Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2008 09:34:26 -0700
Reply-To: mdrillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mdrillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Aux light install..sort of (long attempt)
In-Reply-To: <001801c8f3e9$b4095860$4001a8c0@gateway.2wire.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
The switch is likely the problem, and the fact that you put a ground
connection to it. If you had used a simple on/off with no light I bet
you would be done with the project.
Switches come is a surprising array of configurations. Knowing exactly
how a given switch behaves internally is critical. The ones with built
in lights can be problematic since they often ground things internally
when switched off.
Mark
Also, Don Hanson wrote:
> Thanks for helping, everyone.
>
> I have all the hardware installed. The lights work if you go to the
> battery direct. The problem now is that the switch, as I am trying to use
> it, causes my #5 fuse to blow when I activate the driving lights.
>
> I'm sure I done something really elemental wrong, but I know so little
> about wiring that I'm not seeing my error.
>
> I'll try to recount how I've done this so far, and maybe someone will be
> able to point me to my error.
>
> First: The in-dash auxiliary light switch. It has three positions...it
> also has three large spades and two smaller ones. Ok, so the three big
> spades are load, current and ground, right? and the two smaller terminals
> share that ground and power a little bulb that lights up the switch
> rocker..probably. If you use another power source to the small terminals. I
> left those off, for now. So, what's with the three positions for the
> switch?
>
> Now to 'power' that switch, I've taken a wire from the #5 terminal on the
> main fuse panel. (I took it 'after' the fuse). My owners manual says this
> is the fuse for "left high beam, high beam indicator". In theory, this
> should put current to the switch only when the high beams are on.. I ran
> this wire to the terminal on the aux light switch, grounded that switch to
> the common ground points behind the fuse panel, and taken another (3rd) wire
> off, from the switch to the 30amp lighting relay (four terminals relay)
> This is supposed to activate the power to the driving lights by tripping the
> relay.
>
> ((Here is where I made my first mistake, the one that caused to continuous
> lighting of the High Beam indicator light...I took the switch feed wire from
> the wrong terminal..After about a hundred re-traces of the circuits, I found
> that, and I no longer have that problem))
>
> So that should take care of the switching..but no, it doesn't.
>
> To power the aux. lights, I ran a big wire (fused at the battery terminal)
> from the aux battery under the carpet and up to a relay (four connections,
> 30 amp) near the fuse panel. Pushed that onto the "30" spade terminal and
> ran another wire out to the lights from the One marked "load" on the relay.
> I connected the smaller wire from the aux light switch to the relay switch
> circuit and grounded the remaining relay terminal, again to the common
> ground point behind the fuse panel..
>
> Now as far as I can tell, this is how Joel, Walter and Marc said it should
> work. Scott has something more complex..(thanks, everyone, BTW)
>
> But when I throw the auxiliary light switch...to either of it's two
> positions, it snaps the #5 8amp fuse (for left high beam and indicator
> light, where I got the power for the switch) So somewhere, it ain't right.
> I tried a 16 amp fuse and that blows, too. When the fuse blows, the high
> beam no longer works. Replace the fuse and all works right again, until you
> flip the aux light switch..
> Me thinks maybe somehow the full current to all the lights is going through
> that fuse circuit somehow, causing a big momentary load as the lights all
> power up..but what do I know..Total guess on my part..
>
> Anyone care to try to figure where I went wrong? If worse comes to it, I
> have the KC auxiliary switch that I can work into it but that will not allow
> me to control the Aux lights to work in conjunction with the dimmer switch,
> which I'd like to do..It's dangerous and rude to be 'slow' to shut down very
> bright lights when you suddenly are faced with oncoming traffic. I'd like
> that to happen with a flick of the dimmer..
>
> Don Hanson
>
>
>
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