I nearly wet my pants!
Turbo Mini Forums

Was out for a spirited drive in the Mini tonight, out through Delamere Forrest making full use of the 570 watts of light on the front of the car. When, just as i turn round a slight bend, everything went pitch black

The fricken light switch had overheatead and melted the plastic around the pins. Quick running repair, bridged out the connector with some wire and i was on my way, cursing and swearing as i should have fitted the 100 watt main beams with relays. I never expected to use the main beams for that length of time that i did tonight, so thought i might get away without fitting the relay.

You live and learn, Still at least I and the Mini are still in one peace

i would make that my priority (pronto)

sounds like you were quite lucky there m8

Oops, not what you want to happen! Lesson learnt and i hope relays should be purchased by now.

mmm...

power/voltage =current

570W / 14V =40A!!!

Listen people, i'm not that fricken stupid to put the whole 570 wats through the original lighting circuit, the car would be on fire by now!!!!

Two relays fitted, one for the 130 watt pairs witha 15 amp fuse and 18 amp wire, the other for the 55 watt pair with a 10 amp fuse and 18 amp wire.

The Main beam H4 bulbs have been swapped out for 55/100 watts. Its these 'main beam' that need the relay as the current is drawn through the switch and the original wiring. The wiring is big enough to carry the load, the week points being the switch and the main beam flasher switch on the stalks.

It needs fixing I know.

I had something similar happen to me apart from it was a dodgy connection on the fuse box, I was going through some woods down a hill with a few hundred feet drop to one sides...lights went dead boxers went brown. Lol

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fusion-Fabri..._homepage_panel

www.fusionfabs.co.uk



1/4mile in 13.2sec @ 111 terminal on 15psi

loosing main lights is a truely trouser browning experiance, had it happen aswell (fusebox).

im currently still designing the loom for my car as i dont want it to happen again.

least your in one piece colin!

I've seen the future and tbh its Pie

I have had that happen to me too. When I changed to H4s. When I put the main beam on the stalk did not go all the way and the main and heads were on at the same time, didn't take long to melt the switch.

Those switches really are made only for the crappy sealed beam units.

http://www.twin-turbo.co.uk
http://www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/default.asp

A man without a project is like a like a woman without a shopping list.

My dad had a similar experiance driving back from work in his davrian a few years back, a connection came loose plunging him into darkness!

to fix it he ended up undoing the bonnet pins and feeling around until he found the offending connection! (without a torch)