Fire Fire! My Gladiator burned down

[MattKay]

So, considering there is another post about a JT burning - how would one test if there was a loose a ground? And do most after market light bars that attach to the manf. aux switches have fuses on the positive wire? Or is the aux switch fused?

I’d prefer to not burn to death is why I am asking. Lol.

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[Hootbro]

So, considering there is another post about a JT burning - how would one test if there was a loose a ground? And do most after market light bars that attach to the manf. aux switches have fuses on the positive wire? Or is the aux switch fused?

I’d prefer to not burn to death is why I am asking. Lol.

Without physically checking each ground point, you would have to do voltage drop testing but you would need to know the ratings for each voltage path using that ground.

As to the factory Aux Switches, they are fused circuits of 40A (2ea) and 15A (2ea). You still may need to run a smaller inline fuse for certain lighting if required.

 

[ryanlsmith]

So, considering there is another post about a JT burning - how would one test if there was a loose a ground? And do most after market light bars that attach to the manf. aux switches have fuses on the positive wire? Or is the aux switch fused?

I’d prefer to not burn to death is why I am asking. Lol.

I don't know the exact internals of the wiring, but yes...the leads off the aux switches are fused already (2 40A, 2 15A). You run the positive of your accessory directly to the aux switch lead, and that wire is already fused (and properly fused close to the battery) - you just have to properly ground your accessory, i.e. appropriate wire ga, and a clean solid grounding point (I opted to run all mine directly back to the battery).

 

[ryanlsmith]

You still may need to run a smaller inline fuse for certain lighting if required.

I just gave slightly conflicting info, so I want to edit/remove mine if needed - what scenario would that typically be required? The wire is fused close to the battery...as long as you don't swap the fuse for something higher than is rated (e.g. 40A or 15A depending on the switch), and you don't try to use your own smaller wiring than is rated for/comes with the light...what would another inline fuse protect?

 

[Hootbro]

I just gave slightly conflicting info, so I want to edit/remove mine if needed - what scenario would that typically be required? The wire is fused close to the battery...as long as you don't swap the fuse for something higher than is rated (e.g. 40A or 15A depending on the switch), and you don't try to use your own smaller wiring than is rated for/comes with the light...what would another inline fuse protect?

I am talking in context of the aux switches that are already a fused circuit.

If you hook up something that should be on a lets say a 10A circuit, you would not want to directly hook it to aux switches that are 40A and 15A. You want that 10A fuse to blow first as leaving it on a 40A or 15A may actually cause further damage to the component that is hook up.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I am talking in context of the aux switches that are already a fused circuit.

If you hook up something that should be on a lets say a 10A circuit, you would not want to directly hook it to aux switches that are 40A and 15A. You want that 10A fuse to blow first as leaving it on a 40A or 15A may actually cause further damage to the component that is hook up.

Exactly. The aux switch circuit is fused or protected for the maximum capacity of the supplied wiring and relays involved.
If you connect a wire for a light that's capable of 10 amps - the wire will get hot and melt before the fuse blows because the fuse is capable of handing much larger loads. But - the wiring for the accessory can't handle that sort of load.
That's why when some of us see accessories or lights or whatever - and someone says "no problem, it's connected to the aux switches" I cringe because that may make it a problem if the accessory or light wire can only handle much less current.
There are several fuses in the wiring for my snow plow - yeah, there's the big 200 amp fuse, but each circuit is made to handle only so much current, so each branch has its own fuse.
I pull current for the plow hand control from the 12v outlet circuit - yet have the plow's control wire fused as it's a lot smaller than the 12v outlet circuit wiring.

For the aux switches, what one could do is figure out the maximum load the accessory or light wiring can handle and drop that aux fuse down to that amount.
If you use the 15 amp aux circuit - but put in lights with 16 gauge wiring, you may want to kick that aux switch fuse down from 15 to 10 amps.

I've seen some truly scary stuff done by people who claim to know or who are supposed to know. (18 gauge wires twisted into 14 gauge wire, but the fuse not changed and tape was used to "secure" it. That was a pro body man that did that.

 

[ryanlsmith]

Exactly. The aux switch circuit is fused or protected for the maximum capacity of the supplied wiring and relays involved.
If you connect a wire for a light that's capable of 10 amps - the wire will get hot and melt before the fuse blows because the fuse is capable of handing much larger loads. But - the wiring for the accessory can't handle that sort of load.

For the aux switches, what one could do is figure out the maximum load the accessory or light wiring can handle and drop that aux fuse down to that amount.
If you use the 15 amp aux circuit - but put in lights with 16 gauge wiring, you may want to kick that aux switch fuse down from 15 to 10 amps.

Yea, I missed that clarification...it's sort of what I meant about if you use smaller wiring, but wasn't worded 100% correctly/clearly. Ideally it's fused for what you need, and obviously not higher than what your minimum size wire can handle (i.e. no 20ga wire on a 40A circuit).

 

[ecidiego]

any accessory that doesnt include its own fuse for its included wiring is total shit. find another product.

you can hook a 16 gauge wired accessory to a 40a aux switch no problem if either you or the manufacturer gave a damn and fused 10a.

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