2nd relay blown=Annoying

I know theres probably a thread somewhere but couldn't find my answer during my search...Anyway I have two sets of lights, a pair of hella 500ff's and KC daylighters. The Hellas have worked fine since I installed them. But the KC's somehow keep blowing the relays. Hasn't happened while in use though.

Someone I talked to said I should use a 5 pin relay (I have only been using the 4 pin). But I did get a 40a relay which I was hoping would solve it. The first relay had arching through it so I figured some water may have gotten into it. So on the replacement I tried sealing it and taping over it. Still blew.

Anyone know what may be happening? Bad ground somewhere? This is kind of annoying, and the KC's are waaay brighter than the Hellas, so id rather have the Daylighters working....Thanks!

 

What the wattage on the Daylighters? If you're blowing the relay, my guess would be you have it wired incorrectly. What size fuse are you running for the lights (I really hope you are using a fuse...) because most relays are 30A. If you could post up your wiring diagram, we can help.

Also, a standard 4 pin relay is perfectly fine, no need for a 5 pin.

 

30A with a fuse should work fine, something is screwy with his wiring i suspect.

 

What with the wiring could be screwy? I would upload a pic of the wiring but I drew it by hand. I have followed the diagrams from other lighting install lights and like I said the hellas have worked fine from day one. So wouldn't they also be screwy considering they are set up the same?

And yes I have fuses installed (Im not quite that dumb).....I may have even overdone this part considering I didn't want to burn my car down. Ill upload pictures tomorrow, but still don't see what could be blowing these relays while the switch is not on.

 

Throughout this time since install the fuse has not blown yet...Only the relays. Someone has to have experienced this before...

 

If you have fuses and they are under 30A, but you're frying a relay rated for 30A, then something is screwy with your wiring the way you have everything plugged into the relay. It sounds like you have too much juice being pulled through the coil like power is being pulled through the 86-85 coil instead of the 30-87 route. I would recheck your wiring, start with the easy stuff.

 

Ah, ok that makes a little more sense then. Ill have to check that out tomorrow morning. Thanks for the input so far.

 

Where are you buying the relays? If they are off brand, chineese parts, time to try something else. I would suggest Tyco (formerly Bosch) relays.

 

is there a reason you are wiring the lights to relays? what happened to good ol fashioned switches with in line fuses......

 

Well the first fuse was crappier than the most recent one that blew. My father picked up this one for me while I was driving across country, and he said it was better...Worked through a few states at least on a recent climbing trip.

I always thought using a relay was a little safer to have in the circuit. But I do also have inline fuses with each set of lights. My aux backup lights are only connected with an in line fuse. But they get used far less often.