ARB CKMA12 Compressor install help.

Trying to wire up my ARB compressor and having some issues powering it. I have all of the battery terminals hooked to the battery using the supplied crimp on connections. Power is plugged into the compressor, the pressure sensor is plugged in, relay is plugged in. I used an add-a-fuse for the 12v ignition source, using the fuse slot for the cigarette outlet, and another add-a-fuse for the illumination source using the fuse slot for the tail light. Both of these are crimped on tight. I am using the supplied switch and it is plugged in just how the instructions say.

I have jumped power directly to the compressor and it kicks on. Motor works. I have jumped power between the two pressure sensor plugs to rule out the sensor, does not work. If you pull the relay and jump the relay it kicks on whether the switch is on or off. Which I don't think is any different than jumping power straight to the compressor.

Any ideas?

 

Did the wiring harness sit around exposed to the air for any length of time?

unseen corroded plugs can drive one crazy tests good with the meter plugged together it does not work.

Have you bypassed the pressure switch to see if that is working like it should??

Is the coil on your relay getting voltage?? Meter time you need real world numbers

Test the supplied switch see if it is working ??

Some of the add a fuses have rather poor quality something to look real close at.

So you have 12vdc switched power to the ARB switch both need to be on to energize the relay ??

Is the relay being energized ??

Pressure switch is it adjustable or factory sealed ?

It comes down to a poor connection or wired wrong .

Bad relay either the coil or the contacts jumping the contacts just tests the circuit past the relay

****If the compressor kicked on just jumping the relay contacts sure seems the relay is not being energized look to the switched power and toggle switch circuits.***

Bad switch either the toggle switch or pressure switch

Open fuses from causing something to arc while wiring.

You need to trace every wire from point to point.

Best of luck

 

The wiring came wrapped in a sealed bag with no holes, I installed it the day I took it out of the wrapping. I have inspected all of it to look for anything weird but didnt find anything. I have bypassed the pressure sensor and there was still no power. I have not tested the switch itself but I know it does not illuminate at all so that is a possibility as well. Need to buy a new multimeter, cant seem to find mine.

 

Multi Meters are like 10 mm wrenches they hide you need to pretend to look for something else

Sometimes we all miss the simple things If I was close enough I would be glad to help

Good Luck.

 

I ended up running the 12v ignition directly to the battery and everything works. Maybe the add a fuse I was using was shitty. Maybe the circuit wasnt 12v ignition. Oh well.

Thank you for the help.

 

I am glad you got it figured out

 

Currently having the same issue at switch. How has the direct wire been? Any issues

 

I used an add-a-fuse for a CH4x4 switch connected to an S30 lightbar and it threw some error codes that made my dash light up like Christmas. Unfortunately, I didn’t have an OBD reader at the time so I can’t tell you what the code was. The service folks at Toyota told me not to use the fuse adapters because the Tacoma is “very sensitive” with respect to sensors and electronics. He recommended buying an external unit for hooking up bars and stuff (spod). I didn’t buy one though.

Anyway, did you encounter anything similar?

 

So far so good. Only thing I'd like to do is get some different battery terminals to clean up the wiring. I have the compressor and my aux fuse block wired to the battery. Adding a winch in the next couple months so I'm gonna need to clean up wiring.

 

I didnt have any weird codes or anything. I just had no power to the switch at all using fuses in the cabin.

 

Who chose to wire to the battery vs the ignition? Bonus for the battery is you can use the compressor anytime you want. I had it all hooked up to my switch pro but switching back to the included wiring to free up some space. Already have a ton of stuff fuse tapped so seeing what options I have.

 

I went straight to the battery for the ignition source. On board air and winch are the only two things ill have directly to the battery. Everything else goes to fuse panel.

 

That makes sense and pretty much how I had it setup on my switch pro. Ran into another issue that was just a PIA. Wired it all up. Only needed to connect the purple/black wires into the harness to the switch and wire the power for the switch but got it all wired up and nothing. Did not make sense. Was about to rip that crap out realized I had a too to check power/ground and found that the switch was not getting any power. Tracked it down to that little diode they tell you not to remove. Before the diode power, after the diode no power. Pulled the shrink wrap off, diode broke naturally. touching both sides bypasses the diode compressor works as expected. Brand new harness with junk diode. Not something you would think was the issue. Most may not even realize it.

Anyone have an idea if since I have it running directly to the battery if that diode is even needed? It is there to protect sensitive electronics in the car but it is not connected to ignition.

 

Bumping this thread for question on wiring...

I'm considering wiring my compressor to the battery. I have it installed under the hood and want to put the switch there as well. There is a blue/white wire which is supposed to be to illuminate the switch and a red/yellow wire which is supposed to go to the ignition.

I don't care about illumination. Can I simply wire the red/yellow direct to the battery? Right now I don't have either blue/white and red/yellow wires connected to anything and the compressor won't turn on. When I touch the red/yellow to the positive battery terminal and hit the switch, compressor runs. Any downside to running it directly off the battery? I understand I'd want to have the truck running if re-inflating tires. I will also use this for inflating bike tires which would only take a few seconds.

 

yes you can run it that way. I have my switch in the cab but it is wired direct. I do not have the illumination wired either. Funny though when you turn it on it illuminates so its really for all the time which I didn't want anyway. You are good to go if that's where you want it, but yes you need to connect that wire as its the on/off trigger.

 

Awesome, thanks! I'm an electronics noob and haven't exactly had success with DIY projects in the past.