I'm replacing a regular 2-wire switch with an illuminated rocker switch. Like I mentioned, the original switch only has 2 wires that go to it. The new switch has 3 - ground, load and power. What gets wired where? And where does the 3rd wire come from? I'm guessing the "power" terminal is for a switched 12 volt source?? Or is the "load" terminal for that? And I'm assuming the "ground" doesn't just run to the metal dashboard, but instead is for one of the 2 original wires? Thanks.
Jeff, ground goes to the metal ground.......it's the neg. side for the light in the switch. The pos. for the light goes to the pos. source.......then the remaining terminal is for the load (that's the accessory that you are powering). :Smarty:
Thanks Joe.... but for us thick skulled... I have 2 wires on my current switch. Where do each of those wires go on the new switch? To the LOAD and POWER? LOAD and GROUND? POWER and GROUND? And where do I get the 3rd wire from? Or does the ground just run to the dashboard, and the 2 wires from the current switch run to the LOAD and POWER terminals on the new switch? Thanks.
It depends on which switch, but the most likely situation is: the 2 wires you have are positive and load. You'll need to supply a ground wire. Take a test light and test each wire, 1 should light the light and the other won't. The line that lights the light is your "Power", the other is your "Load". Add a ground wire and your done. Of course if you hook it up and it starts to smoke then I've guessed wrong. ou:
The OEM switch for the AC no longer kicks on the compressor. I've had the switch apart (NOT easy to get out of the dash!) and there are a set of contact points in there that touch when the selector is moved to either AC or RECIRC. I've cleaned the points and got only a month or so out of them before they crap out again, and there is NO WAY I'm going to pull that switch out of the dash again any time soon, if ever at all. So I have unplugged the factory connector from the switch and have wired in a regular 2 prong switch... And it works just fine. But I want a lighted switch. Because I'm anal. This is how the new cars are set up... you can pop on the AC compressor any time you want and in any mode - and I think it is a very good way to do it. So, you think one of the 2 wires I have now is power and the other load? How would that work??? One wire is the power source IN to the switch, and the other is the power source OUT of the switch to the compressor. But in electrical terms, which is which? Thanks gang!
This will blow your mind.........I wired mine into a relay circuit using the tranny kick down switch so that it drops out at wide open throttle.........I won't try to explain how I did it I will only confuse you. What you need to do is run a wire from one terminal on the compressor clutch to ground on the engine. (that connection is already made if you use your factory connector) Run the other terminal (green wire) to the "load" pin on the switch. Then run the "source" pin on the switch to the 12v source, preferably one that is only hot when the key is in the 'run' position. Now run the ground pin on the switch to the body ground so the light will work on the switch........that's it, you're done! :bglasses: :Smarty:
uzzled: Yikes, Joe. :eek2: I think we're overcomplicating things here... I pulled the 2-prong OEM connector off the back of the dashboard switch and ran jumper wires from each of the 2 terminals in the plastic OEM connector to the 2 terminals on my new switch mounted on the lower part of the dash. It took me a lot longer to crimp a male and female spade connector onto each jumper wire and shrink tube them than it did to actually make the connections between the switches. Works fine. So all I want to do is replace my aftermarket non-illuminated switch with an illuminated one. The only issue is, the illuminated switch has 3 terminals where the non-illuminated switch only has 2. I know the 2 wires running from my current aftermarket switch should go to the new illuminated aftermarket switch, but I am not sure to which 2 posts. And what about the 3rd post? I'm thinking LOAD and POWER, and then just run a ground wire from the 3rd post to the dashboard. But I'm not sure. So, in other words, I'm using the factory under-dash wiring, but I'm merely extending them to the new switch with jumper wires. And which of the 2 OEM wires are the load and which is the power? Is the LOAD wire the one that runs from the switch out to the compressor? Or is it the one that runs from the 12v+ source to the switch - assuming electricity flows in one direction... from the source to the compressor.
With a test light, and the key on, connect one side of the test light to ground. The wire that lights the test light is the hot wire.......the one that goes to the "source". The one that does not light is the "load", the one that runs under the hood to the compressor clutch. Jeff, it wouldn't matter if these were hooked up backwards, the only thing that could happen would be the rocker switch light would be on all the time. :bglasses:
Right you are Joe. I asked the electrician at the plant here. I DO need a ground wire for the light to light though; that's what that 3rd (ground) terminal is for. That is the only difference between the 2 switches. Thanks for the help!
Actually, this is easier than you think. The compressor switch is simply in series between the compressor and the 12 volts supplied from the fuse box. On other words, one wire carries the 12 volts,and the other goes to the contact on the compressor requiring the 12 volts to engage. The third wire on the switch is for the light, which, if connected to ground, (the dash), when the compressor gets power, so will the light, from the same point. One contact will go to the 12 volt supply to the compressor switch, the other will go directly to the compressor, and the third will supply ground to the light. One of two things will happen if connected incorrectly. One will be that the light will be on at all times, or you will blow the compressor fuse by grounding the compressor supply voltage. Let me know.
