Lighted 3 way switch wiring help!!!!!
04-28-2014, 01:28 PM
#1
So I have the basic skills to do this but my knowledge is a bit lacking. Can anyone provide anymore help with this project? I bought some flush mounts for my bumper and some 3 way switches from Ottram to enable me to have a off/on/on set up. I wanted a manual on, on with reverse, and an off setting. I am wondering about grounds and power. The flush mounts came with a simple wiring harness with relay and a simple on off switch. I have a couple diagrams but to be honest I'm not sure where to start with it. Can the grounds all be the same? What about power? It seems that the switches have a separate power and ground for each switch light as well as the power ground for the flush mounts. Do all these need to be seperate? Also I have a 2nd switch identical to this one for under the truck rock lights I want to wire to the courtesy lamps, can I use the same power and grounds there as well? Any help or a point in the right direction to get started on these? Here are the diagrams I have.
Last edited by FFBoomer519; 04-28-2014 at 03:07 PM.
04-28-2014, 02:40 PM
#2
Senior Member
There's a lot of easy ways to tackle this, but the diagram you've provided will work fine and would be easiest. Just remember to ensure those wires are taped (protected) at the 3-way switch (many 3-way's have open pins - some people solder to them, some use spade connectors, etc).
Here's personally what I would do (since you're using a relay - and should use a relay to keep current draw low at the switch
):
Switch:
- Common/Pivot pin - Make sure you have the right switch pin to output to the relay's pin 86. If you don't it shouldn't harm anything but your lights might not work, or only work in one position, etc... Usually the pin is labeled or a different color.
- 12 volt constant fused - tie this either into the Ignition (if you want the lights to only operate when the key is in the on position) +12V, or the constant +12V under the dash or battery (fused close to battery as mentioned below as well if you do this) - don't forget the switch on or your battery's going to drain. The power required to energize the relay is so low that you don't have to worry about tying into that wire.
- 12 volt reverse lights - Same, it's powering a relay which the coil should draw fairly low power. I would still add a 1A fuse here just in case.. Reason being, if something shorts out, it'll hopefully take out the 1A wire so you only lose the added lights and not your main reverse lights and such. I can't remember 100% but I believe the black/purple wire in the drivers floor area is your +12V reverse feed. It's also in the drivers kick panel somewhere... or you could just go to the light itself but that's a long run.
- Type - Make sure your switch is an ON-OFF-ON 3-way (such as: http://www.digikey.com/product-detai...H757-ND/446023)
Grounds:
- You can tie the relay ground (pin 85) into the ground of the lights just fine. It doesn't matter and if the relay is close to the lights it might be easier anyways. Otherwise, put pin 85's ground into a bolt on the chassis or somewhere (metal on the truck).
- Ensure the ground for the lights is the rated wire gauge for the amount of lights you'll be running of course
- Ground it to a bolt or good metal contact on the vehicle somewhere (doesn't need to go back to battery)
Constant 12v fused to pin 30 (relay)
- If you're pulling this constant power directly from the battery (which is fine), PUT the fuse as close to the battery as possible. The idea here is if a collision happens or the wire gets kinked, etc... you don't have risk of a fire. The closer to the battery, it'll pop then disconnect the wire all of the way.
- Fuse rating: You mentioned 3 lights? What's the total wattage? You need to ensure your main fuse is adequate going to the relay to handle this.
- Of course, ensure wiring thickness is rated accordingly as well
- *** Because you're using pin 30 for the constant, PROTECT pin 87a (if on your relay). Otherwise if the relay is off (lights are off), PIN 87a has +12V and can short if it touches ground (metal) anywhere
You asked a few questions:
Can the grounds all be the same? - Yes as I changed in the diagram, HOWEVER! The wiring for the ground to the lights must be of adequate gauge to handle the lights AND anything additional you'd want to run off of that (the other lights for example)
What about power? - The two 12volts can technically be joined together (at the switch, and at pin 30). The only difference I made above is that if you put the switch to the Ignition +12V, you need to have the key in the on position for those lights to work.
Also I have a 2nd switch identical to this one for under the truck rock lights I want to wire to the courtesy lamps, can I use the same power and grounds there as well?
Yes, however again, the thickness of the wiring coming from the battery must be adequate to power BOTH until the point that you branch off, and the fuse must also be rated to handle both (otherwise you'll blow the fuse anytime you turn both sets of lights on). Ground can also be done the same.
Otherwise this isn't a very difficult project at all.
Here's personally what I would do (since you're using a relay - and should use a relay to keep current draw low at the switch
): Switch:
- Common/Pivot pin - Make sure you have the right switch pin to output to the relay's pin 86. If you don't it shouldn't harm anything but your lights might not work, or only work in one position, etc... Usually the pin is labeled or a different color.
