Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1043058
07/30/11 11:31 AM
07/30/11 11:31 AM
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YO7_A66
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This is where it hooked up.
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger 340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1043059
07/30/11 11:35 AM
07/30/11 11:35 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,940 Holly/MI
Dean_Kuzluzski
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Too much current for the wire size. A byproduct of current is heat if the gauge is marginal. Too much current, too much heat, hence a meltdown.
Was the new wire for the A/F gauge downstream from the melted wire. If so, you had added the load on the supply wire more than it was design for.
R.I.P.- Gary "Coop" Davis 02/09/68-05/13/04
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1043060
07/30/11 11:37 AM
07/30/11 11:37 AM
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Posts: 28,067 Irving, TX
feets
Senior Management
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Here are the first few things that come to mind:
1) Those crimp connectors are not the way to make a quality connection but they should handle moderate loads. 2) You used too small of a wire for the load. Remember that all the instrument lights are also carried on the driving light circuit. 3) You failed to use relays to carry the load stated above. 4) There was a short somewhere in the system. 5) You failed to use the proper size fuse in the circuit.
We are brothers and sisters doing time on the planet for better or worse. I'll take the better, if you don't mind. - Stu Harmon
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: Dean_Kuzluzski]
#1043061
07/30/11 11:39 AM
07/30/11 11:39 AM
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YO7_A66
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Dean, I did feed the light bulb off of the switch so that when the lights are turned on, my A/F gauge lights up. I have already made a second wire assembly and the existing 16 or 18 gauge wire that burned up is now a 14 ga wire. Will this fix it? I also added a 5a fuse on the blue wire going to the A/F gauge. Is this enough or wrong? My existing head light switch wires are now 14ga and they look fine. Thanks for the reply.
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger 340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1043062
07/30/11 03:58 PM
07/30/11 03:58 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,067 Irving, TX
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I think you missed the point. Unless something is wrong with the A/F gauge adding a 5 amp fuse won't fix your problem. What size fuse do you have supplying power to that switch? If you had enough draw to burn an 18 gauge wire it's still going to be enough power to make a 14 gauge wire hot. You don't want hot. You shouldn't have more than 15 amps running through a driving light circuit. If that's the same circuit as your headlamps imagine how quickly that line is going to smoke when you add that much more current. Put the exterior lights on a relay. It will take a bunch of load off that switch and wire.
We are brothers and sisters doing time on the planet for better or worse. I'll take the better, if you don't mind. - Stu Harmon
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: feets]
#1043063
07/30/11 04:02 PM
07/30/11 04:02 PM
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YO7_A66
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My headlights do have relays and I added the fuse to the A/F gauge just in case. Is the fuse needed? Thanks
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger 340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1043064
07/31/11 02:28 AM
07/31/11 02:28 AM
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,755 Phila
PhillyRag
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Phila
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Quote:
My headlights do have relays and I added the fuse to the A/F gauge just in case. Is the fuse needed? Thanks
HL power isn't factory fused; it gets battery power via the fuse box on the Batt Buss block. The main power wire (black) at the HL switch is 12awg per factory.
That pic you show; what does it feed besides the aftermarket gauge?
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: PhillyRag]
#1043065
07/31/11 02:38 AM
07/31/11 02:38 AM
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YO7_A66
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Nothing. My origal hl switch connector had issues several years ago, so I had to remove it and add the yellow 14 ga wires as a patch. I will make this piece heavier than the original. Thanks
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger 340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1043066
08/01/11 09:29 AM
08/01/11 09:29 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
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YO7_A66
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Can anyone tell me how approximately many amps are in the following headlight circuits on my 70 Challenger:
Parking Lights (mid position on switch): Parking Lights + head lights: Parking Lights + head lights + brights: Thanks a bunch.
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger 340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1043067
08/01/11 10:20 AM
08/01/11 10:20 AM
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denfireguy
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With a two light system on my Cuda headlamps on bright with running lights draws 11 Amps. These are halogen lamps, not the original head lamps that drew a lot more current. Craig
2014 Ram 1500 Laramie, 73 Cuda Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan, 2003 Durango Only previous Non-Mopar: Schwinn Tornado
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: YO7_A66]
#1043068
08/01/11 01:01 PM
08/01/11 01:01 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,067 Irving, TX
feets
Senior Management
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A 55 watt headlamp draws 4-1/2 amps. Two of them will pull 9 amps. a 65 watt high beam light will draw almost 5-1/2 amps. Two will pull 11 amps. All four headlamps will pull about 20 amps together.
That assumes a perfect world with no losses due to old components, decayed wiring, connections, etc. Add more for the other lights.
We are brothers and sisters doing time on the planet for better or worse. I'll take the better, if you don't mind. - Stu Harmon
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Re: Why Did My Wire Burn Up?
[Re: feets]
#1043069
08/01/11 01:34 PM
08/01/11 01:34 PM
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YO7_A66
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Good info Feets. Thanks
Can anyone tell me how many amps the brake circuit and the parking light circuit would pull? Thanks again.
1970 YO7 A66 [Canadian Export] F8 Challenger 340 (Currently in shop for stroker assy.)
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