CAT3

iTrader: (9)

Ok, not sure why, but my dashlights went out one night. A week later, I checked and the fuse was burnt. Replaced it, turned lights on, pop! Damn it. I have not added anything electrical and was stumped. Then I read that leaving the dimmer on a low setting will cause prematue failure...great. I swap with my buddy, and his now do not work, but we notice the heat sink is HOT. So, try his in mine, works, and I continue testing, and had to use a 20amp fuse cuz ran out of 5a. I then order a new dimmer. Replace it, turn on lights, voila good. POP! and smoke from switch. I smack myself for leaving the 20a fuse in....ughh. I replace with a 5a. try it again, lights, then none. The switch is no good now. But, would a 20a in place of the 5a have cause for this? It takes a week to get a new $27 switch, shipped $15 =$42. WPITA. I am wanting to order another switch, as it seems my only choice and dont want to burn another one up. Anyone have ideas other than kicking myself?

NoGo

iTrader: (2)

Ewwww.....

20a in place of a 5a. Lord only knows what contacts you may have blown before the fuse went.

Odds are you still have a short floating around in there somewhere once you get the switch replaced. The bigger than recommneded fuse is probably what took out your switch.

You may have to get an ohmeter or megger and just start digging.

CAT3

iTrader: (9)

Kevin, you think in some remote possibility that the old switch went bad, maybe from me leaving the thing on low all the time, and then using the 20a burnt up the new switch but everything else could be fine? I am hoping so. Like I said, I havent added anything, or modded anything lately for there to be a ground out problem anywhere, at least I hope not.

slow

iTrader: (7)

you have a bottle i see, do you have dash lights added to any gauges you added?

How about aftermarket radio?

Ryan

CAT3

iTrader: (9)

No gauges, no after market stereo. Only thing added using any electricity is:
Line lok, tapped into the 12v post on drvrs fenderwell, and LM1 wideband, which I did hardwire into the car, feed is off the....?????cant remember now. But its not the lighter...maybe off the foglight power, I know its fed off something behind the center bezel. Ooops, maybe that was it huh?

deezel

Yah, that LM-1 probably pulls a decent amount of current...

SSN8R

Definitly a short somewhere. I 20amp fuse would only be a problem if there were a short. The fuse itself is not what cooked the switch. It was the short. The fuse simply 'allowed' more juice than the switch could take(again in the presence of a short). Good luck.

Technoman64

iTrader: (6)

Is it posible for a dash lamp to blow and the wires internal to the bad lamp get together(vibration) and cause the short?

CAT3

iTrader: (9)

Techno-thought about that, pulled the cluster and checked, all lights good. Pulled the LM-1 wiring and it was NOT hooked into that circuit, pulled it anyway.
I have nothing tapped off the circuit in question, and cant think for the life of me what it could be.

I am going to get another dimmer switch, throw in a 5a fuse and try the new switch, hope it works.

deezel

Sorry to hear your having such a tough time. Those electrical problems are the worst...
Good luck with the new switch...

Koncrete

iTrader: (3)

I had the same problem it turned out to be a wiring short to my DRL's

CAT3

iTrader: (9)

I hope its not my DRLs I did the DRL unplug mod a long time ago. Still needing to order a new switch and start over.