I just installed and wired dual filament bulbs and sockets to put the turn signals in the parking light lenses('90 Legacy). For some reason, I keep burning out my parking light fuse. Before I replace the 10 amp fuse with something like 15 amp, I'm wondering if the original parking light plugs, which I spliced onto the socket wire, could be causing too much resistance. Looking at it, the prongs are as thin as accupuncture needles. I'm using basic 1157 amber bulbs, reamed the lense holes out to make them fit. The turn signal lights are crimped on spade connectors well wrapped with electrical tape, the parking lights are the stock plugs spliced on(the bulb side). I'm thinking the plugs are the problem, but wanted other people's opinion and advise.

Edited July 3, 201015 yr by SOOBOUTLAW

So the original were dual filament?

 

General rule of thumb is to replace things one at a time. Were you blowing fuses before hand? Why did you suspect the fronts and not the rears?

No the original were a small single filament bulb, and I meant the plug, not the socket that I suspect to be the problem. Never had a problem til I messed with it:grin:.

One thing about fuses do not and I mean do not replace a 10 amp with a 15 amp unless you want to be replacing a wireing harness.

There is a reason that you need a mgic black box when you rent a trailer. Cars with 2 bulb systems need some electrical wizardry to convert them to a 1 bulb dual filamint system. You are back feeding voltage someplace in the system, possibly to the taillights causing a short. It could be your backfeeding to other places. Put them back to the way they were as this, as simple as it sounded at the time, is more complicated then you give it credit for.

the way you are going to want to do this is just as simple.

 

using the same sockets and bulbs (the dual ones you got) wire the additional filament to a relay that kicks over when the turn signal is on.

 

that way, when the signal light is on, it activates the relay. when the relay is activated it puts power to the light.. then kicks off when the blinker flashes each time. the power wire that you use can have its own 10a fuse (or 5 really) and is wired directly to the battery.

 

this will require 2 relays (one for each side) but would be your best bet.

 

if you wanted an alternating setup... you could keep the single filament setup, wire it completly to the relay and have the light turn off when the blinker is on. this however wouldn't work if you didn't have the parking lights on.

 

 

-Justin

I just installed and wired dual filament bulbs and sockets to put the turn signals in the parking light lenses('90 Legacy). For some reason, I keep burning out my parking light fuse. Before I replace the 10 amp fuse with something like 15 amp, I'm wondering if the original parking light plugs, which I spliced onto the socket wire, could be causing too much resistance. Looking at it, the prongs are as thin as accupuncture needles. I'm using basic 1157 amber bulbs, reamed the lense holes out to make them fit. The turn signal lights are crimped on spade connectors well wrapped with electrical tape, the parking lights are the stock plugs spliced on(the bulb side). I'm thinking the plugs are the problem, but wanted other people's opinion and advise.

 

When a fuse blows out it isn't because the load the fuse is suppling current to has too much resistance. It is just the opposite, either too little or no resistance. Parking lights are a lower wattage bulb than turn signal/brake lights are so they require less current. By changing the bulbs you adding more load to the circuit and may be why the fuse is blowing out. Changing the current load that the flasher has to handle can create problems also, as was touched on by another poster.

Edited July 4, 201015 yr by Cougar