LED Lights Switch Burned?

Tiny
MAJORHAVOC
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 FORD CROWN VICTORIA
  • 4.6L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 134,000 MILES
I had noticed my two LED lamps on my personal vehicle weren't working. I had found a loose connection and repaired it. I have in the setup an inline fuse of 30A from the positive terminal to the relay, a Novita RL44 40A relay, and a Dorman 20A rocker switch. Everything was previously wired properly as I had used the light setup as is for several months, and the lights worked again when I repaired the loose connection. As I turned the switch off, however, I heard a pop come from the switch and it began to smolder. The wire feeding power to the relay, which was connected to the positive terminal on the battery, became very hot. I cut the three wires feeding to the switch before further damage could occur, but the switch itself had melted.

Could this be the result of a switch that just so happened to have a defect that took action as I repaired the loose connection from before? Should I change anything in the setup, or simply get a higher amp/different brand switch? I am certain there are no breaks in the wires that would cause a short.
Thursday, August 25th, 2016 AT 3:14 PM

2 Replies

Tiny
MAJORHAVOC
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
What's more is that the relay and the inline fuse still work, and that the switch was the only component that took damage.
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Thursday, August 25th, 2016 AT 3:23 PM
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
The switch may have been bad or a wire shorted out but try one with a higher rating amp wise.
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Thursday, August 25th, 2016 AT 3:38 PM

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