wiring up spot lights
Turbo Mini Forums

I have wired up four front spot lights which work ok then blow the fuse 15amp. Should use a higer amp fuse or could there be a problem. Thanks

Have you wired these up through a relay or have you just wired it straight through a switch?

JP

meant to use a relay for each light? keeps those electric fires at bay

what wattage bulbs are you using?

i thought it was a relay per set of lights? lol

i have fed them into the original loom, of which i am unsure if this runs through a relay

so you basically taken a wire from your main beam wiring (back of the light CLUSTER), too your spotlights??

I suppose yes. I have put a bullet connector in the cluster at the front under were the bonnet sits.

scrap that!

read this: http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/index...showtopic=19353

Edited by Mini_Andy on 19th May, 2008.

my engine bay will be covered in relays before long.

i just tapped into the existing wiring for full beam/rear fog, ran a wire from there to the relays(1 for each circuit) and then to the lights. i added a fuse box and had a feed from the starter which was then fused and fed the 12v on the relays. not sure what amp fuses i used but i can check later.

hope i haven't made it sound too complicated.

im crap at this, is this right?



1) does the relay need to be earthed?

2) can i use the permanent live feed off the 35Amp fuse in the fusebox, or should i source a separate live straight from the battery/starter solenoid??

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

I personaly fit a fuse link on the battery terminal on the starter, then wire up to the relay, then a fused supply from the relay to the lamps. That way you are not overloading the fusebox or changing the fuse protection of the circuit.

The relay needs a ground for the coil. the live for the coil needs to come from the blue/ white of the head lamps, easy to connect to with a bullit crimp into one of the headlight looms. take that live and connect it to one of the coil terminals on the relay. Then run a wire from the other terminal for the coil to a switch on the dash, then on the other side of the switch connect that to any ground point on the car.

PS I run two pairs of 130w bulbs requiring 25 amp fuse each pair, considering at 12v they draw 22 amps and at 14.5 volts they draw 18 amps

Edited by Sprocket on 19th Jan, 2009.

like this:

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

for reference joey:

relay pins:

pin 86 = switched live (lights feed)

Pin 85 = Ground (via switch if you want the ability to disable that circuit)

Pin 30 = Perm live (starter solenoid)

Pin 87 = output live (to your spots!)

sorry if you already know but it might also be good for others.

Joey, yes like that :)

cheers mate, will def come in handy

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

brill, cheers sprock

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

although for one pair of lamps a single 25 fuse link at the starter solenoid will sufice in all situations, as that will protect all the wiring in the event of a dead short on the wiring for the lamps. Maybe its just me, but i am real paranoid about the wiring at such close proximity to the front of the car, a slight nudge on the front end could see a dead short and burn the car out. Thats why Rover fitted fused links to all the later looms