Need Advice on wiring problem?

[summerj]

Everything was working smoothly for months on my 65 C10 and then just the other day I was driving down the road, I pulled my headlights on and immediately the motor died. I lost all power. to hei distributor. Headlights etc.


Six months ago I installed 2 aftermarket- eight fuse panels side by side. One panel remains hot at all times and the other becomes hot with the ignition switch. I have a 30 amp relay and fuse that feeds the accessory fuse panel.This system worked fine for six months.

Cant seem to figure out what the issue is?
I have the original wiring harness attached to headlights.
I tried disconnecting the hi beam switch
I replaced the OEM style headlight switch in the dash with a new one-
still nothing.

[par4tom]

Everything was working fine til you pulled the headlights, right?

Sounds like you blew the connection from the battery to the fuse box with the headlights. You probably drew too many amps for the circuit.

Grab a digital meter and check the 12v source to the entire box. If no voltage, then there's your starting point. You then need to trace the 12v power supply back to the battery and get that reconfigured.

Could be a bad relay, bad wire, etc. I'd use at least 12 gauge wire for that primary power connection.

AND...if everything that blew was on a 12v switched circuit through the solenoid on the starter, I'd rewire that directly to the battery and the use a relay to activate the 12v switched fuse box...may be what you already have.

Check your source power and keep tracing the circuit til you find the problem. I'm guessing bad relay.
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[summerj]

Thanks for the suggestion.

There is 8 guage wire from the battery feeding the main pannel. I have a marine style 80amp breaker right at the battery that when tripped shuts off all power from battery.

There is a standard Bosch auto relay (I believe its 30 amp) that turns on the second pannel with the turn of the key. That is the fuse that blows when I pull the lights on. I will change out that relay and see if that is the issue?

[par4tom]

If you have voltage to the constant 12v fuse box, and not at the second one, the problem is really narrowed.

Meter the power wire going into the relay before you swap that out.

T