Thread: Is this normal
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Old 06-16-2017, 11:53 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by byronpete21 View Post
Finally took the car out for a night drive. Noticed that my dimmer switch for the dash lights got quite hot after a few minutes. I know that rheostats heat up a bit, but is it normal for it to be painfully hot to the touch?

Thanks,
Byron
No, it's not normal for it to be "painfully hot." You might want to take a quick voltage reading on your system and make sure you're within specs (around 14v, engine running above 2000rpm) and not somewhere too high. If the voltage is normal, then you can either replace the rheostat or add an in-line high-wattage resistor to lower the resistance you dial in on the knob, and thus lower the heat.
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