If you want to wire a car properly, you’re going to need a solid plan. You must account for numerous things, including where you’re going to place the fuse panel. A well-placed fuse panel will make your wiring job much easier, and prevent big problems during other parts of your build.

You can find the fuse panel for a majority of vehicles on the road under or near the dash. Now, this region of the vehicle is fairly busy. The HVAC system, stereo, and other systems around this area, or right on the other side of the firewall. Now, there might be a lot going on in and around the underside of the dash, but it is the prime location to use as the hub of the vehicle’s wiring.

The team at Ron Francis Wiring has been cranking out wiring solutions for decades, so they understand what it takes to properly wire a vehicle. According to the Ron Francis Wiring website, there are two reasons you should place a fuse panel under the dash when you’re wiring a vehicle. The first reason is the length of wires in relation to what they’re connected to inside the vehicle. It’s basic electrical theory, the longer the wires are, the more voltage loss you’re going to see in the system. So, by placing the fuse panel under the dash, you will limit the voltage loss of the systems being wired to the panel since the wires will be shorter.

The second reason that Ron Francis Wiring recommends putting the fuse panel under the dash is to limit accidental wire damage. If you tuck the fuse panel away in the trunk or in another area of the vehicle, you still need to run wires to that panel. You now have wires running everywhere that can easily be damaged under the vehicle’s carpet. These wires can also be damaged when other parts of the vehicle are installed, this can create a troubleshooting nightmare for you.

So, remember, placing the fuse panel under the dash will save you from damaged wiring, and improve the performance of your electrical system.