Electrical lighting problem

[samkjr]

Hey all. I am getting rather pissed with replacing fuses.

I'll lay out the problem. Try and tell me what you think.

When I bought my bike I had the cobra lightbar installed. They wired into the brake / tail light.
When one of the spotlights when out. I replaced them both with 55watt sylvanias.
Ran that for 8 months and hever had a bit of trouble.
When my brake light went out last month, based on forums reccomendation, I went with the 235 instead of stock 1157. Everyone said that would be fine. I just forgot and noone knew that I already had the 55W spots.

I blew six fuses within 10 days of riding.

Went to Advanced and got stock 1157 buld to put in for the 2357.

Here's the kicker, I am now back to the setup that worked for 8 months and have blown two more fuses this week.

I also have a a crack in the lens of a spot light and am thinking of replacing them with Sealed beam. Kinda like Trip's amber beams but want good visibility too.

Any solutions for my problem? opinion/part number and wattage for sealed beam?

By the way, I am not comfortable with trying to rewire the spots differently I, have looked at it and cant see how to do it. I had a hard eough time just doing a direct replacement installing my Stebel horn.


Thanks for reading and helping.

[cactusjack]

With 55W lamps, you are drawing approx 9.5 amps on a 10 amp circuit. The only way to do this right is to use a relay to power the lights. Whether you feel comfortable rewiring them or not, it is a matter of safety. Just use the existing connection to the taillight circuit to trigger the relay and run a new fused wire from the battery to power the lights. You risk losing your taillight at night and possible damage to your wiring and ignition switch if this isn't corrected.

[Yellow Jacket]

I agree with CJ. The lightbar needs to be on it's own circuit powered through a relay. Any other fix will just be a band aid.

If you feel that you can't do it yourself, see if you can't find someone near you that can do it for you.

[strobe]

+1 with the others. You need a relay for that load, IMHO driving lights should never be connected that way, regardless, they should always be on a separate circuit / relay.

Whatever you do don't put a larger fuse in to solve this, that can cause the wiring to overheat and melt down the factory wire harness or worse.

The relay is fairly easy to do, I used the instructions at Gadget's site the first time I did one. If you are not comfortable with that take it in and have it done. The only other option is to replace the 55w driving lamps with 35w, and that is even more than I would personally run on that circuit.

http://www.gadgetjq.com/wiredrivinglights.htm

If you know where they tapped into the existing circuit the wiring is quite easy, just cut the wire and wire the side that goes to the driving lights to post 87, the side that is connected to the circuit to post 86, connect post 85 to a ground and then 30 directly to the battery, with a inline fuse holder.

[samkjr]

WOW< I haven't really tried to read a wiring diagram like that since Physics class 6 years ago. Seems way to complicated for what I know how to do.
Does all that involve taking the tank off? I know they are currently wiredinto the tailights but I can not tell where they are spliced in. Is there any way to get an extra alternator?

I still want to wire an accessory plug and get LED's installed and I am already having trouble.

[samkjr]

anyone feel like visiting richmond any time soon? :)

[qbird66]

Another option would be to install a fuse block behind your left side cover. I used the PC-8 from Eastern Beaver - http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Pr...PC-8/pc-8.html - the 24" kit. I connected the blue Posi-Tap on the end of the switching lead to the yellow/blue headlight wire coming out of the factory fuse panel behind the right side panel - this way any accessories connected to the PC-8 don't come on until the headlight comes on, leaving more amps available to start the bike.

Once the PC-8 is installed, you just need to wire your light bar to the PC-8 - it's just 2 wires, 1 to the positive side of the PC-8 and one to the negative side. You can get 20 gauge primary automotive wire from about any auto parts store to extend the light bar wiring to the PC-8 (run the wires under the left side of the tank, using the wire holders attached to the bottom of the tank). To connect the existing light bar wiring to the "extension" wires you'll run to the PC-8, order a couple of Posi-Locks from Eastern Beaver http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/El...posi-lock.html - order PL1824 if you are using 20 gauge wire.

This will solve your problem for about $100.00, requires no splicing/crimping/soldering, should take about an hour to install, and best of all allows you to easily add additional electrical components in the future without compromising your bike's electrical system.

You won't need to take the tank off, but I'd remove the 3 tank bolts, remove the speedo shroud, and raise the tank up a few inches (block it with a piece of 2x4) - it will make running the wires from the light bar to the PC-8 much easier.

[qbird66]

Your alternator isn't the issue - it's the fact that you're pulling 9.5 amps on a 10 amp circuit. It's been mentioned before, but do not install a bigger fuse - most of your bike is wired with 24 gauge wire, and running more than 10 amps thru it will melt the wires (the larger the wire, the more amps it can handle).

