block
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 07:24 PM |
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Hot wires
A little help from any sparkies please. I've just bought another sierra stalk with wipers and lights. Cut the wiper stalk off as it isnt needed.
Last time i did this the lights stopped working, so this time i found the wires that are connected through the wiper stalk and fastened together.
Everything works as normal but the joined wires get warm at the connection when the lights are on. Is this normal/safe.
Cheers.
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JoelP
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 07:43 PM |
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warm wires is never good in the long run. The insulaiton can breakdown eventually.
Is it the full wire that gets hot, or just the connection?
I would primarily make sure that the wires are correctly identified. Then i would make sure that the fuse is as small as possible (worked out from the
watts of the load) to ensure it will blow if anything is wrong. Make sure you have spares with you though when you go out!
My sierra light wires are used to switch a pair of relays. Thinking about it, im guessing you ditched the relays. The switch probably isnt designed to
take the full chat, i believe, as the standard sierra uses relays. Consider upgrading if this is so, the last thing you want is a fire. 
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block
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 08:00 PM |
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Cheers for that, although most went straight over my head! All i did is take the back off the stalk, and i could see 2 of the 3 wires were connected
through the springy spray switch. I then cut and twisted these 2 together to make sure it still works. Like i say it does, but the exposed twisted
core gets warm, nothing else.
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omega 24 v6
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 08:16 PM |
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If the wires are just twisted they prob are a poor connection and they will get hot. Stick on a buttsplice connector or a screw terminal block and see
if this cures it. They really should not get hot.
As an earlier post says work out the load and fit the smallest fuse possilble. As a general rule though any fuse or wire should only have a constant
load of around 80% of its max load rating.
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block
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 08:30 PM |
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I dont know how to work out the load, also i'm not sure about the fuse. Do i have to add one or is there already one in the sieera system?
Cheers.
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stevebubs
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| posted on 2/8/05 at 09:32 PM |
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Watts = Volts * Amps
=> Amps = Watts / Volts
[Edited on 3/8/05 by stevebubs]
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JoelP
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| posted on 3/8/05 at 07:33 AM |
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ie, if you have 2x21w main beam and 2x21 watts dipped, total is 84w, P=VA, A=84/12 = 7amps, so run it on a 10 amp fuse
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