Walmart Platinum Burner LEDs

[IronMike]

I'm glad no one went to the hospital over this, In 44 years of 12 V wiring Stereos Lights, CB's amongst a lot of other stuff I have never heard of anyone starting a fire. BTW THAT IS what a fuse is for. Once a short circuit occurs the fuse blows and stops any danger of a fire. I personally use breakers when working on something to save money.

 

I also have two friends that own stereo installation shops. Combined more than 40 years open, they do about 15 systems a day and not one fire ever. This is just so odd.

 

I will have to let them know what can happen.

[Ventureless]

I'm glad no one went to the hospital over this, In 44 years of 12 V wiring Stereos Lights, CB's amongst a lot of other stuff I have never heard of anyone starting a fire. BTW THAT IS what a fuse is for. Once a short circuit occurs the fuse blows and stops any danger of a fire. I personally use breakers when working on something to save money.

 

I also have two friends that own stereo installation shops. Combined more than 40 years open, they do about 15 systems a day and not one fire ever. This is just so odd.

 

I will have to let them know what can happen.

 

Not sure what fire you are talking about??

[saddlebum]

I installed a set of PIAA fog lights. They use only 2 LEDs per light are brighter than my headlight and are focused to light the road and shoulders without blinding oncoming traffic. They draw less than 2 amps so I wired them directly to the acc. terminal with only an in line 3 amp fuse. With regards to lighting laws I think you will find that areas that have them, require that road lights (not fog lights) are to be wired so they can only function when the high beams are on. This is so they will go off when you dim your headlights for incoming traffic. Fog lights are to be wired so that they cannot function by themselves without the headlights on.

PIAA also makes flood light and spotlight versions of the fog light. I also compared them to the square LED shown and found the PIAA much brighter and better focused. It all has to do with the design of the reflector.

Edited October 28, 2013 by saddlebum

[Ventureless]

I installed a set of PIAA fog lights. They use only 2 LEDs per light are brighter than my headlight and are focused to light the road and shoulders without blinding oncoming traffic. They draw less than 2 amps so I wired them directly to the acc. terminal with only an in line 3 amp fuse. With regards to lighting laws I think you will find that areas that have them, require that road lights (not fog lights) are to be wired so they can only function when the high beams are on. This is so they will go off when you dim your headlights for incoming traffic. Fog lights are to be wired so that they cannot function by themselves without the headlights on.

PIAA also makes flood light and spotlight versions of the fog light. I also compared them to the square LED shown and found the PIAA much brighter and better focused. It all has to do with the design of the reflector.

 

In Virginia the roadlights,fog lights, etc have to be wired to where they will go off when the high beams are on and on when the low beams are on. I will admit that I did not wire mine that way. Mine are on a toggle and I just manually turn them on and off. The only time I need to worry is for inspection and all I need to do for that is put a cover over them. I already fabricated a cover for that and all is good. Honestly with these on there now, I will probably never turn my high beam on again. It can't even come close to the light the 2 LEDs put out. And as far as aiming them, I shouldn't have to do to much. They really aren't that blinding from ahead which really surprised me for the light coming out of them. Also there were 2 different options. A wide angle flood and a spot beam. I got the spot beam and I believe it said 30 degree pattern. Maybe 35. I think they are perfect. They light up just enough side road for me and light up 75-100 yards directly in front of me.

[IronMike]

Not sure what fire you are talking about??

 

The one tx2Sturgis said could start, Like he was trying to scare the guy from working with 12V wires. And he also referred to you and your relay advice. I pretty much said tackle it. no one will get killed. (It's not like wiring a 220V fuse box for a factory) Then he steps in telling me how dangerous it can be. Just sayin, glad he did not die hooking up his fog lights. Sarcastic statements. You'd have to look where he quoted me and addressed you too.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I'm glad no one went to the hospital over this, In 44 years of 12 V wiring Stereos Lights, CB's amongst a lot of other stuff I have never heard of anyone starting a fire. BTW THAT IS what a fuse is for. Once a short circuit occurs the fuse blows and stops any danger of a fire. I personally use breakers when working on something to save money.

 

I also have two friends that own stereo installation shops. Combined more than 40 years open, they do about 15 systems a day and not one fire ever. This is just so odd.

 

I will have to let them know what can happen.

