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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)
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
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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