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LED help!!! Almost lit my truck on fire

Discussion in 'Technical Chat' started by RadRed06, Jul 2, 2012.

  1. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:03 PM
    #1
    RadRed06

    RadRed06 [OP] Christ Follower

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    Alright, I just tried to wire up some LEDs in my truck and I had disconnected the battery and hooked up ring terminals to the positive and ground in the engine bay. Also grounded the switch to a ground in the cab since it is lighted. After all this had been done and I had reconnected the positive terminal and hooked up an led and immediately the wires began to smoke and melt and got within a foot of the switch before it stopped melting (I had already turned the switch off). I used 16 gauge wire. Need some help badly. Nothing got hurt or anything except for my wires. Thanks guys
     
  2. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:04 PM
    #2
    wildjerseyfirefighter

    wildjerseyfirefighter I sell fishing and fishing accessories

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    did you use a relay?
     
  3. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:07 PM
    #3
    RadRed06

    RadRed06 [OP] Christ Follower

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  4. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:08 PM
    #4
    noSKills858

    noSKills858 battlescars

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    Is there a fuse between the wires? Usually you want to run a fuse between the battery and lights to help fix that sort of problem but it sounds like you wired it incorrectly or maybe the manufacture did something wrong like a loop back.
     
  5. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:09 PM
    #5
    RadRed06

    RadRed06 [OP] Christ Follower

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    No he didn't use a fuse either
     
  6. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:09 PM
    #6
    rmb_crew

    rmb_crew My other ride has 18,400HP!!!!!!

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    you probably got the wires wrong for the switch. Some how you connected the power wire coming off your battery to the wire your grounded to light up the switch. So you probably have the wires swapped on the switch....
     
  7. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:10 PM
    #7
    MXscott14

    MXscott14 Bartle Do Member

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    if its a lighted switch you hooked up the ground to the wrong terminal. 3 prongs... in out and ground. you were pretty much flipping the switch and making the positive lead connect to the negative lead.
     
  8. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:12 PM
    #8
    RadRed06

    RadRed06 [OP] Christ Follower

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    My switch had a +, a capital A, and a gold pin that had a ground looking symbol

    I wired the positive to the +, the negative to the A, and ground the switch from the gold pin with the ground symbol. I probably screwed this up
     
  9. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:14 PM
    #9
    MXscott14

    MXscott14 Bartle Do Member

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    follow this diagram. pretty easy. wiringdiagram1led_57768394d000e3fcfe8b80aabf989a2dcea1965f.jpg
     
  10. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:14 PM
    #10
    rmb_crew

    rmb_crew My other ride has 18,400HP!!!!!!

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    What do you mean by negative to the A. You should not have 2 negatives. Your switch should have your power wire coming into it. Your output wire going to your lights and than the ground for the switch light.
     
  11. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:18 PM
    #11
    MXscott14

    MXscott14 Bartle Do Member

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    + goes to the battery. A(accessory)goes to the red wire to your led light. and the ground looking symbol goes to the ground(anything metal on your truck) the black wire on your led light also goes to ground.
     
  12. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:19 PM
    #12
    RadRed06

    RadRed06 [OP] Christ Follower

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    I wired the positive from the battery to the +. Then the negative from the battery to the A pin on the switch. Then I grounded the switch using the ground pin on the switch to a bolt that connected to the frame in the cab.


    What should I have done?
     
  13. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:22 PM
    #13
    RadRed06

    RadRed06 [OP] Christ Follower

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  14. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:23 PM
    #14
    MXscott14

    MXscott14 Bartle Do Member

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    "A" means Accessory(Your LED lights Red Wire)
     
  15. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:24 PM
    #15
    RadRed06

    RadRed06 [OP] Christ Follower

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    alright so using the wago I should have run the positive wire from the wago to the A on the switch?
     
  16. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:27 PM
    #16
    MXscott14

    MXscott14 Bartle Do Member

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    :facepalm: after looking at the image provided its common sense my man
     
  17. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:28 PM
    #17
    RadRed06

    RadRed06 [OP] Christ Follower

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    Sorry for sounding like an idiot...
     
  18. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:30 PM
    #18
    MonkeyProof

    MonkeyProof Power Top

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    :facepalm:


    Why nobody uses fuses for their wiring..what happens if the power wire rubs on a sharp edge and shorts out..or someother common thing like that ...your shit will catch fire, it happens. A simple fuse that costs just a few bucks will prevent all that. Relays are just as important as fuses!!!!!
     
  19. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:32 PM
    #19
    RadRed06

    RadRed06 [OP] Christ Follower

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    I would love to do it this way. How do you hook up a relay? Sorry for being an idiot
     
  20. Jul 2, 2012 at 7:32 PM
    #20
    MXscott14

    MXscott14 Bartle Do Member

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    hey we all start somewhere but just look at the image and study it. it will make sense. and use a FUSE
     

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