3 way switch fog light wiring help

[DNAhilux]

cool stuff. the main light is constantly on when the vehicle is on so it is being juiced by the acc. So even though it wont change from small light to big light depending on which way the switch is , i at least can see the switch at night..im content..thanks gsgallant

[GSGALLANT]

Good to hear that it's going better. If you have the ground disconnected, then the reason one of the LEDs is on (quite dim, I assume) is likely due to one of your supply voltages being slightly higher than the other, and the sneak path for current through those two cross ties between the pins. If this is the case (no ground at pin 2), then your path to ground would actually be through your aux lights... So is it currently hooked up exactly the way I suggested above?

[Albuquerque Jim]

I don't see how it makes a difference using pins 4 and 6 instead of 1 and 3?

The other thing is...IIRC the switch does not have internal diodes so the current should be able to flow either direction; either in through 5 or out through 5.

Polarity shouldn't matter on the LED's, should it?

[DNAhilux]

well i have 6 going to high, 5 to relay, 4 to acc. what i think is happenning is that the acc is using the high when off as a ground charging the light. since when the ign goes to acc. the light goes on, when i turn it on having the relay charged by acc. the light stays on, when i hit the highs with the switch at off the light goes off. when i hit the highs with the switch at on using the highs, the light goes off. light from the switch is damn bright too as i think ill have to mount it in the lowest slot since it reflects on my windshield and driver side window..awesome colour though.i got the clear colour.

[DNAhilux]

I don't see how it makes a difference using pins 4 and 6 instead of 1 and 3?

The other thing is...IIRC the switch does not have internal diodes so the current should be able to flow either direction; either in through 5 or out through 5.

Polarity shouldn't matter on the LED's, should it?

see i have no clue..i can wire up a circuit fine and understand the single switch idea but this part is past my knowledge..i get what you were saying but i just kept on blowing fuses. I think it was because my acc is always going..but you have it on your backups, so when your switch is on for whenever you want and then you hit it in reverse does it work a.o.k?

[Albuquerque Jim]

Mines not installed yet. But I wired up a test circuit and it worked fine.

[GSGALLANT]

I don't see how it makes a difference using pins 4 and 6 instead of 1 and 3?

The other thing is...IIRC the switch does not have internal diodes so the current should be able to flow either direction; either in through 5 or out through 5.

Polarity shouldn't matter on the LED's, should it?

OK... Let's start at the beginning. If connected the way you suggested (+12V highbeam at 3, +12V accessory at 1, and ground at 2, as soon as the switch is flipped up (towards 3), you have a direct path from 3 to 2, with shorts your highbeam circuit to ground with no resistance, so the highbeam fuse blows. As soon as the switch is flipped down (towards 1), you have a direct path from 1 to 2, with shorts your accessory circuit to ground with no resistance, so the fuse blows. So with your method, you'd have to connect post 2 to the relay instead of ground to get it to work. While I'm typing this... I'm getting another idea, so keep reading.

Now, your question about no internal diodes... The lights in the switch are LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) which work exactly the same as any other diode, with the exception that they light up when energized in the forward direction. If you reverse the polarity, you get no current and no light.

Now, here comes the interesting part. I think I may have thought of a fix for you DNAhilux, but it will require you cutting the cross ties between posts 1-6 and 3-4. I'm not promising anything, but I'm quite sure it will work. If you want to try it out, cut the cross ties between posts 1-6 and 3-4 at the back of the switch. I've identified what I mean in red here. Then, connect your leads as follows:

1 - To Highbeams +
2 - To Relay
3 - To Accessory +
4 - Nothing
5 - To Ground
6 - Nothing

The only thing I'm not sure of, without having the switch in hand, is whether the correct light will come on at the correct time (when the switch is up, the bottom light may come on and when the switch is down the top (large) light may come on.) The best I can tell from their schematics, this is what is going to happen. To test this BEFORE YOU CUT THE CROSS TIES, take your switch out, put it in the "off" position, put +12V on post 3 and ground post 6. Which light comes on? The one at the same end as posts 3 and 6, or the one at the other end of the switch, and is it the bigger main light or the smaller one? If it's the one at the same end as posts 3 and 6, this mod should work perfectly... otherwise, it will work the way I described above with the lights reversed, and the only way I can think to fix that is to modify the switch inside to swap the bulb positions, if that's even possible. Repeat this test with +12V at post 1 and ground post 4... the other light should light up.

Back to the mod... As is, this will not keep your switch lit up all the time, though... only when the switch is in either the up or down position and when your aux lights are actually on (so when in the highbeam position, the switch will only light up when your highbeams are selected on and your aux lights are on). If you want to keep one of the switch lights on at all times (with the accessory circuit energized), then you'll have to connect post #6 to ground also. In this connection though, you should add a resistor (to be sized later if you decide to do this) so that the light would be on dim at all times (when the acc circuit is energized), when you flip the switch up to feed your aux lights through the acc circuit, your switch light will brighten, because it will have the path to ground with no resistance available to it.

Good luck... let me know how the test in the red paragraph works for you, then based on the results, I can help you through the mod if you want to do it.

[DNAhilux]

neat stuff. ill check this after work or at lunch if i cant wait..but as is the light on the switch is on when the IPF's are not on, on when the ipf's are on due to acc. but off whenever the highs go on.

[GSGALLANT]

Mines not installed yet. But I wired up a test circuit and it worked fine.

Do you have the exact same switch as DNAhilux? There are different switches available that have different internal wiring configurations.

[GSGALLANT]

Any update on this? How'd you make out DNAhilux?