Warning! EL Tape Issues!

[RaptorScrew]

Was driving to the mall today with my family and my wife and I noticed a horrid smell. The smell was like rubber or electrical burning!

It lasted for a few minutes. I immediately turned off my Aux 4 switch that controls my el tape for the Backlit SVT logos.

Once home, I opened up the hood to find the black box that comes with the kit had completely melted through! And it appears as there is green liquid pooled up next to my battery.

As mentioned in the one thread, I placed this little black box next to the battery. I'm not sure but I wonder if that battery heated up and caused this box to melt/explode.

I'll get a pic of the black box up shortly...

Any thoughts???

 

[RaptorScrew]

Question for those who have installed this onto "Aux 4" switch....


Did anyone go in and change out the fuse? I'm thinking that my fuse is to large and it was pushing to many amps.

I looked it up on the website and this inverter is rated at 3A or below.

Does this seem the probable reason?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Blukrom]

I'm not an electrician but I don't think just changing the fuse changes the amps. It will only allow the fuse to blow if it pulls beyond the fuse rated amps. So if your fuse was say a 10 amp and the box was rated for 3 and there was a short or some problem with the circuit that caused a draw beyond 3, the box would cook long before the fuse would. I'm sure someone here will flame me shortly if I'm wrong.

 

[BIRDMAN]

the EL tape will pull the amps it needs under normal conditions, the fuse doesn't matter unless there's a problem. if the EL tape pulls 11A, and it's on a 10A fuse...ya it will blow the fuse and you need to up it. if there's a problem and it shorts it should blow the fuse.

 

[Squatting Dog]

Wouldnt be a problem of pushing to many amps in normal operation. The problem is that there was a fault, and the fuse was sized too big. Which caused the smoke and melting. I would suggest looking at the cut ends of the EL tape. I would bet that there was a short to ground causing transfomer to overheat before oversized fuse to blow. Or one of the leads to the EL strips became pinched and shorted to ground.
I would start working my way back from ends of EL tape and checking for burnt, pinched, or otherwise compromised insulation. There is something betwen the burnt black box and end of tape.

 

[Hockster]

Dam... Your box is much bigger than the one I have... hmm...

 

[RaptorScrew]

Wouldnt be a problem of pushing to many amps in normal operation. The problem is that there was a fault, and the fuse was sized too big. Which caused the smoke and melting. I would suggest looking at the cut ends of the EL tape. I would bet that there was a short to ground causing transfomer to overheat before oversized fuse to blow. Or one of the leads to the EL strips became pinched and shorted to ground.
I would start working my way back from ends of EL tape and checking for burnt, pinched, or otherwise compromised insulation. There is something betwen the burnt black box and end of tape.

Can you expound on this comment? I ask because about two weeks ago i trimmed down the tape due to it having black splotches on it. So I cut off about 5" of tape off the end.

Could I have done something incorrect? I'm a novice when it comes to this kind of stuff.

 

[f16YODA]

Dam... Your box is much bigger than the one I have... hmm...

That's what she said...

 

[Hockster]

Can you expound on this comment? I ask because about two weeks ago i trimmed down the tape due to it having black splotches on it. So I cut off about 5" of tape off the end.

Could I have done something incorrect? I'm a novice when it comes to this kind of stuff.

Wait... you cut the tape off at the ends?

 

[Squatting Dog]

Can you expound on this comment? I ask because about two weeks ago i trimmed down the tape due to it having black splotches on it. So I cut off about 5" of tape off the end.

Could I have done something incorrect? I'm a novice when it comes to this kind of stuff.

If the end of the EL tape is not sealed with glue, tape, gaffers tape, etc. it could touch bare metal and cause a short to ground. Increasing amp through black box, causing overheating and melting.