Ok heres the deal, I was recently talking to a guy that said he would sell me some fog lights for like 5 bucks so I said what the hell and bought them. But he only gave the the lights and not the objects need to install them (switch, wires, etc....) So I mount the lights on the front of my car and go to radio shack. I talk to a guy to buy a switch that would be right for the job I needed (one that could handle the power). I find the right one and say I need some wire to, so he grabs some and me knowing that he knows what I will be using it for, just pays for it and leaves. I installed all the wire's (ground the (-) and run a (+)power wire from the battery to the switch inside the car) and everything works fine. Tonight was the first night I really got to use them for more than 30 min and guess what happened? The wire caught fire and since I just temp rigged(sp) a switch to run to the center console(sp) and kinda tucked the wire under the plastic and the carpet guess what got burn't? Know I have a couple spots in my carpet that have a little bit of melted rubber\plastic and even a couple (bald) spots. Yeah I'm pissed at the guy that grabed the wire that couldn't handle that much power. Guess what kind of wire t was? Cheap Radio Shack speaker wire!!!!!!

kleach

 

that's what relays are for...

 

Yeah I know but the guy at radio shack (I was guessing that since he workd at a electrical store and was also the store manager) would know what i nedded. I dodn't get a relay b/c they were out of stock and the guy said that it wouldn't really matter. So I went with it.

 

And fuses.

You should never add electronics without a fuse, even temp.

 

 

Here is a quick hint...Those people at Radio Shack, no matter who they are, dont know JACK about electronics. YOu dont even have to have a degree to work there and they give out worthless advice. You cant ever wire a pair of lights to a switch unless its rated for the amperage you are pulling and never, EVER, wire up without a fuse. If you need electrical advice, ask me, I have been in the field for 15 years.

Rat