Trouble With Safari Rack Lights

[Texplorer]

So im trying to track down why my lights on my safari basket stopped working one night on a dark, bumpy, dirt road, out in the country. I traced all the wiring and everything seems to be still connected and there are no exposed wires anywhere either. In matter of fact I even soldered all the wires together and shrink wrapped everything not to much before they stopped working. The switch still illuminates when switched on and the inline fuse is still good. I even checked both bulbs and they are not blown. Is there a chance that the relay just stopped working while they were on the last time? Can I get one of those voltmeter things to touch a wire with to see if there is current in them? I know the house meter ones wont work on a car. Any help would be appreciated, I may have to rip everything out and re-wire it all over again......... I dont want to do that.

 

[Tbars4]

...i would lay odd's you need a relay...:scratch:...the other thing i would check is the ground...

 

[Texplorer]

Ground is good also, I suppose picking up a new relay and pluggin everything in real quick wouldnt be that bad of a hassle.

 

[shortstack]

ya check the grounds, you could also use a multi-meter

 

[Bill Kemp]

Have a helper turn on the lights while you stand next to the relay to listen to it "click". No clicky - no worky.

 

[JCUZ]

Have you checked the bulbs actually work by connecting them to a power source?

 

[Lankhimself]

It's either the ground or the relay, as everyone else is saying. If the relay is making a buzzing or a clicking noise when the switch is flipped, it's busted. Double check that ground, make sure it is on unpainted metal. Good luck.

 

[Sandy]

When you flip the switch can you hear the relay clicking which would indicate that the relay is working; if not as stated replace it.

You can use a Multimeter set for DC 12 Volts or just a 12 Volt DC Probe.
The the wires at the relay, pin 86 should have 12 volt when the switch is on, pin 85 will have 12 volts if the relay trips to turn the circuit on. If when the switch is on and pin 86 does not have a reading then the coil inside of the relay is cooked.
Pin 30 is from the battery and should have 12 volts on it all the time, if not then check the fuse in that line.
Pin 87 will only have 12 volts on it if the relay trips and turns on the lights otherwise nothing should show up there.

If you have 12 volts everywhere and the lights still will not come on it has to be the grounding at the lights. Dirt and water can mess up the ground or just a loose connection; make sure the ground connections are clean & tight.
In the future if you want to eliminate or almost eliminate the ground problems at the basket consider this, run a black wire to the basket, sizing it for the total current of the lights and connect your grounds to it at the basket and the end in the engine compartment should be connected to the battery's negative terminal.

As stated, if there is 12 volts at all of the locations then it could be the Bulbs, so check them out first.

Luck,