Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

Hey guys,

I purchased Rotary Rasp's LED kit, and let me just first say that there was no problem with our transaction or the quality of the set he made for me. I just seem to having some bad luck with my installation.

I'm no electrician, but I have done similar wiring procedures in the past without any issues. Anyway, I hooked everything up as instructed, with the wire splicers and when I reconnected the battery, only the driver's side LEDs came on. I started looking at the connections, and all of a sudden the dome light, door lights and dash lights all went out.

After a lot of cursing, I disconnected the wire splicers and started checking fuses. I found that the fuse labeled "Room" had blown and so I replaced it. Thankfully everything came back on as normal.

First of all, I need to figure out why only one set of LEDs came on originally. I don't know if the splicers just didn't make a good connection, or if there was something else. Second, I need to know what caused the fuse to blow, and if the two problems are related. I'm hesitant to try the install again until I figure out what happened, so I would really appreciate any suggestions. I sent a message to Rotary Rasp, but I feel like I've bugged him enough.

Thanks in advance,

Mazurfer

Okay.....here's my thoughts, but without seeing them, it will be hard to say. I have other than RR's installed but I do have some coming from him. But, to be honest, I don't know what the backside looks like.

Given you info...................

1.) Your original problem was that the splices to the other side were not making connection. Those taps can be a pain in the ****.

2.) I'll bet you were dicking around with it and probably shorted the back of it against some grounded surface(metal) somewhere. Or you did it with the wires themselves.

3.) This caused the fuse to blow.................just as it is supposed to do.

4.) Asumming you still have the drivers side in, check your taps to the other side and make sure they are solid. Do you have a multimeter and know how to use it? If no......then don't worry about it, but do yourself a favor and DO NOT attach the other side anywhere yet. just let it lay on the mat until you get it working. Hell, if you can solder, you could eliminate those taps if you wanted. Again, I don't know what the back of RR's circuit boards look like, but you can't go mounting those were they have the ability to short out to ground.

Let me know and I'll try to help.

p.s., Does the back of RR's have lands(which are metal lines running around from the LED's to the resistors) that are exposed? If so, then you for sure can't have those touching any other metal in the car. I'll know more when mine from him arrive soon, but the LED circuit boards I now have in there need to have some non-conductive foam place between them and any metal surface when I mouonted them. Either that, or mount them directly onto plastic where they can't touch metal.


Dave

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

My best guess is the back of the led strip touched the steering column. Go unmount the drivers side led strip and replaced the fuse. Then see if your interior lights work.

Mazurfer

Sorry to chime in RR, you want me to go back and delete my post?

Dave

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

Not at all. Your post has good information and is pretty accurate.

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

Wow, great response, Dave... thanks. And thanks again RR for the suggestion. Okay, so I kinda figured the taps maybe didn't make a good connection. They were a PITA to work with, you're right. I've never used them before actually, and I prefer soldering. But the space to work in is so small and awkward, that I figured the taps might be a better idea. The main problem with them here (IMO) is that you're trying to splice two wires at the same time, when it seems it's only made for one.

The fuse blew when I was simply moving the wires around a bit. Do you know how the wires themselves shorted, if they were tightly connected inside the taps? I don't think the back of the boards touched anything, and to answer your question about the lands, I don't believe anything is exposed. I don't have them in front of me at the moment but I think RR has it all taped up.

In the morning when I have better light, I'll make sure the boards are not touching any metal at all, like the steering column or something. RR includes plastic mounts to attach the boards, which helps to prevent metal contact.

And RR, I've already replaced the fuse, but I'll unmount the driver's LED board and see if it blows again.

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

Yes, the back of the boards are covered. Soldering is always the best solution when tapping a wire, however most people dont know how to do it or have the tools. This means the only alternative is to used the splices I provide. I agree, they can be a little tricky if you're not %100 sure how to use them. I try and explain them well in my instructions.

For those who have yet to buy my kit, don't shy away. I'm always available to help people and usually respone to PM's right away.

Mazurfer

Yeah the taps are a pain until you use them a few times. Everybody sells stuff with those taps, so get used to it! I'm a little concerned that you feel like the short happenned when you were moving the wires in one of the taps. You sure you are putting the right wires in the right taps? Make real sure of that. You can take those taps back apart if you are very careful. All they do is pierce the insulation on the one wire that runs all the way through the tap and make connection via that metal piece inside the tap to the second wire that you put in and slide up to the correct position before snapping shut. I'll shut-up now cause RR is all over it as usual!

