Number plate lamp short-circuit

[winger300]

Hi,

I had a problem with my number plate light shorting out and causing the wire to melt.

It seems that the bulb holder is shorting out on the boot-lid around the posts that bolt it on. There is nothing to isolate them from the earthed body. I've bodged a fix with some rubber glove squashed in there,

but what was originally used to isolate it? It can't be just the paint

[PSL184]

The problem is the insulation between the bulb holder and the base that has given up. The earth is through the base so if the bulb holder is no longer isolated it will short directly to earth....

[mike.perry]

Fit rubber gromets in the mounting holes to insulate the mounting bolts from the light base

[bmcecosse]

Fix the insulation - or buy a new light!

[winger300]

Ah, I think my problem is that the thing is wired incorrectly. The base should be earth, and the inner contacts live?

[PSL184]

Ah, I think my problem is that the thing is wired incorrectly. The base should be earth, and the inner contacts live?

Correct

[paulk]

Did that myself once.

Wondered why I could smell cooking wire after a late night rebuilding of a boot lid.

S'easy done but also easy to fix. Just make sure you haven't melted the insulation off the wire by checking all the way back to the dashboard.