- 12 volt constant fused - tie this either into the Ignition (if you want the lights to only operate when the key is in the on position) +12V, or the constant +12V under the dash or battery (fused close to battery as mentioned below as well if you do this) - don't forget the switch on or your battery's going to drain
. The power required to energize the relay is so low that you don't have to worry about tying into that wire.- 12 volt reverse lights - Same, it's powering a relay which the coil should draw fairly low power. I would still add a 1A fuse here just in case.. Reason being, if something shorts out, it'll hopefully take out the 1A wire so you only lose the added lights and not your main reverse lights and such. I can't remember 100% but I believe the black/purple wire in the drivers floor area is your +12V reverse feed. It's also in the drivers kick panel somewhere... or you could just go to the light itself but that's a long run
.- Type - Make sure your switch is an ON-OFF-ON 3-way (such as: http://www.digikey.com/product-detai...H757-ND/446023)
Grounds:
- You can tie the relay ground (pin 85) into the ground of the lights just fine. It doesn't matter and if the relay is close to the lights it might be easier anyways. Otherwise, put pin 85's ground into a bolt on the chassis or somewhere (metal on the truck).
- Ensure the ground for the lights is the rated wire gauge for the amount of lights you'll be running of course
- Ground it to a bolt or good metal contact on the vehicle somewhere (doesn't need to go back to battery)
Constant 12v fused to pin 30 (relay)
- If you're pulling this constant power directly from the battery (which is fine), PUT the fuse as close to the battery as possible. The idea here is if a collision happens or the wire gets kinked, etc... you don't have risk of a fire. The closer to the battery, it'll pop then disconnect the wire all of the way.
- Fuse rating: You mentioned 3 lights? What's the total wattage? You need to ensure your main fuse is adequate going to the relay to handle this.
- Of course, ensure wiring thickness is rated accordingly as well
- *** Because you're using pin 30 for the constant, PROTECT pin 87a (if on your relay). Otherwise if the relay is off (lights are off), PIN 87a has +12V and can short if it touches ground (metal) anywhere
You asked a few questions:
Can the grounds all be the same? - Yes as I changed in the diagram, HOWEVER! The wiring for the ground to the lights must be of adequate gauge to handle the lights AND anything additional you'd want to run off of that (the other lights for example)
What about power? - The two 12volts can technically be joined together (at the switch, and at pin 30). The only difference I made above is that if you put the switch to the Ignition +12V, you need to have the key in the on position for those lights to work.
Also I have a 2nd switch identical to this one for under the truck rock lights I want to wire to the courtesy lamps, can I use the same power and grounds there as well?
Yes, however again, the thickness of the wiring coming from the battery must be adequate to power BOTH until the point that you branch off, and the fuse must also be rated to handle both (otherwise you'll blow the fuse anytime you turn both sets of lights on). Ground can also be done the same.
Otherwise this isn't a very difficult project at all
.
Last edited by homer; 04-28-2014 at 03:17 PM.
04-28-2014, 04:10 PM
#3
Just Creepin
These kind of projects always seem more overwhelming than they turn out to be. Just do one wire and connection at a time and itll go smooth!
Label the crap out of every wire, dont really matter how. If for nothing else for a future buyer of this truck. At worse, if something suddenly stops work in 2 years you will have identified wires to work with. This lets you dive in with a problem and can tackle the most obvious wires that could cause the problem first. Someday will save a TON of time grtting right to fixing vs spending lots of time tracing to remind yourself what wire does what.
Label the crap out of every wire, dont really matter how. If for nothing else for a future buyer of this truck. At worse, if something suddenly stops work in 2 years you will have identified wires to work with. This lets you dive in with a problem and can tackle the most obvious wires that could cause the problem first. Someday will save a TON of time grtting right to fixing vs spending lots of time tracing to remind yourself what wire does what.
04-28-2014, 05:16 PM
#4
Senior Member
These kind of projects always seem more overwhelming than they turn out to be. Just do one wire and connection at a time and itll go smooth!
Label the crap out of every wire, dont really matter how. If for nothing else for a future buyer of this truck. At worse, if something suddenly stops work in 2 years you will have identified wires to work with. This lets you dive in with a problem and can tackle the most obvious wires that could cause the problem first. Someday will save a TON of time grtting right to fixing vs spending lots of time tracing to remind yourself what wire does what.
Label the crap out of every wire, dont really matter how. If for nothing else for a future buyer of this truck. At worse, if something suddenly stops work in 2 years you will have identified wires to work with. This lets you dive in with a problem and can tackle the most obvious wires that could cause the problem first. Someday will save a TON of time grtting right to fixing vs spending lots of time tracing to remind yourself what wire does what.
Yes, these are very good points as well! Then tracing any potential is definitely easy or resell. Even if you can use standard wire colors... red for positive, black for ground, blue for switched. You'll be amazed at what I've seen done haha.
Last edited by homer; 04-28-2014 at 05:43 PM.