Using a fuse panel, you can easily add your accessory plug. I have my GPS, 2 outlets for heated gear, a Hoppy trailer light converter, an accessory outlet (for charging cell phones, etc), and a CB/intercom unit all wired to the PC-8. This approach works because all power for these accessories comes directly from the battery, rather than thru the bike's factory wiring harness.

[cactusjack]

Heck if you weren't 2000 miles away, I'd wire it up for ya.

A relay is nothing more than a remote-controlled switch. In your case, you would use the wire currently powering your lights to act as the "trigger" for the relay. It requires very little current to do this, and it won't impact your taillights like it does now. You then run a fused lead from the (+) battery terminal to the relay, and you connect the running lights to the relay.

This is how it should have been done in the first place.

Here's a very simple how-to drawing:

[macmac]

Sure is a good thing fuses blow.... The thing is, is this is a WARNING that you are about to fry the ignition switch!

If you can't figure out where the take off is at the rear lamp, and not the brake lamp, then just yank those bulbs!

I might be 600 miles or so away but feel free to ride on up, with out the bloomin passing lights ON...

Other wise get the relay like they say.... In the mean time forget them lamps and get them OFF!

[macmac]

I forgot.... Nomads do have 2 alternators... These are side by side, but there is in fact 2 alts, like airplanes have. 18 diodes to test too... So far no one has had one fail that I am aware of.

Good thing because that would have a pretty steep cost factor, and might even challange me..

The book says to test you need 3 'good' batterys...

[samkjr]

I like the kit for the PC 8. IS there a cheaper, but still of good quality alternativve to that one though?

IF I plug my light into that too, it will definitely enable me to add the aux power port and light later?

I understand how all that will ease the load from the bike wires and stuff, but what about the battery? Can it handle it all ?

Will it always have power or only when keyed on?

What is it talking about on the sight with the switches?

Thanks so much for the help. I am fairly good at the mechanical stuff, but a real newbie with doing electronics.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by samkjr

I like the kit for the PC 8. IS there a cheaper, but still of good quality alternativve to that one though?

IF I plug my light into that too, it will definitely enable me to add the aux power port and light later?

I understand how all that will ease the load from the bike wires and stuff, but what about the battery? Can it handle it all ?

Will it always have power or only when keyed on?

What is it talking about on the sight with the switches?

Thanks so much for the help. I am fairly good at the mechanical stuff, but a real newbie with doing electronics.

Yes, there are alternatives. You can go to Autozone and buy a basic accessory fuse block for less than $10. You can wire it to a relay (like in my drawing above - just substitute the accessory block for the driving lights). When you turn the key, the relay will activate the fuse block. Anything connected to the fuse block will then become "hot". You connect the driving lights to one of the circuits on the accessory fuse block.

If you do something like this, you would want a larger gauge wire running from the battery to the relay and from the relay to the fuse block. I'd use no less than a #12 wire, and #10 would even be better.

Your electrical system (alternator and battery) can more than handle the load. This stuff isn't that difficult, basic principles of electricity, that's all.

Eastern Beaver is very proud of their fuse blocks, and they are nice units - but there are less expensive ways of achieving the same result.

[qbird66]

Eastern Beaver is very proud of their fuse blocks, and they are nice units - but there are less expensive ways of achieving the same result.

I agree - if I had to do it over again, I'd go with an Autozone fuse block, a Bosch style 30 amp relay, and a Posi-Tap to connect the relay to either the tail light wire or the headlight wire.

I recommended the PC 8 because it simplifies things for someone new to electrical wiring. I also like the Posi-Taps for their ease of use vs crimped or soldered connectors. I've never had a Posi product fail.

Custom Dynamics www.customdynamics.com has decent prices on Posi-Taps.

[samkjr]

Well, Thanks for the advice. We will put this on hold for a few days until the PC-8 gets here. I was just talking to my momlast night and telling her how my newest addition to the bike was gonna cost me near a hundred dollars.
I always tell her what I do to the bike. I don't really think she cares, but I tell her anyway. Then she says, "Well you cant have your lights go out on you. If it's for your safety, I'll send you a $100 to buy the part."

I gave one small argument that I didnt need her to pay for it, I had the money. I just didnt want to have to pay for it.
IF I spend money on the bike I like it to be for shiny stuff.

Mom's are great. I'm 26 and my mom still likes to baby me. Times like this it's worth it.

Can one of you guys tell me which one of the kits to buy? I see that they have several with different length wires. I guess unless someone has a better idea, I plan on putting it under the left side cover where the velcro strap is, where smog can is supposed to be.

Then we'll let the question fly again when it comes time for me to hook it up and attach the lights to it. I will be in slippery rock PA and traveling across PA to get to Philidelphia June 28 and June 29 if any one is out that way.

Thanks so much for all the advice.