Light bar wiring the cause of my battery drain?

So when i wired in my light bars the rover was on daily duty, no biggie as i noticed no issues except for when i went out of town the battery would be low but after driving it everything was fine.

Fast forward to now and the rover has become a toy full time and not doing daily duties.

If the rover sits for about a week maybe 3 days without running and the fuses for the light bars in place the battery dies. Also when i put the fuses in the holders the relay engages, because i can hear it click over but the lights don't activate until i push the switch inside.

So could this be causing my battery draining? i had the OBD2 scanner on so that draws some power but not much.

could it be that i wired the relays on wrong?

 

It sounds like you wired it wrong. Your interior switch should be controlling the relay, not the lights.

 

it sounds as if the relay is energized and your switch is just making and breaking the ground

 

Do you mean the fuse?

If I place the fuse in line then I hear the relay click but the lights don't turn on until the switch is pressed.


Also how many wires go to the back of the alternator? I have two but there looks to be a wire that was cut and not sure if it's supposed to go to the alt.

 

The fuse just completes the circuit on that side. Like its the extra bit of wire it needs.

What it sounds like is that you have it wired backwards, so the relay is getting 12v all the time. Instead of getting 12v when the switch is pressed.

As you have it, the switch is making the circuit by completing the earth side of the circuit. With the live side already completed.

if it was me, I would swap some wires round on the relay. How many legs does it have?

Not sure about the alternator.

 

No, I mean the switch should control the relay, the relay controls the lights.



Positive feed from ignition switch, or whatever, via the switch in the cab goes to pin 86. Pin 85 goes to earth.
Feed from battery goes to pin 30. Pin 87 goes to the lights.

Some people wire the earth (pin 85) via the switch in the cab so if it chafes through the insulation passing through the firewall it won't short.

When the light switch is operated, the circuit between 85 & 86 completes which energizes the coil in the relay pulling closed the contact(s) completing the pins 30/87 circuit to the lights.

Finally, make sure you know what you're doing before wiring things. Fire can really mess up a car.

 

It's not my first rodeo wiring things but I did do it last minute before a trip and when I tested everything it seemed fine but I was just checking the on/off function.

 

well my understanding of circuits was abit off, i thought the flap was the switch inline.

I had it backwards, its correct now. Thanks!