Signal Stat 190 relay help

[atgreene]

Anyone ever use a signal-stat 5 pole relay? The @#**%@% at NAPA told me how it is supposedly wired. He wasn't sure, and he was obviously wrong. I keep blowing fuses from the switch.

The blades are labeled 30, 86, 85, 87 & 87a. Any idea which is which?


Thanks for your help.

[Alan]

If you're using this in place of a four terminal relay you will only use 85, 86, 30 & 87

85 & 86 are the trigger terminals, one goes to the switch, the other to ground.

30 is the power in lead.

87 is the load terminal if you want the relay to switch ON when you energize it

87a is the load terminal if you want it to switch OFF when it energizes.

87 & 87a can also be used if you want to swap power from two sources into a single output.

[atgreene]

You're the best! Thanks, I'll check this one and see if I burned it out, if so, I bought three so I could fix several wiring issues.

These weren't the ones I wanted, but hopefully they will work.

Thanks again.

[atgreene]

Alan, still blowing fuses at the switch. Changed switch, swapped ground and switch wire on relay, still blowing. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Put power from switch, blow fuse. Lights were working direct from the switch circut w/o a relay, just wanted to get the load off the switch.

[Alan]

Damn,, not a clue. Lemme go double check my books to verify that polarity thing

[Alan]

OK,, every diagram I have handy show that 85 and 86 power the coil. The wire from your existing switch goes to one or the other and the one not used goes to ground. Let's use 85 for the switch wire and 86 for ground, so we're both on the same page.

30 gets a "battery" wire, this can come from whatever source you choose and should be fused to handle the load.

87 will be power out to your lights.

Damn thing should work, the only load on your switch circuit is the relay coil, fractions of an amp. Any power for the load is coming in on a completely different circuit.

Is this switch something you added? Not in the process of this upgrade, I understand it has been in operation and is now going nuts. The switch and related fuse should be seeing the relay as the load, same as it was before.

If you have AOL Instant Messenger we could hook up there and troubleshoot this thing online. I'm "Alan in Vermont" on AIM.

[atgreene]

Got it to work. Still not sure there isn't something wrong, though. I was blowing 7.5 & 10 amp fuses. Used a 20 and it works. Seems like a lot of draw for a relay, don't you think? I'll pull out my amp meter after this storm and check it out for load.

The existing switch was burning-out. Worked intermitently, so I put in a new one while I was at it.

Just seems odd that a relay would pull that much load.

Thank you for your help.

[Alan]

Yeah, something is not right there. I just tried to find specs on the coil draw and nobody even lists it. That makes me think that it's so small as to be inconsequential, IF everything is right.

Good luck and try to be watchful of any odd "hot" smells. If the coil is drawing that much current it's possible that it could melt, and possibly ignite, the housing.

[CT18fireman]

I usually fuse them with tens and I think that is overkill. Some of the leads I have seen have been 20 guage wire from manufacturers so i would tend to think Alan is right. The relay is pretty simple though. Are you sure all the wiring is secure and not touching any metal? A lot of times I see switches install into panels and they are arcing behind the panel.

I can't think of any other reason for blowing fuses.

[atgreene]

I left the lights on for 20 + minutes and it was still all cool?. Really making me wonder. I blew 4+ 10 amp fuses before I tried a 20. I used a 20 amp circut breaker first before I tried the 20 amp fuse.

Really strange.

I'll double check the wiring and do a load test to see what its actually drawing for amps. It is utilizing the Fisher wiring harness spare wires. Maybe they have been melted due to previous set-up?

Thanks guys.

[Alan]

Are you, by any chance, using power from the same lead as both trigger current and load power? Did you try energizing the relay with the load removed? What did you have for a fuse in the line before you put the relay in?

[CPSS]

Those relay coils only draw a few mil amps, a 2 amp fuse should work. Don't use a 20 amp fuse if the wire size is not rated for 20 amps. 12G wire is good for 22 amps, ( 20 amps if talking house wiring)

[atgreene]

I think I had a 15 and it blew when I wired the relay the way Napa told me to.

It is 12 ga. wire (automotive).

[bud16415]

Atgreene

There are some good links to relays at this string. Several show how each numbered terminal relates to the function of the relay also several fuse size charts I believe.

http://www.snowplowing-contractors.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5580

Bud