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power outlet fuse keeps blowing

D

dakotus

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Cleveland, Oh
Hey guys
I wired a set of driving lights and used the positive wire going to the power outlet lighter as the 'hot' wire. My problem is the second i turn on the switch for the lights, the fuse blows out.

I also have another set of lamps running off the cigarette lighter positive wire with no problems.
any suggestions on what might be causing this? both fuses are 25A.

I previosly had a set of lights on the power outlet wire with no problems, i dont know whats causing the problems now
 
Look for a short on the hot line to the lights.

Follow the wire from the switch to the lights, paying close attention to any passes thru steel or any sharp corners.

Rev
 
Thats the thing. I didnt even connect the lights yet. I just ran the wiring and the switch. Im expecting that the LED on the switch will still light when activated. All I know if that, Im definately blowing fuses right and left.

When I connected to the hot line, i used one of those "electro-tap" connectors to splice into it. Maybe I should run a more splice?
 
OH. Sounds like you have the ground and or hot to the wrong terminal on the switch. The switch has 3 terminals....hot, ground, and load. Make sure they are correct. My guess is you have the ground connected to the load terminal.

Rev
 
OK i checked my wiring. I have the correct wires to the switch. I dont know what else could be causing the fuses to blow.

Can i run the power line of the switch to any other 'hot' source?

i have ground running to a bolt right above the tranny shifter.
i have the 'load' running to the lights (which arent connected)
and the 'power' wire running to the power outlet hot line.
 
Is the wire that goes to the lights connected to the switch? If so...check that wire. Your issue is a short some where in or after the switch. Break out your VOM and start check resistance. The problem is NOT your power source.

If the wire is running to the lights but not connected to the lights, it is not touching any metal or the ground wire at the light end...right?

Oh...no the ground wire size is irrelevent.

Rev
 
Rev, thats correct. the 2 power and 2 gounds going to the lights are not conencted to anything, nor are they touching anything. They are just bundled up, not touching each other.

The positive wire from the lights is going to an IPF relay. then there is a wire from that going into the cab, and thus to the switch.
 
OK.

Time to break out your VOM and check the hots for a short. That's all you have, a short....somewhere.
Double check:
Switch wiring
Relay wiring
Wire from switch to relay
Wire from relay to lights

IF you do not have a VOM....get one. You could try these things to help isolate the problem:

Remove ground from switch - If fuse does not blow, switch is wired wrong.
Remove hot to lights from relay - If fuse does not blow, there is a short on the lights feed
Remove ground from relay - If fuse does not blow, relay is wired wrong
Remove relay feed at relay - If fuse still blows, there is a short on that line

HTH

Good luck

Rev
 
Last edited:
Fuses blow for one reason, and one reason only: excess current is flowing through them. If you haven't wired up the lights yet then the ONLY way that excess current could be flowing through the circuit is if you have an unintentional ground somewhere. That's it. Nothing else could possibly be causing this.

So, like Rev Den said, you are going to have to start tracing every wire in the circuit until you find the one that is grounded, that shouldn't be. If you can't find that ground it is not because it doesn't exist, it is because you aren't looking in the right place or in the right way.
 
ok i got it figured out. I was using an IPF relay/harness. I failed to realize that there were two sets of wires coming out of the harness. One for ground and one for the switch. I had them connected together at the 'load' line for the switch. oops!

As a result I fried some wires. So I bought another relay, and ran all new wires by hand, without using a harness. Works like a charm.

you guys were right on, i had the ground wires crossed.

thanks again!!
 
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