I keep randomly blowing taillight fuses on my OT daily, so until i can tear my dash apart and find where there is a break in the wiring i came up with anouther 1/2 ***ed fix. Instead of a fuse i plumbed a couple light bulbs parellel, because a light bulb will only take as much juice as it needs, therefore regulating the amperage not frying the rest of my wiring, and it works, but to work proper (in place of a 20 amp fuse) it will take a blinding amount of bulbs What can i use to regulate the electricity instead?? Yes i know this is a half ***ed fix, but until i finish my garage and get some other hot rod stuff done it is going to have to work
I am confused. What exactly are you trying to accomplish by regulating the voltage or current by adding bulbs in parallel. I want to help you do what you want to do as easy and as painlessly as possible. Maybe some more symptoms of the problem. Also what car is this exactly, OT or not might help.
Basicly instead of a fuse i have a couple light bulbs, so instead of a failsafe i have a regulator BTW 80's el camino, so pretty straight forward GM
Going half-***ed on an electrical short is a recipe for disaster. I see that you know better, please don't take a chance. Run some temporary wires to your taillamps until you go for the 100% fix, but don't be stupid...
If you suspect wiring (short to ground), byp*** the known circuit with a wire rated for the load. You didn't state what the fuse rating was that blew. I ***ume it is properly sized. If the taillights function without blowing the fuse, then it is the wiring harness. Don't patch the problem with current limiting devices (bulbs)!! Good Luck Mark
You need a quick recovering circuit breaker rated about 6-10 amps. Use that in the fuse position and an induction ****og meter ( the little square one with the needle like an amp gauge ). While the circuit breaker clicks on and off, you can follow the harness, out side the dash even, and watch the needle bounce in rhythm. IT will swing more drastically as you are getting closer and when you are over the problem it will almost stop, as you move past it will sweep in the other direction. This will help you find it fast.
Also just a heads up, if you have a trailer hitch and have a plug wired for it, try there first with a good visual inspection as it is the most common area since it was added to the original harness. If that aint it, radio next.
I built a coupe one time and put power windows in it, with no upper and lower limit switches. If ya didn't lift your finger the very split second that the window was fully up or fully down, the fuse would blow. I solved the issue with a "self resetting fuse". It would still blow, but after a minute or so it would reset itself. they worked very well, and as I remember (25 years ago) they didn't cost very much either.
YOU CAN USE A TURN SIGNAL FLASHER. When it gets hot,it will open.Close when cool and you can trace the circut for the short. The flasher has to be wired across the fuse holder.........
You can also use a transistor radio(if you can find one) and put it off station and trace along the wire and it will click at the exact spot of the short............ as the flasher goes on and off......
Thanks guys, i'll check into what i can find circut breaker wise, Its a big pain in the *** to find my problem, because i already traced the wiring carpet to taillight, so it must be in the dash or dash lighting. I havent had time to tear into my dash and find where it is, hopefully i can run this for a while Ya ever have a car that is a pain in the *** but you just cant seem to get rid of or kill it? that's this thing. Over 8 years it's been hit by 6 different cars lost a motor and trans, but it's only left me stranded twice, so i'd say for a daily it's been pretty good to me
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