Spotlights blowing fuse continually

[John Bloomfield]

We fitted a set of Hella 181 100W spotlights to our 94 Vogue SE today. We wired them into the existing connections for the crap ones that normally fit in the front air dam so that we minimised the wiring and didnt have to put an aftermarket switch into the dash panel. Initially they appeared to work fine but then after a few minutes the 20amp fuse in the A6 position on the fuse panel blew when I switched them off and back on again.

After that every time I put a new fuse in it blew. I even tried a 30 amp and that blew straight away.

We pulled out the manuals thinking that the relay must have blown but we couldnt find a diagram that seems to match exactly what we have living in the driver's and passenger side footwells to work out exactly which relay it is that we should look at changing.

Using Ohm's Law 200 watt draw at 12 volts should only equal 16.67 amps so a 20amp circuit should be more than adequate????

Does anyone have any useful information to add that will help to resolve this problem?

[PhilipA]

Poor earths could lower the voltage therefore increase the current.

When I fit aftermarket spots I just run the original power wire into a relay and connect a new wire to the battery.

Regards Philip A

[BigJon]

I have done what PhilipA recommends. Used the original air dam mounted light wiring as a trigger for a relay. No dramas in over 4 years.

[dmdigital]

John, as mentioned, poor earth. You have them earthed to the bullbar spotlight mounts, run the two earth wires to one of the poles under the bonnet and not the bullbar.

I've been thinking this one over since I eyeballed the Rangie in the car park. That's not to say the relay isn't faulty either but I would be reconnecting up the original earth wires as I suspect they go to an earth point near the radiator or on the front guard.

[slug_burner]

Something is not correct if you have blown a 30 Amp fuse. You will need to find the fault, potentially something has gone short circuit to ground.