Help wiring 7" kragens - fuse keeps blowing

I have followed the instructions exactly as posted in this thread
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technical-chat/6525-diy-wiring-after-market-lights.html


I am using a 30amp relay. When I initially hooked everything up to the switch the lights came on and worked fine. After installing the switch where I wanted it and hooking everything back up, now the lights will not power up. I have power going to the relay with in inline 20amp fuse, and power coming from the relay into the cab to the switch. Every time I flip the switch the 20amp mini fuse in the fuse tap blows. What could be the problem?

 

If I remove the hot wire for the lights from the relay and wire it directly to the battery, the lights power on.

 

Either you wired it wrong, or you scraped off some insulation and you have a ground fault.


First, triple check everything against the diagram with a skeptical eye assuming its wrong.

To check for a ground disconnect power, turn off the lights, and use an ohm meter at the plus terminal of the bulb, and a good chassis ground point. Resistance should be infinite.

 

It's not the relay, I bought another one and still have same problem. I have triple and quadruple checked the wiring, everything is wired correctly.

All crimped connections seem to be good plus I sealed them at the crimping point with heat shrink tubing.

 

You still might have scraped a wire in routing it.

Check for a ground fault.

 

Also, there's no wiring diagram in the original post you linked??

Sketch a schematic of your wiring and post it so we can double check it.

SOMETHING is wrong, or you wouldn't be blowing fuses.

 

I've checked all wires, there does not seem to be any insulation scraped off of any of the wires. All crimped connections seem to be tightly crimped and as stated above, I sealed them all with heat shrink tubing.

 

Why is the switch grounded? Is it a lighted switch? If it's a SPDT and you've grounded one "throw" you'll blow a fuse every time.

 

It does light up when there is power to it. I'm not sure what a SPDT is, maybe if you spell it out? The switch is grounded because it has a terminal for a ground on the back of it, I just assumed it needed to be grounded.

 

This is what I did, no problems.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/lighting/203506-7-kragen-hid-lights-behind-grille-how.html

 

OK, if the switch is labelled for a ground and has a lightbulb in it, it's not an SPDT (single pole dual throw) switch...

Try disconnecting the "mini fuse tap" and measure the resistance from that to a chassis ground, with the switch both "off" and "on."

Then, just for laughs, disconnect 85 and 86 on the relay and measure the resistance across those terminals - measure it in both directions with 85 as the positive, and with 86 as the positive.

 

Thanks but from all my research I was under the impression that I was supposed to wire through a relay or there could be a chance of my wiring overheating and causing a fire.

If I cant figure this out then I'll say fuck it and wire it directly from the battery to the switch.

 

Disconnect it from where? From the switch or from the fuse box? Sorry if I am frustrating you, I am not electrically savvy.

Reading on multimeter is 80.0 both ways.

 

I was going to use a relay too at first, but if you look though the pictures on my how to there's one of the manufacturers diagram that doesn't use relays.

 

Sounds like you miswired after relocating the switch.

The POWER from the relay should not be going to the switch.

Pin 30 on the relay goes to the 20a fuse. The other side of the 20a fuse goes to the battery (or other power source).
Pin 87 goes to the lights.

This is all under the hood... NONE of this goes to the dash.

Pin 85 and 86 are the relay control pins. Ground one.
The other goes to the switch. The other pin on the switch goes to a smaller fuse (5a or less) that is connected to the fuse box... this power source can be switched with the ignition, or hot 24/7 (good way to kill your battery, but some prefer to be able to run lights with the truck off).

It sounds like you ran from the 20a fuse to the switch and from the switch to ground.

 

From that drawing, you've got the power and acc wires at the switch reversed. When the switch is turned off, you are grounding the power wire from the fuse tap. Reverse the power and acc wires and change the fuse. That should fix your problem.

 

i would say that whjen you moved the switch you hooked the wires up wronge at the switch

 

It depends on the switch.

If your switch is rated 20a or greater (on a 15a fuse) then you can run direct.

Most of these lighted switches are only rated for 5-10amps and running them on a 15a fuse is just asking for the contacts to pit and either go open or weld together.

You are also running high current to the dash... much better to keep the dash wiring running on a lower fuse, reduces the risk of heat and fire.

 

Switch is rated at 20a. I'm about fucking fed up with this shit and am just going to hard wire it from the battery.