Electrical problem

[Chas]

I recently bought a remote control spotlight and when I tried plugging it into a 240/12v rectifier unit I use for checking 12v stuff without having to go out to the garage it didn't work so I tried it in the car using the three way extension socket that is fed from the dashboard ciggy lighter socket and it still it wouldn't work so I sent it back assuming it was faulty, the company checked it out and said there's nothing wrong with it but sent a new one anyway. I had the same problems with that one too, finally I tried it in the wife's car and it worked OK, so I went back to my car and plugged it straight into the dash socket and it worked.
Now the three way socket runs my satnav and other accessories in the car OK so why wouldn't the spot work in that and my indoor 12v supply.
Strange thing is in both cases that the plug on the spotlight lead has a indicator light which lit up showing it was getting power but it wouldn't turn on.

 

[Crispin]

I suspect the indoor psu could not supply the current. It should state on it what it xsm deliver. A 50w spot needs just over 4A. A hid would need more at start up and the surge would send the such into over current protection assuming it had that feature.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

 

[Chas]

It's a Ring PSU and is 12v 5a output but the spotlamp is 100w so that's probably why it didn't work, but why not in the car

 

[Crispin]

yup, that would do it.

As for the car, could it be the plug has a loose connection? Is the socket still working now? If it is a 100W HID then the in-rush would have been higher. 100W is 8.3A, the surge could have tipped 10A which is the standard for a cig lighter socket. Could the fuse have blown?

 

[Chas]

yup, that would do it.

As for the car, could it be the plug has a loose connection? Is the socket still working now? If it is a 100W HID then the in-rush would have been higher. 100W is 8.3A, the surge could have tipped 10A which is the standard for a cig lighter socket. Could the fuse have blown?

No loose connection, the socket is still working for the satnav, the power indication light is on so the fuse must be OK, it's not HID just halogen?

 

[Crispin]

your eyes were closed?

No idea Chas, it _might_ have been dodgy and they sent you a new one hiding the fact that it is dodgy? (Pretty cool)
Could the plug in the old one have been loose?

 

[Chas]

Well the first one was never tried by plugging direct into the dash socket so could have been OK, could the power have been reduced somehow by the three way connector? I think maybe the 12v PSU didn't have the power to 'fire' it up?

 

[Crispin]

the 12V PSU would not have had enough to run it. It might have tried but gone into protection when it sensed over current. It is rated at 5A, 100W is 100/12=8.33A

The 3 way splitter you have would not "reduce" the available power if nothing else was running and the connections where sound (not corroded, looses, rattly etc).

The splitter comes from the dash socket and the dash socket can only supply 10A. You could have 100 splitters so long as they collectively draw less than 10A.

 

[Chas]

I didn't think the power would be reduced, but what do I know about auto lecky stuff. The splitter is a new one I had bought as a spare for the Landcruiser so the contacts inside will be good, I only fitted it in the Lexus because it has a USB socket for recharging my Galaxy phone.
The remote spot will not be used until I get the Cruiser back and then I'll wire a dedicated socket for it, so I can unplug the spot when not needed.