kingchase92 Posted October 27, 2015 Report Posted October 27, 2015 ok guys im bout to recieve all sorts of l.e.d. strobes and led underglows. i need some help on installing them in my car as in the electrical part. i tried to hook a toggle switch up the other day and bout cought my car on fire. the wires started melting and smoking???? why??? i had it grounded to a bolt under my hood. what am i doing wrong. and it did that b4 i even hooked the lights up i just had a hot coming from the switch going t6o the battery and both lights grounded thats it. and well the gtround coming off the toggle switch too. any pointers? Quote
Imp558 Posted October 27, 2015 Report Posted October 27, 2015 Fuses are a nice novelty. look up how to use a relay online and that might make for a bit more available current. you still need to put a fuse on it with the relay. kingchase92 1 Quote
kingchase92 Posted October 27, 2015 Author Report Posted October 27, 2015 Fuses are a nice novelty. look up how to use a relay online and that might make for a bit more available current. you still need to put a fuse on it with the relay. witch relay should i hook it up to? i hate my fuse boxes. i have 3 seperate boxes. Quote
Psych0matt Posted October 27, 2015 Report Posted October 27, 2015 With these kinds of questions I'm not sure you should be tearing into electrical things just yet. I would suggest doing some research on how to wire things up (No disrespect, I also learn by doing, but don't blow your car up trying to figure it out on your own ) rich_e777, digitaloutsider and kingchase92 3 Quote
Imp558 Posted October 27, 2015 Report Posted October 27, 2015 You can learn an awful lot with a 12volt power supply on a table before wiring a car. Quote
kingchase92 Posted October 28, 2015 Author Report Posted October 28, 2015 You can learn an awful lot with a 12volt power supply on a table before wiring a car. well lmp558 would u mind showing me a lil bout it when i swing that way when i get her fixed? i mean i know how to hook it up but where it comes to like finding the hot and neutral and ground out of a 5 prong relay aint to easy all it would take tho was for it to be shown to me once and i would get it. i havnt found a good video online that i can understand. i mean youtube has tought me alot but something this simple i cant understand. smfh.... and whats bad is i am an electronic guru. i hooked my radio up the other day and its working like a charm. now i just have to get an amp for the 12"s i bought tonight. also got a spoiler and a hood scoop!!!!! i dont know how to post pics on here. i do on the url link thingy but i dont know how to get my pic like yalls is.. Quote
rich_e777 Posted October 28, 2015 Report Posted October 28, 2015 Definitely take Imps advice and practice with a power supply, I couldn't tell you how many people try to return those LED strips thinking they don't work. We don't return those for any reason if they work going out the door. I know a little bit but not enough to take on LED-ing one of my cars out. Started to on the GTP. IIRC you have to use those resistors in series with the leds or bad things happen. Surf around the site and find a few RobertSaar threads on LEDs, our resident mad professor, well one of them. Quote
Imp558 Posted October 28, 2015 Report Posted October 28, 2015 https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=AwrBT.G2UTFWRJIAuxRXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyMWZtdTBqBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjAwMjhfMQRzZWMDc2M-?p=how+to+use+relay&back=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fp%3Dhow%2Bto%2Buse%2Brelay%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fp%3D1&fr=%26fr%3Dyfp-t-901&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DWN.WG5HJCZ%252bdcPEN6fDa1quXQ%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7vOVSst-SoY&tit=How+to+use+Switches%2C+Relays%2C+Solenoids+in+your+12v+Wiring+...&l=1319&vid=50ca8c99192db10762049eb36e8b1b7a&sigr=11bodfcbu&sigb=120fd1r3a&sigt=11tm8kn8p&sigi=121llvnrq Quote
RobertISaar Posted October 29, 2015 Report Posted October 29, 2015 (edited) sounds like you gave the battery a direct short from it's positive terminal to negative to get that kind of reaction.... I don't know what gauge wire you were playing with, but it takes a LOT of current to get even 20-gauge wire to heat up that much. far more than what you described installing should ever draw. 20 gauge should get hot enough to act like a fuse somewhere between 50 and 60 amps. your switch is probably junk now as well considering how much current likely passed through it. LEDs can be a headache if you don't understand how they operate, especially since if you expose them to too much current even once, they're toast. depending on what you're buying, that can add up pretty quickly. I'm going to second the bench recommendation.... especially if you can get ahold of a power supply with an adjustable current limiter. Edited October 29, 2015 by RobertISaar Quote
Goldenregal Posted November 15, 2015 Report Posted November 15, 2015 Fuses are a must. Most add on accessories have a recommended fuse rating either in the instruction manual or on the box. Quote
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