Alright....I got quite the mind bender for you all to try to give me ideas on.

I got a set of fog lights from my friend. They were installed on his FC and worked for a long time. We then installed them on my car and when I go to turn them on it blows the fuse every time. The setup goes:

+ ---> Fuse ---> Switch ---> Lights ---> Chassis Ground

The setup is the exact same as on the other FC they were in. He was using a 25 amp fuse, I am using a 25 amp fuse. It blows every time on my car but worked fine for a long time in his car.

Now here is the confusing part. I removed everything and set the lights on the ground. I had all the wires out and everything. I plugged it all in and attached the ground and power wires to approprite places. Turned them on and they worked fine. Turned on and did not blow the fuse at all. So I figure I fixed them somehow by luck. I reinstall everything and move the switch to inside the cabin. Turn em on and blew the fuse, the very same fuse that had just worked when the system was loose on the ground. So it seems they just will not work at all in my car when installed and it is really starting to annoy me. Any ideas on what it is?

Another thing that might be contributing to the problem. I think I my engine grounds have fallen off, or one of them probably for sure. I did however install 2 new grounds which helped and actually fixed a couple electrical problems I was having. Could this somehow be contributing to my problem? I am planning on getting new grounds in the stock spots soon.

Thanks

 

dude don't go through the switch. you need a relay. switches won't take more then a couple amps. now you're putting more then 25 through it

relays are basic wiring. if you don't even know about them. you shouldn't be screwing around with eletrical stuff.

I'm guessing something is shorted out. run all new wiring. this time using a relay

are you running a power to each light and grounding each? or running one wire to light, out to other light. then ground?

 

Yeah I know about relays and have considered doing it. Only reason I have not is because this exact same setup using the exact same wiring with the exact same switch all WORKED PERFECTLY with a 25 amp fuse in my friends RX7. So I figured why change what already works perfectly.

There is one power wire that goes to the wires that came with the lights, they are a Y wire so it goes from one power wire and splits out to the two lights. The two lights ground out through a single ground wire. But non of that makes a single bit of difference because they worked using that setup in a friends RX7 so the system does work. Just for some reason it wants to short out in my car. No idea why though cause I am not much of an electrical knowledge type person.

In fact, here is a picture of them working on my friends car. He is BCTY on here.



Same lights mounted in the same spot on my car, swapped from his car.

 

Have you metered the lines to see if they are shorting directly to ground???

and yes a relay should have been used

 

I dont know how you do your connections but .........sodder em all and put heat shrink over em all.

 

Have not metered them yet.

Next chance I get to fix em will probably be next week as I am really busy for the next while....hopefulyl can get em figured out then. Thanks for your help yall.

 

Relays are some of the funnest things. Sounds lame doesn't it? And if you forget how to wire them, you can just put wires in different spots until you hear it click and you know you've found the ground and switch. I always forget what does what... Hah, then again I've grown a reputation for confusing wiring diagrams on rx7club!!