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Help with lights (too much power to relay)

2K views 18 replies 7 participants last post by  ReconBubba6 
#1 ·
I have 5 lights set up on two relays. But its drawing to much power through the relay and frying them. Any ideas about how to prevent this?
 
#5 ·
I've wired up plenty of driving lights on that style of relay and only a wiring error would cause multiple relay failures. My bet, again, is the driving light bulb current is being drawn through the control coil instead of through the contacts.
 
#8 ·
Could also be.... relays are labeled 40A, but that is TOTAL and not individual contact rating..... Common issue with novices/beginners/intermediate designers and relays....... ESPECIALLY when no relay was needed in the first place.
 
#10 ·
It's not a ground issue. Do you know how a relay works & how to properly wire one? Do you have or can you draw a diagram of exactly how you wired it up with the proper connector IDs on the relay connectors so we can tell you why the relays are burning up?
 
#12 · (Edited)
Here are three slightly different variations of properly wired driving light circuits... any of which will workfine. You can click on any of them to make them bigger.

The "High Current Load" in the first schematic means the driving lights wired in parallel with each other. That third drawing has a wiring error in it, the two lights are incorrectly shown being wired in series... they should be wired in parallel with each other like shown in the second drawing so both lights get 12 volts.

The gist of those all three of those schematcs s is that the driving lights & their direct battery connection must only be connected to pins 30 and 87 of the relay. Only pins 30 and 87 can support the amperage load the driving lights will draw. The relay is controlled (turned on & off) only by pins 85 & 86. Pins 30 and 87 are what powers & serve as the on-off switch for the driving lights. 85 & 86 are what turn the relay on & off which make/break the connection between pins 30 and 87.
 

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#16 ·
Look at the second diagram, do you see the PIN numbers, you must follow that to support the lamps your hooking up.
 
#13 ·
Alright here is what I have. Might be a little hard to understand as I am no art major!
Sorry for the sideways pic, thought i fixed it, but guess not


The three middle lights are wired going into relay 1
The two outer lights are wired going into relay 2

The lights are all grounded together on the light bar, and the relays are grounded together in the jeep.

The green wires are going from the relay to the switches
The white wires are going from the switches to the battery
The switches are all ground together (I know the ground is good because because the other switches/lights work)
The power wires (yellow) are running from the relays, through the fuses provided, to the fuse box connected to the battery that has all the other white and yellow wires hooked to it.

I now understand that the relays are meant for two 130w lights. But my question is why would both of them blow seeing as how only one of the relays has three lights. The other relay looks to be wired correctly and is only running two lights.
 
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