Adding work lights

[3RRL]

Can you make a visor for the lights in the form of a ledge?
A ledge that sits below the light, but sticks out enough to keep the bottom from shining on your glasses or instrument panel. Sort of like if your lights were sitting on the ledge aways back from the front of the ledge? You could rig something up with cardboard to test it out and then make a nice metal or plastic visor like that.

[mjncad]

Originally Posted by agford4x4

Plus, the $#%&@ things blew the 10A fuse, so there is a dam short somewhere, that i have to trace tomorrow.

Are there two 55w bulbs being run off this 10amp fuse? If so, that is about 9.16 amps at normal load. If the fuse is blowing when you turn on the lights, the inrush current may be blowing the fuse. However, check to make sure you don't have a short before putting in a higher capacity fuse.

I just looked at my wiring diagram I made for my work lights, and I use a 10amp fuse to protect two 55w halogen lamps that are powered via a relay using #14AWG wire.

[agford4x4]

3RRL, laying in bed last night, that is the exact design i came up with. Im not sure HOW im going to do it, but im sure thats what im going to do.

MJNCAD, the lights are wired EXACTLY as you describe....14awg wire, and a relay. I stuck a 15A fuse in thinking i just got to close to the 10A and it blew immediately. There is a short somewhere, although i have no clue where. its NOT in or around the lights themselves, so it must be under the tractor or in the dash. Can relays short out?

[Squeak n Itch]

Originally Posted by aczlan

my FIL's L3830 and B7510 have them, it looks like a loose plug by the bottom of the lower right side of the rops, it comes from the bundle that runs to the lights on the fender.


Aaron Z

I finally located an outlet on my L3130 after talking to the Kubota dealer and found it under the seat. The power is active when the key is on. Looks to me as though it has perhaps 20 ga wire. Dealer says it was supposed to be used for trailer lights. Seems like the wire is way undersized for that. Any input?

[Mike058]

Originally Posted by Squeak n Itch

I finally located an outlet on my L3130 after talking to the Kubota dealer and found it under the seat. The power is active when the key is on. Looks to me as though it has perhaps 20 ga wire. Dealer says it was supposed to be used for trailer lights. Seems like the wire is way undersized for that. Any input?

20 ga would probably be ok for running/clearance lights. Not work lights though.

[mjncad]

Originally Posted by agford4x4

MJNCAD, the lights are wired EXACTLY as you describe....14awg wire, and a relay. I stuck a 15A fuse in thinking i just got to close to the 10A and it blew immediately. There is a short somewhere, although i have no clue where. its NOT in or around the lights themselves, so it must be under the tractor or in the dash. Can relays short out?

I would assume relays can short out by being defective, so that would be a good place to start your diagnostics by putting in a spare relay. I'd also start looking for anyplace where the wires could have damaged insulation, especially around sharp metal parts or various levers that could pinch and damage the wires.

You might look for a loose connection as that will cause fuses to blow due to added current and heat. I had this happen with a bathroom circuit that kept popping the breaker. Once the wire connection for that circuit was tightened in the box, the problem went away.

Could you have a connection connected to ground instead of the load (e.g. lights)? I always try to put the female connector of any kind on the hot side (e.g. feed) and the male downstream of that. Doing this helps prevent cross connections.

[aczlan]

Originally Posted by agford4x4

There is a short somewhere, although i have no clue where. its NOT in or around the lights themselves, so it must be under the tractor or in the dash. Can relays short out?

I would take a good look at your relay, when I installed lights on my FIL's L3830 I got the posts of the relay mixed up and blew 3-4 fuses before I figured what was wrong.

HTH

Aaron Z

[agford4x4]

i looked all over. Never could find it. They are all working now, with no problems. I have no clue what it was. They shorted out when i was adjusting them, so all i can figure is i pull the wires too tight and it shorted somewhere. The only other place that was questionable was under teh dash, where i had some extra wire and i just coiled them up and zip tied them....i cut those and made themt he right legnth.....who knows.