2007-08-05 04:12:25 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
This has never happened before and had the lamp 3 years. incidentally the last 6 fuses were 20 amp
2007-08-05 04:20:15 · update #1
lamp, battery pack and fuse as standard from manufacturer (from new)
2007-08-05 04:24:46 · update #2
for interested parties. Lamp made by Lightforce, battery pack by Deben Industries.
2007-08-05 04:44:10 · update #3
to maclaren. read ALL the details you tw@t
2007-08-05 10:00:53 · update #4
Blowing fuses is indicative of a circuit that is damaged in some way. If the lamp is the same as it has always been then you have a short somewhere. 15 amp draw works out to 180 watts and a 20 amp draw works out to 240 watts. A typical high power off road light, the type illegal on the highway is in the 55 watt range. Unless you are making 3 to 5 times the light of an off road vehicle the lamp is not the problem. The wiring and/or support circuitry is the culprit. BTW over fusing is almost always a very bad idea. A circuit is not there to protect the fuse; the fuse is there to protect the circuit.
Since you have over fused and they are still blowing it sounds like you have a situation that is instantly blowing the fuse. If that is the case you have a dead short. If the light works for a short time and then blows the fuse my guess would be something of a thermal nature. In other words some circuit component is experiencing a reduced resistance when it gets warm. This is a downward spiral. Heat = reduced resistance = increase current flow = increased heat = a further reduction in resistance and this spiral goes on until something dies. A component may go up in smoke or in your case a fuse blows.
I wish I knew what we were troubleshooting here; it could help in suggesting what to look for. Under the circumstances all I can tell you is to make continuity checks looking for dead shorts. If possible a physical inspection of the wires in the device might show you some damaged insulation.
Hey, I'm sorry I can't be more help but I'm shooting in the dark here. If you want more from me I am available through my email.
Good luck on the problem.
2007-08-05 04:49:55 · answer #1 · answered by gimpalomg 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fuses are a protection devices intended to blow when the circuit is overloaded. If possible, take it apart and trace the wires looking for any bare wires, after the fuse, that may be touching ground or the neg side of the battery. A lamp running at around 15amps gets pretty hot and may have melted the insulation off the wires. Be sure to look around the switch and where they hook into the bulb socket. Also check to make sure the correct bulb is still in the lamp. Hope this helps
2007-08-05 11:23:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check the current drawn by the LAMP and NOT what the battery can deliver...
If you have a 12v bulb, what is the wattage, use ohms law to calculate its current and then see if your going over the 15 amps rated for the fuse.
The battery capacity indicates that you can draw 17 amps for 1 hour or 1 amp for 17 hours @ 12volt, it has nothing to do with overloading the circuit, the lamp is what is causing the issue, if it isn't that then you have prolly got some fuses from a dud batch or your using quick blow when you need a a standard fuse.
2007-08-05 11:23:05 · answer #3 · answered by cheek_of_it_all 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Either the lamp wiring has a short in it, or the lamp itself is too big for the circuit and is drawing more than 15 amps. If so it will run a 17 amp battery dead in a very short time period. Fix the wiring, or get a smaller lamp.
2007-08-05 11:19:45 · answer #4 · answered by oklatom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As has been already stated bung 17amps through a 15amp fuse of course it will blow, though I cannot think why a 12 volt lamp would require 17amps, Try a 12 volt battery with less amperage at least it should not blow the fuse and it may work.
2007-08-05 11:26:30 · answer #5 · answered by SAPPER 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It is blowing because the current draw of the lamp circuit is over 15 amps....simple as that.
2007-08-05 11:16:50 · answer #6 · answered by Ron B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IF 15a mp fuse blows means u drow more than 15amps from battery. This can be a short circuit or your lamp is more than 180W(watts).
2007-08-05 11:17:55 · answer #7 · answered by supernova 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you must have a internal short in the bulb or in the wiring
try removing the bulb then connecting or switching on, if fuse blows its your wiring, or a short in the lamp unit ,also at the same time wiggle the wires this usually finds shorts quicker...
whats the wattage of the bulb???
2007-08-05 12:36:06 · answer #8 · answered by baffles_uk 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the fuse keeps blowing, there's something wrong with it.
Go buy another one and throw that one away.
2007-08-05 11:18:23 · answer #9 · answered by Mr. KnowItAll 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah uve grounded out somewhere in the lines get a 12v meter and probe the line and un ground it or run a new 12v line and ground line
2007-08-05 11:35:14 · answer #10 · answered by mescottyd 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