind the steering rack and up the firewall. I'm thinking of covering all my visible high voltage wiring with orange split loom, but so far haven't. All my large cables are black, the smaller HV stuff is more what bothers me since it visually looks just the same as the 12v stuff (10-16awg wire in typical red/black). A casual glance under the hood and it's obvious that the BIG cables are something special, but it's not so obvious to be extra cautious of the DC/DC and heater wiring...


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

I have a couple handfuls of small M-HV wires but they're all fused at <1A so I'm not concerned about them possibly being shorted or whatever.


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## njloof (Nov 21, 2011)

Ziggythewiz said:


> Yes, easily accessible if there is nothing in the frunk and there is no frontal damage. Just cut the cable to get the effect of a simple off button.


Well, sure, you can argue about what you use for the cutoff -- I'm assuming they didn't want it to be a button the kiddies could press and brick their parents' car 

But splitting the pack makes all your long wires safe: traction, DC/DC, voltmeter, etc...


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

A cutoff won't brick the car. It just turns it off. 

Cutting the pack is obviously good, but how you do it is important. One of the basic safety recomendations on this site is to put a disconnect on the outerside of the driver's dash. Easy to access for him and others. If they need to get you out they can cut the power in 1 second and get you out. 

Tesla using their standard trunk cutoff while others make up their own (one state required a disconnect under the gas cap) isn't going to help save anyone.


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