Hello, I'm installing some toggle switches on the overhead console but I'm stuck on the wiring of one of the switches, just can not get my head around it. For the rear auxiliary lights I have a 3 way switch (on-off-on) spdt and a bi color led. When the switch is in the reverse mode I want the led to illuminate red...when in the on mode I want it to illuminate green. After wiring it up last night i realized I'm not going to get the desired status lights to illuminate. They will just be illuminated all the time. Would i need a dpdt switch to accomplish this? any better suggestions? attached is a diagram of how it is currently wired (obviously not going to work as intended).

 

I am not sure I understand what you want, but it seems to me that if you run the red LED in parallel with the reverse load, after the switch, it would light up when in reverse. Run the green LED in parallel with the other load, after the switch, it will light up with the other load. This is predicated on the switch being on the hot wire side of the load.

If you are putting the switch on the GROUND side rather than the hot side, Do the same, but BEFORE the switch.

Here is a schematic with the switch on the hot wire. I made this schematic with the switch on the hot wire side. I can do one with the switch on the GROUND wire side if needed.

 

Thanks, that's the issue I'm having is the load after the switch is the same, whether or not its from the reverse light signal or the 12v+ constant signal. I can't see a way to differentiate between sources of power to illuminate the appropriate led.

I think this is what your suggesting?

 

You don't need a SPDT switch, you need a SPST switch, and only need one color LED light. Run a hot wire to the switch, run it to the LED light, run it through a diode to prevent backfeeding the LED light, and run it to the load. When you turn on the switch, the LED light will light up and the load will be activated. With the switch off, the load will be activated by whatever is activating it now, and the diode will prevent the LED light from being lit. If you truly want red/green LED lights, you are going to have to get into using a relay to activate just the LED lights, and it won't be simple. If you truly want red/green LED lights, let me know and I will add the relay.

 

I went ahead and added the relay for the red/green LED lights. Wire the green LED to the switch without going through the relay. Wire the red LED to pin 87a (do not use pin 87) and the wire AFTER the diode to pin 30. Wire pin 85 BEFORE the diode, and pin 86 to GROUND. Now, when the switch is on, you get a green LED and the load is activated. When the switch is off, but the load is activated by the other source, the red LED comes on. When the load is not activated by either means, both LED lights are off.

 

You're welcome.