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

Yeah, but in this case, we're splicing two wires at a time in each tap, and I'm assuming that you usually only stick one wire in there. I'm just wondering if the metal piece didn't pierce one of the wires correctly...

Also, I'm pretty sure I had the right wires together. If I didn't, the driver's side LEDs probably would have never come on like they originally did... I guess.

Mazurfer

Possible.......see what Rodgers says. You can pull it apart very carefully if you want to take a look. So this whole purpose of this one tap is then to make connection between two wires....that's okay......so maybe one didn't cut all the way through the insulation or wasn't laying in the tap right.........or.......went too far and completely cut the wire in half. Regardless, if this is the one you were messing around with when the fuse went, that would be pretty unusual, so you must have been moving something else..............IF you have the right two wires in there.

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

It's possible, but you're the first person to have that problem. Are you sure you didn't splice a red and black wire together?

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

LOL Yeah, leave it to me to be the only one. I'm pretty I didn't connect a red and a black, although the "black" ones seemed have a lot of red on them. The driver's side lights wouldn't have worked otherwise, right?

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

If you hook them up backwards, no damage will be done. They just wont work.

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

Right, didn't think so, but for that brief few seconds, I actually had blue lighting on the driver's side!

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

Then it is wired correctly. Try taking a pair of pliers and crimping the wire splices again. It takes some force.

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

I disconnected the wire splicers and found that they had almost cut through two of the wires completely. So, I cut off the tips and tried the splice again. This time, no short, but the passenger side lights did not come on again. I ran out of time this morning, so I couldn't test that side individually. Plus, I don't own a multimeter. I have a friend that does, and when I get a chance, I'll test the board.

Leesha

I had a similar incident but my wires broke touched the metal and shorted out my Room fuse. Everything went out!! (Music and lights)

I'm getting new one's from him at no extra charge and will put in again!

Leesha

This is what they look like...
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w...3/DSC01102.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w...3/DSC01101.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w...3/DSC01102.jpg

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

Leesha, did you get your replacement set yet?

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

I'm sorry you're having a hard time getting these installed. Did you passenger side ever work?

scremn8

couldn't he just try a direct line to the paaenger side to see if they work.
find a hot wire and a ground. that way he'll know for sure if the passenger
side works, and if so then it would be how he's connecting them.
but then if they don't work like that then he'll know for sure...

Olorin2

iTrader: (6)

Hey, it's okay. I never did get the passenger side to work, even when connecting it without the driver's side lights (which work just fine). I sent you a PM about a possible replacement.

Thanks,

Rotary Rasp

iTrader: (2)

I'm sending you a replacement tomorrow.

Warren8

I'm having a problem of my own. It goes a little something like this...

I got two of Rasp's kits and put them in each footwell. I merged all the reds into one and placed a switch, then I attached it to the red/yellow wire in the instructions. I also merged the 4 blacks and spliced into the blue/black wire shown.

Nothing happened. I took the switch out of play and still nothing happened. So I fell back on the good old 9V battery and my circuit seems to be working just fine, but my lights wont come on when attached to the car.

I know it could be a bad connection, and I'm going to try resplicing for the 3rd time, but is there any obvious problem that isnt my splicing abilities?

Mazurfer

Not really........if they light up using a simple nine volt battery(even though they will be dim), then I can only think of a couple of things:

You're switch is bad.

You have the wrong wires(but I have mine installed from a year ago using the OEM footwell light instructions/wire colors), but I'm sure RR is right about the wires colors.....so you better check that again and make sure you grabbed the right ones, from the right location......could you have the wrong ones spliced into?
Update.........I now see that you hooked them up as running lights(based on your wire colors above), meaning they will come on anytime you turn your headlight switch to at least parking lights). You did that right on purpose and you realize that you need to turn the headlight switch on?


Your splices just aren't making good contact.

Curious..........why four blacks? I mean I just opened RR's and I have two LED boards and each has two wires(red/black and black) coming off of each.

Guess you could also blown the fuse......do your parking/headlights work? If you wanted them to come on with the courtesy door and map lights, then you better go read the instruction again.