Help an idiot wire up a simple switch. Internet points awarded. (1 Viewer)

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Crisis averted.

For the record, I have trouble with seeing reds and green, especially when the objects are small and the red/green are right next to each other. I'd accidentally (or on purpose with false visual of color) hooked up the green #1 from the switch to the main power for the fan, and red #1 went to the fuse. Ten minutes, swapped em around, sealed em up, it's working perfectly.

Now, to address the oversight of ordering the text with blue light instead of white.. It wasn't offered to vary the bulb colors, but I think I'm going to look into that. Makes sense for the image to be blue, as it corresponds with 'cold' and is obvious enough to be visible. Would like the text to match the rest of the surrounding buttons and be white. That's another thing, though.

Thanks to all for the help! Hopefully this will be somewhat helpful to others in the future who are also not very savvy with wiring.
 
Did you happen to add a relay? The switch is rated at 3A and I think the fan is rated at 5A.
 
Did you happen to add a relay? The switch is rated at 3A and I think the fan is rated at 5A.

I did not. Phil's kit runs the fan through an add-a-fuse (10A) in the DS kick panel. Not sure if that handles what you're referring to or not- still an idiot with electrical. Is there an issue present as it's set up?

20200913_134625.jpg
 
I did not. Phil's kit runs the fan through an add-a-fuse (10A) in the DS kick panel. Not sure if that handles what you're referring to or not- still an idiot with electrical. Is there an issue present as it's set up?

No @hoser is referring to is the current drawn by fan of 5 amps. The switch being rated at 3 amps means that it is switching more power than it can handle and will wear out faster. Using a relay the switch only supplies a small amount of power to the relay which has contacts which handle the fan power.
By the way does the switch light dim with the dash lights?
 
Yes, the Dorman rocker switch that came with LCP's kit was rated at 25A... so no relay was needed for it.
 
No @hoser is referring to is the current drawn by fan of 5 amps. The switch being rated at 3 amps means that it is switching more power than it can handle and will wear out faster. Using a relay the switch only supplies a small amount of power to the relay which has contacts which handle the fan power.
By the way does the switch light dim with the dash lights?
Yes, the Dorman rocker switch that came with LCP's kit was rated at 25A... so no relay was needed for it.

Thanks to you both.

Making sure I'm following along: The 3A switch can't handle the power of the 5A fan? Or, if the switch was rated at 5A itself, there would be no concern?

Where would the relay get wired in? On one of the red wires from the fan, I assume? Could you please post an example of what I'd need?

What would wear out faster, the switch? The 10A fuse?

@Skidoo The lights do not dim with the dimmer switch. Good question, I hadn't checked that yet. All the more reason to get the text switched to white light.
 
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leave the green wire as is
leave the red1 wire as is
you would snip the red2 wire in half and use another t-tap that would connect red1 and red2
leave the black as is

this would make whatever lights up with the headlights (fan or lettering, still unclear to me) to only turn on with the switch in the ON position. if the lettering or fan image is always on with accessory power, then that wont change unless you get a new switch as the bulb is being powered from the red1 wire and the black wire internally.

Wouldn’t joining red 1 and red 2 result in sending 12v through the entire dash light circuit every time the switch is on? Unless of course the dash-light/red 2 junction is disconnected ....

never mind—despite having refreshed the page before replying, I still somehow didn’t see the last four or so posts....glad it’s working, but, yes, use a relay! I kind of thought the kit came with one built in, no?
 
Wouldn’t joining red 1 and red 2 result in sending 12v through the entire dash light circuit every time the switch is on? Unless of course the dash-light/red 2 junction is disconnected ....

never mind—despite having refreshed the page before replying, I still somehow didn’t see the last four or so posts....glad it’s working, but, yes, use a relay! I kind of thought the kit came with one built in, no?

I thought there was a relay included as well, but checked the kit wiring and saw none. This is what Phil says, which is in line with what @hoser said.

The factory and the aftermarket fans only pull 5amps. At 5amp no relay is needed unless you use AC to turn on the aux fan. For me I only see it as a needed basis because 90% of the time the aux fan is not needed even here in AZ. Im using a button switch rated at 25amps from Dorman and installing in the removable blank plate for the magic dial thus leaving no scares to my LX dash. Be careful buying Chinese illuminated button switches, many claim LED lights and are not creating too much heat leading to switch failure.

View attachment 1121776
 
I thought there was a relay included as well, but checked the kit wiring and saw none. This is what Phil says, which is in line with what @hoser said.

