Ok, need some help. Recently I installed a set of fog lights on my '00 Corolla. All way well, for a little while. A few days ago the wiring to the switch inside of the car started to melt. I check all of the wiring and everything seemed fine. I also checked the amp and wattage on the fuse verses the switch, and everthing was even. Any ideas?
Fog Lights
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its basically a remote switch, that you operate with a button, switch etc, you mount the relay in the enginebay and then that will open a passage to the foglights...
The reason your switch is melting, is because you're having such a current pulled through the swich. Add a relay and it should be fine.
The reason your switch is melting, is because you're having such a current pulled through the swich. Add a relay and it should be fine.
Ok, so I need 2 switches or what. Here's the wiring. Red, is of, the posi wire. That goes directly from the switch inside of the car (this is the wire that started melting) to the posi on the battery. There is a fuse there 15a/250v. The actual switch reads 15a/125v 10a/250v. Maybe there is a problem there. The white wire runs from switch to both lights and the black runs from switch to ground. However, the ground wire that they gave me was not long enough so I spliced it with another ground wire. I was told that this should not cause and problem and that it didn't matter how long the ground wire was.
Anything seem off to anyone about this?
Anything seem off to anyone about this?
Caveat: I'm just going on college physics, not electrician experience.
From your description you have three wires running out of your switch (the white one dead ending at the lights) and if it's just a simple switch (one lead in, one lead out) there's a short circuit which would mean your lights would never come on. Or, depending upon how you have it wired, your lights come on AND you have a short circuit. Do you mean the black runs from the lights to ground? If the black is running out of the switch then it sounds like you have a fancy switch with multiple prongs for various types of connections and something is mixed up somewhere that is resulting in a partial short circuit when you turn on your lights. I'd also check your wires and make sure they aren't touching where they shouldn't. You can invest in a simple multimeter ($10 and handy for other things) and use the continuity tester feature to see if your switch is doing what it is supposed to do in terms of opening and closing the circuit.
I don't know much about fog lights but you should be able to read what the wattage is and if your wires and switches can take what's being put through them. From your description of the load specifications the switches and fuses would be enough to let you run a toaster (and you may be doing so if your wires are melting). What is the rating of your wire, especially the one that is melting? The other thing is, even if your wires are officially just OK for the load, you might want to use thicker ones. If you ever run a hair dryer on an extension cord you will notice that the cord is getting warm with time.
A relay is a kind of switch. Basically by closing a switch with a small current passing through it, you cause the relay to close (usually close, though it could open instead if that's what you needed) a remote second switch that has a major currrent passing through it.
From your description you have three wires running out of your switch (the white one dead ending at the lights) and if it's just a simple switch (one lead in, one lead out) there's a short circuit which would mean your lights would never come on. Or, depending upon how you have it wired, your lights come on AND you have a short circuit. Do you mean the black runs from the lights to ground? If the black is running out of the switch then it sounds like you have a fancy switch with multiple prongs for various types of connections and something is mixed up somewhere that is resulting in a partial short circuit when you turn on your lights. I'd also check your wires and make sure they aren't touching where they shouldn't. You can invest in a simple multimeter ($10 and handy for other things) and use the continuity tester feature to see if your switch is doing what it is supposed to do in terms of opening and closing the circuit.
I don't know much about fog lights but you should be able to read what the wattage is and if your wires and switches can take what's being put through them. From your description of the load specifications the switches and fuses would be enough to let you run a toaster (and you may be doing so if your wires are melting). What is the rating of your wire, especially the one that is melting? The other thing is, even if your wires are officially just OK for the load, you might want to use thicker ones. If you ever run a hair dryer on an extension cord you will notice that the cord is getting warm with time.
A relay is a kind of switch. Basically by closing a switch with a small current passing through it, you cause the relay to close (usually close, though it could open instead if that's what you needed) a remote second switch that has a major currrent passing through it.
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definately need a relay for fog lights.
Wow. Thank you very much. I'm going to stop by Autozone, currently boycotting Advanced Auto Parts :hammer: , to get the relay. I'm kind of upset b/c the package said it contained everything that I needed, and now I find out that, obviously, it doesn't.
So, there should be the relay in the engine bay and then the switch in the interior. Ok, good thing I actually like working on this car! Thanks again.
So, there should be the relay in the engine bay and then the switch in the interior. Ok, good thing I actually like working on this car! Thanks again.
Ok, got the relay and put it in. It blew the fuse. Took the relay out and wired it the RIGHT way this time. Damage already done. Need new relay. Followed diagram and hooked it up, by myself, and now everything works fine.
Thanks again, I'm back to blinding people!
Thanks again, I'm back to blinding people!
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