MGB: Fire Hazard

I fitted spotlights to my 72 BGT and decided,to install a secondary fuse box connected directly from the battery instead of potentially overloading the original fuse box, . This has a 25 amp in-line fuse . The two spolights have their own individual fuses and switches. The power is therefore not connected to the ignition switch and is live all the time. This worked well.

The other day I removed the console in order to take out the old cassette radio and install an "era correct" push button radio. At the end of the day I hadn't hooked up the newer radio and closed the garage for the night. A few hours later I went back into the garage and noticed a odour....not oil...not electrical. I looked around but saw nothing. I disconnected the trickle battery charger that is permanently hooked up the the car's battery, thinking this was warmer than usual and may have malfunctioned. I went back in the garage a couple of hours later and the odour was still there. Upon closer inspection I noticed that one of the spotlights...fitted with a heavy vinyl cover, was very hot. So hot in fact that, it was close to bursting into flames and I had to use a rag to remove the cover.

What had happened was that I have accidently switched on the spotlight when removing the console (where the switch is located). The vinyl cover does not allow any light to show through and that's why I didn't observe that the light was on.

Fortunately, the only damage was a cracked lens on the spotlight....it could have been much worse. I will be installing a warning light by the switch shortly. Much as I am embarrassed by this incident, I thought I'd share it with you.

Steve

Power it through a switching device hooked to a switched circuit and it will automatically shut off when powered down. Any RV shop can set you up and pretty cheaply too. The actual name for the powered battery disconnect switch escapes me right now, but I am some one will chime in. They are a round silver shaped device with three leads. Power in, power out, and switch power

[quote=bleteaches6]
Power it through a switching device hooked to a switched circuit and it will automatically shut off when powered down. Any RV shop can set you up and pretty cheaply too. The actual name for the powered battery disconnect switch escapes me right now, but I am some one will chime in. They are a round silver shaped device with three leads. Power in, power out, and switch power[/quote]

I do the same thing with a regular relay, hook it into the white circuit so when the ignition is switched off the relay shuts off and cuts power to whatever is connected to it.

You can buy covers with a small clear window in them for this very purpose. I had the same thing happen to me when a body shop switch them on and melted my beautiful covers. It took me a while to remove all the melted vinyl from the lamps. :eyeroll:

[quote="The Wiz"]
[quote=bleteaches6]
Power it through a switching device hooked to a switched circuit and it will automatically shut off when powered down. Any RV shop can set you up and pretty cheaply too. The actual name for the powered battery disconnect switch escapes me right now, but I am some one will chime in. They are a round silver shaped device with three leads. Power in, power out, and switch power[/quote]

I do the same thing with a regular relay, hook it into the white circuit so when the ignition is switched off the relay shuts off and cuts power to whatever is connected to it.[/quote]

Mike is right on this one. I didn't know if a small relay would carry the load of a full battery circuit to a fuse panel.

[quote=bleteaches6]
[quote="The Wiz"]
[quote=bleteaches6]
Power it through a switching device hooked to a switched circuit and it will automatically shut off when powered down. Any RV shop can set you up and pretty cheaply too. The actual name for the powered battery disconnect switch escapes me right now, but I am some one will chime in. They are a round silver shaped device with three leads. Power in, power out, and switch power[/quote]

I do the same thing with a regular relay, hook it into the white circuit so when the ignition is switched off the relay shuts off and cuts power to whatever is connected to it.[/quote]

Mike is right on this one. I didn't know if a small relay would carry the load of a full battery circuit to a fuse panel.[/quote]

Rather than try to switch all the fuse panel current - simply put relays in the spotlight circuits - the relay(s) can have permanent power to them, but the coils can be switched by a supply from the "white" circuit - that way the relay(s) cannot be activated if the ignition is off and the additional load on the ignition switched circuits is minimal.

Steve, go out abd buy a lottery ticket, NOW!

Thank you , Steve, Mike, Dennis, Eric and Lee for your input

Eric. I have located the white circuit and checked that indeed power there is controlled by the ignition switch. I am not sure however what you are refering to by "coils".

Dennis....good suggestion, I will buy that lottery ticket. As you can see from the photo, had the vinyl covers caught fire at the very least some paintwork would have been damaged. I don't want to think about the worst case scenerio.

regards to all, Steve