what is the best high level brake light for new style FIA bar

[David aka Blue7]

I bought a Draper multimeter, not exactly a comprehensive instruction book extending to one page but interesting results. My old HL brake light which works ok when connected seems to use 3.3 amps and yet the new one which is blowing fuses is using 1.5 amps. However, these are readings from connection to a spare battery not the one in the car so the test results are based on just a direct circuit with the spare battery alone.

 

This makes me suspect that the new rain light is shorting somehow. It is attached to the car by two steel bolts so I wondered if one or both are earthing the current somehow? So I have removed the securing nuts from the bolts and isolated them from the body of the car and low and behold the rain light is now working alongside the brake lights without blowing a fuse. I haven't tried inserting the fixing bolts back into the body yet because it is so cold I can hardly feel my finger tips and I thought I would end the day on a positive note.

[Jonathan Kay]

That sounds like progress.

 

Jonathan

[David aka Blue7]

On closer inspection of the rear of the rain light I discovered that both black and red wire insulation sheathing does not extend fully up to the back of the light and I could just see minute pieces of bare wire. When the wires were fed through the rubber grommet and the rain light bolts tightened up the two bare parts of the wire must have come into contact causing the short. I have wrapped insulation tape around both wires and used a larger grommet to allow for increase thickness, wired it up again and all is now working well.

 

After all this I never would have suspected the problem to be with the rain light wiring so if anyone is fitting one of these lights inspect the wire sheathing where it enters the back of the light and make sure there are no bare wires visible.

 

Can't believe this weather, I can hardly feel my finger tips it is so cold ... almost June and the Cockbridge / Tomintoul road is closed with snow

[Jonathan Kay]

Quoting Blue7: 

After all this I never would have suspected the problem to be with the rain light wiring...

And it's not as if anyone else did... ?

 

;-)

 

Glad it's fixed.

 

Jonathan

[David aka Blue7]

Quoting Jonathan Kay: 

Quoting Blue7: 

After all this I never would have suspected the problem to be with the rain light wiring...

And it's not as if anyone else did... ?

 

;-)

 

Glad it's fixed.

 

Jonathan

 

Thanks, so am I. One good thing to come out of all this has been discovering the dodgy spade connection at the brake switch. On closer inspection there are thankfully no broken wires but the spade terminal was broken so just a matter of removing it and fitting a replacement.