Basically, The headlights are on when the switch isn't on. So that means power and output remains latched.
I am using SPDT relays for my hard wired headlight harness.
I have power from the battery, switch power/ground from headlight harness and output to the bulbs.
The amperage of the bulbs are 55watts.
What could be the problem? When I added a fuse box, I relocated the relays within the front bumper. They are hanging slightly. Could it be that vibrations and water damge the relays?
The relays are not in the picture but they are located hanging within the front wheel well about 3 inches from the base of the fender
Input power from the battery running into the front wheel well where the relays are hanging.
Hmmm, I had a similar problem, but I was using driving a pair of 110 watters off of one relay....what was happening in the end was that the magnetisation was causing the relay to stay open even when you removed the trigger from it. I replaced that relay and added a second relay in as well, one for each spotlight, never had any dramas since. I wouldn't imagine that a pair of 55ers would do that though, unless it was a really cheap and nasty relay
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overworked2 wrote:
Hmmm, I had a similar problem, but I was using driving a pair of 110 watters off of one relay....what was happening in the end was that the magnetisation was causing the relay to stay open even when you removed the trigger from it. I replaced that relay and added a second relay in as well, one for each spotlight, never had any dramas since. I wouldn't imagine that a pair of 55ers would do that though, unless it was a really cheap and nasty relay
Hmm, so since the relays are in close proximity - you are saying that magnetism is the cause for the latch? Only 2 of the 4 relays are remaining latched. Fog and high beams are latched while low beam and my airhorns are not latched.
Nope my problem was the single relay driving the highpower lights.
I will try to explain it but I may get it wrong slightly...but it's roughly what happens...
When you pass electricity down a wire or component (relay) you creat whats known as ElectroMagneticRadiation, as you pull more current the EMR gets higher. What was happening with me was that magnetic radiation was enough to hold the coil in the relay latched not allowing it to switch off even when I removed the trigger lead from the relay.
But just thinking about it, the combined effect of two relays sitting side by side drawing reasonable current through may cause this effect to increase as well....
Try moving those two relays away from each other, if that doesn't work then try adding in two more relays, split your supply lead between the two and drive only a single light off of each relay, youshouldn't need to worry about doing this to the lowbeam headlights
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Check all advice given with a meter
Found it to be a corrosion problem with the relays.
EMR- I remember learning that in college physics=]