Can you tell me what size wire I need, or how many amps the solenoid for a
Mazda starter draws?



Sandy McNabb

Renesis in a Glass Goose

As near as I can tell the the resistance of the solonoid is
about .8 ohm.

So the current will be about 15 AMPs. At 12 volts. V/R = A
http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

Looks  like about 10 gage stranded wire.

Paul Lamar


10 gauge is way overkill for a solenoid, which is intermittently
used.  The chart is for NEC code, which is continuous loading,
which relies on max bundle size for wiring. Hence 14 gauge
for 15 amp breakers (lighting loads) and 12 gauge for wall
sockets (20 Amp breakers).

14 gauge would be sufficient for solenoid use.  I would be
surprised if Mazda used anything larger.

Bob Knuckles, Aeroelectric, puts out a pretty good book
on aircraft wiring that I would recommend.

Tom W