A bi-polar moment with a fried wire

[Clayton]

Sometimes you get those teary eyed sessions with your project. Just got a set of LED lights for my dash (happy). Could not wait to try them out. In the testing mode, smoke rolled out from the dash. After a box of tissue and some deductive reasoning....my proudly repaired rheostat took up smoking (not so happy). If it was going to pick up a bad habit, I would have preferred scotch. Anyway, I don't think it was the LED's. A short somewhere must be the culprit. And, way happy it happened with my dash open. I guess that is what Sunday's are for. Details at 11.

[Clayton]

I got it figured I had the ground connection to the tach lights touching the positive side of a light bulb base. It fell behind the dangling light and I did not see it detracted by the smoke. BarryD was the guy who I owe the thanks to....he verified the LED's and the correct process vs. mine and figured an improper ground. Although I had to cut 1/8" off the rheostat coil, everything seems to be working fine.  And, I love the cool blue dimmable lighting. I was a little over my head and saved by my brothers. Awesome!