Makes perfect sense, but i think my mind has been shaped by narrow minded types who use relays for everything, so I use relays for everything.....probably unnecessary when there are switches with that kind of rating out there, though....
 
Makes perfect sense, but i think my mind has been shaped by narrow minded types who use relays for everything, so I use relays for everything.....probably unnecessary when there are switches with that kind of rating out there, though....

Are you saying it makes sense not to use a relay with the original 25A switch, or it would make sense not to use a relay in the current application using the 3A switch?
 
The old switch handles the power fine without a relay. Your new switch will wear out quickly, without a relay.
Okay folks hang on to your hats. Here is a relay on Amazon, but auto parts stores should have ones like it.
Amazon product ASIN B01J53IH5M
relay.jpg


Note: Device in diagram above is the fan.
The red wire from the fuse (one dot) would now go to both the switch and terminal 30 on the relay.
Disconnect the other red wire from the switch (one with a line) and hook to terminal 87 of relay.
From where that other red wire was hooked to the switch now need a wire from that terminal on the switch to terminal 86 on relay.
Hook relay terminal 85 to ground.

Dimmable lights. This is where it gets tricky, the dimming control varies the ground side of the lights. So you have 12V on one terminal of the light and variable connection to ground on the other terminal of the light. It is more tricky if the switch has LED bulbs. If you have tried to make the ARB locker wiring harness work with dimmable lights this fact may have stopped you. Let me look around for my notes and I will come back and edit this post to fill in the details.
 
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The old switch handles the power fine without a relay. Your new switch will wear out quickly, without a relay.
Okay folks hang on to your hats. Here is a relay on Amazon, but auto parts stores should have ones like it.
Amazon product ASIN B01J53IH5M
View attachment 2434633

Note: Device in diagram above is the fan.
The red wire from the fuse (one dot) would now go to both the switch and terminal 30 on the relay.
Disconnect the other red wire from the switch (one with a line) and hook to terminal 87 of relay.
From where that other red wire was hooked to the switch now need a wire from that terminal on the switch to terminal 86 on relay.
Hook relay terminal 85 to ground.

Dimmable lights. This is where it gets tricky, the dimming control varies the ground side of the lights. So you have 12V on one terminal of the light and variable connection to ground on the other terminal of the light. It is more tricky if the switch has LED bulbs. Let me look around for my notes and I will come back and edit this post to fill in the details.

Awesome! Thanks for this.

Is it just as simple as Teeing a wire into what's already there and connecting with a spade connector on the points of the relay in the order you've described?

Worth noting: the red wire that comes from the fuse panel was also tee'd into to install the rocker locker switch. Am I at risk of overloading this fuse or causing any other issues? I'd hate to burn the truck to the ground.
 
Awesome! Thanks for this.

Is it just as simple as Teeing a wire into what's already there and connecting with a spade connector on the points of the relay in the order you've described?
Yes that is pretty much it. You want those original thicker red wires going to relay terminals 30 and 87, and nothing from terminal 87 going to the switch.
 
Is the fan for cooling the motor?

Or for circulating air in the cabin?
 
Is the fan for cooling the motor?

Or for circulating air in the cabin?

It's an aux fan mounted in front of the AC condenser. Keeps cool(er) air blowing over the condenser when the vehicle is stopped so that the air conditioning stays nice and icy. Probably unnecessary for 90% of Cruisers in 90% of situations, but given my dog is regularly in the car while I run errands and work in the field, I wanted everything possible to keep it cool. I also had close to $1k worth of ceramic tint installed for the same reason.


@Skidoo , your step-by-step break down with specification for the wires in the truck was hugely valuable, thank you for that. I wonder, do you have kids or have you ever been an educator? With the help of Mud, even an idiot like myself managed to get not only the switch wired, but also the relay. Adding in the relay probably wasn't as pretty as it could have been, and maybe a more experienced installer would have considered some things I didn't think of, but everything is functioning as it should! Maybe one day I'll get a wild hair and re-wire with a new harness for this switch, with the idea of slightly more organized wiring in mind.

Thanks again to @Skidoo , @MJK , and everyone else who contributed.
 
It's so pleasant to see gratitude when the community helps out. It makes me feel all warm and mushy inside
 
The fan install is very simple and straightforward. Phil gives you everything needed, including the coat hanger to fish the wiring through the firewall.

Does he still sell the kit?
 

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