What amp is the fuse on the IPF 960 lights?

[rhombus]

I have been trying to add a new switch for my 960's I went out to Radio Shack and bought a light rocker switch.

Well I'm not the best at this stuff and I have blown the fuse *the one on the yellow wire). I went out and bought 3 more 2 amp fuses but they keep blowing.


Do you know the amp for the fuse?

thanks

[Antitree_hugger]

Take the total wattage on the line divide by 12 (volts) that will give you the amp

Ben

[rhombus]

I very new at this electrical stuff and don't know how to get the voltage on the line

[Antitree_hugger]

Voltage is 12.

Take the wattage of the lights (say 2 of them at 55 watts) add that together 110 watts total.

110/12=9.1666666666666 so you would use a 10 AMP min. fuse (you could get away with a nine, but it will prolly blow buring hot weather)

Ben

[Philosopher]

Are your 960's black or silver? Have you messed with the bulbs inside them?

If they are black, they come with 55W bulbs stock.

If they are silver, they come with 110W bulbs stock.

I have the black ones but swapped out the bulbs for the higher wattage ones.

Antitree_hugger is right about amps & volts. Anytime you're trying to figure out what kind of amps a set of lights is sucking out of your electrical system, it's whatever # of watts divided by 12 volts ... so if you have the silver 960's, then 220W / 12 volts = 18.3 amps. So you would need a 20 amp fuse.

Let us know if you get it figured out or if you need some more help, I've learned a lot about wiring lately.

[rhombus]

I'm talking about the really small glass fuse that is on the yellow wire that goes into the fuse box.

I think that it was a 2 amp but threw the original out and I'm not sure now what the first one was.

thanks

[xterrabull]

I don't have IPF lights but I've done a lot of light wiring.
If the yellow wire provides power to the lights, then the above posts about calculating the fuse current rating based on the bulbs' wattage are correct; even the "really small glass fuses" (they're called bus fuses) can have high (20-30 amps) current ratings.
It is also POSSIBLE that this yellow wire you're talking about is for the light switch itself (I haven't seen this before but It is technically possible) and in this case see if the switch itself has a current or power (divide by 12v to get current) rating. If the switch isn't rated then start at 2 amps since you think you recall this & if you keep blowing fuses move up to 5 amps & if you still keep blowing fuses move up again (or check your wiring).

The best thing to do is to first figure out what this yellow wire is powering and then go from there....
Hope this is helpfull.

[rhombus]

Thanks for the help guys...
I have had XXXterra have a look at it and he also was stumped.
He took the switches and my connection wires home to have a look at them and try them on his truck.

Looks like I have bad switches (I got them at Radio Shack).
I'm now going to go hunting for 12v automotive switch (rocker style).

[Mobycat]

What happened to the original switch?

[rhombus]

I did not like the look of the IPF stock switch.
I want to have the switch mounted in the dash.