 

 

The one tx2Sturgis said could start, Like he was trying to scare the guy from working with 12V wires. And he also referred to you and your relay advice. I pretty much said tackle it. no one will get killed. (It's not like wiring a 220V fuse box for a factory) Then he steps in telling me how dangerous it can be. Just sayin, glad he did not die hooking up his fog lights. Sarcastic statements. You'd have to look where he quoted me and addressed you too.

 

 

 

There is no reason to be adversaries here. I was trying to help.

 

It is possible to have an electrical fire if things are not wired correctly. The sources you serve up as having 40 years experience in the car stereo industry will most likely NOT have any fire stories, since they are professionals. They know what they are doing, one would assume. I'm glad you have these guys to consult with. But BumbleBee seemed to be asking questions that an electrical beginner might ask, with no local help available. I erred on the side of caution. Does an electrical beginner always know to install a properly sized fuse? Are you sure they ALL do? I never said or implied that someone with experience or knowledge with electrical work is at risk of dying from wiring in a pair of fog lights!

 

As far as fires on-board a vehicle, I was refering to possible incidents where things are not wired correctly. It does NOT have to be a 'short' that starts a fire. If a circuit is wired with inadequate gauge wire, for the current being carried, it can overheat. Wires can get pinched between metal parts of the frame and engine, for instance, partially melt, and start the insulation smoldering, even if proper fuses are employed...and there may not have been a fuse installed at all. Ever heard of an electrical fire in/on a vehicle? Its nearly ALWAYS the 12V circuits involved and many amps of current, NOT the High Voltage sparkplug leads.

 

I personally know of at least a couple of times where cobbled-up wiring harnesses on a bike were scorched due to overload...both of these in trailer wiring. I have seen melted H4 headlight connectors where someone put in a high wattage bulb and did not run a relay and a ceramic connector. As soon as the connector melts all the way and the headlight quits, the owner realizes something is wrong. Luckily, not much in there to burn.

 

I have direct knowledge of a person who bypassed the fuse (with a piece of chewing gum foil!) that kept blowing, on a thermo-electric cooler, and the wires overheated overnight, and a fire started in the cab of the truck. Yes, you and I would never do such a thing...right? But it can and does happen. The man was desperately trying to save $50 worth of food in that cooler. I work in the transportation industry and believe me, electrical fires from wiring mistakes happen occasionally.

 

I can even relate a story of a wiring mistake 30 years ago by myself that was VERY dangerous, and the overheated wiring melted thru a rubber brake line on the bike, and caused a large cloud of smoke and a loss of front brakes as I was exiting a freeway and needed those brakes for the intersection I was approaching!

 

Have you never ever seen a scorched plastic fuse holder? I have...fuses can over heat long before they blow, if the load is only 10 or 20% over the amp rating of the fuse.

 

I'm posting a picture of this fairly common item and point out that it did NOT come with a fuse holder. Suppose someone who has no idea that it should be fused, hooked it up directly to a motorcycle (or car) battery and plugged in a compressor or other power-hungry item and it pulled 20 amps, then plugged in another item that pulled another 20 amps...say, an inverter with a coffeepot attached. They dont know about amps, or fuses, or wire gage. All they know is that here they have TWO new accessory ports!

 

40 amps total, and no fuse.

 

How long would you want to bet it will last before the wires or the sockets begin to smoke?

 

If you have the opinion that no fire can ever start due to a possible wiring error, then you are the eternal optimist we all hear about. And if it works for you then who am I to disagree?

 

Good day sir.

 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2013 by tx2sturgis

[BuddyRich]

I won't buy any LED lights unless it states what the Lumens are. That is the best way to tell brightness. If I was putting them on the front I would want Spots or driving. Don't want to blind oncoming traffic with 3000 lumen of flood light.

[saddlebum]

I have to stand behind tx2sturgess in his warning as it is a valid one. Being a mechanic I have personally seen were people have installed items and because the amount of currant the item draws is more than the wire can handle and the fuse too large the wire begins to glow red and when something combustible is near it will ignite. I once had a customer wire in a small interior light using small bell wire which he ran through the head liner. Because the bell wire was so small 22gauge or smaller and was hooked to a 20 amp fuse it got red hot when the light was turned on and set the headliner on fire all because he was to cheap to buy the correct size wire. If this wire was run along other wires it would have burned through the insulation of the adjacent wires cause them to contribute to the issue.