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Toggle switch help

Old Aug 5, 2010 | 06:40 PM
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Question Toggle switch help

Ok Gurus i need your help. I have a toggle switch with 3 prongs "Supply Volts" "On ACC" "Earth Ground". I know how to ground it. The LED strip has a neg and pos wire. Do i need any other wires, what sizes, and how do i wire it to my cig lighter? Thanks guys
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Old Aug 5, 2010 | 11:29 PM
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Originally Posted by JSwenis

Ok Gurus i need your help. I have a toggle switch with 3 prongs "Supply Volts" "On ACC" "Earth Ground". I know how to ground it. The LED strip has a neg and pos wire. Do i need any other wires, what sizes, and how do i wire it to my cig lighter? Thanks guys
Why does the Earth-Ground prong have to be grounded ??

~ Cap
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Old Aug 6, 2010 | 08:12 AM
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It doesnt really need to be grounded but im gonna do it anyway. I figured i would get an inline fuse and run it to the driver side fuse box, run the pos to the ACC and the neg to the ground
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Old Aug 6, 2010 | 09:24 AM
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Originally Posted by JSwenis

It doesn't really need to be grounded but I'm gonna do it anyway.
That doesn't answer my question as to why some switches have that third prong that grounds the ACC source when the switch is in the OFF position.

~ Cap
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Old Aug 6, 2010 | 12:20 PM
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Is the switch lighted? If so, that's why it has a ground. No ground = no complete circuit for the light. It will still function and turn on the LED strip, but won't light up. If you don't want it to light, no need to ground it.

If it's not a lighted switch, it may be a DPST, meaning when it's in the "on" position it passes +12V, and when in the "off" position it passes ground. I doubt that's the case, but it could be.

Give us a bit more info on it.

Big Mack
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Old Aug 6, 2010 | 01:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Big Mack

Is the switch lighted? If so, that's why it has a ground. No ground = no complete circuit for the light. It will still function and turn on the LED strip, but won't light up. If you don't want it to light, no need to ground it.

If it's not a lighted switch, it may be a DPST, meaning when it's in the "on" position it passes +12V, and when in the "off" position it passes ground. I doubt that's the case, but it could be.

Give us a bit more info on it.

Big Mack
Sorry for the blurry image.

As you can see that this SPST switch is not lighted.

However, when it is in the OFF position the ACC wire (middle) gets grounded.

~ Cap
Attached Thumbnails Toggle switch help-switch.jpg  
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Old Aug 6, 2010 | 02:22 PM
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Its a lighted switch. when toggled on it hits Power and ACC, when off it hits ACC and ground. I was playing around with it and just as Big Mack said No ground = no light on the switch. when i grounded it, all was good.
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Old Aug 6, 2010 | 03:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Capirato
As you can see that this SPST switch is not lighted.

However, when it is in the OFF position the ACC wire (middle) gets grounded.

~ Cap
Correct, because this is a NC (normally closed) switch. His would be NO (normally open). Your example reminds me of a momentary for an alarm control. So long as it sees ground, it stays off. When it sees power, it comes on.

Either way, he's got a lighted switch and it's working.

Big Mack
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Old Aug 6, 2010 | 10:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Big Mack

Either way, he's got a lighted switch and it's working.

Big Mack
Big Mack.....

That still doesn't answer my question as to why some switches ground the source when in the OFF position.

I believe I read somewhere, that the ground kills any residue of current from LED lights and also eliminates noise picked up by electronic equiptment.

Thanks anyway, for your effort.

~ Cap
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Old Aug 6, 2010 | 10:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Capirato
Big Mack.....

That still doesn't answer my question as to why some switches ground the source when in the OFF position.

I believe I read somewhere, that the ground kills any residue of current from LED lights and also eliminates noise picked up by electronic equiptment.

Thanks anyway, for your effort.

~ Cap
I actually missed your question, so sorry about that. It can eliminate noise, that is correct. Also, some switches are designed like this because their "typical" use is for a component that uses capacitors in the power supply. Ground the cap after use, and there is no residual current. If you've ever used some of the big caps in car audio, once they are charged they retain it for quite some time. Can be dangerous if you're working on a charging system. Nice little zap when you're not expecting it!

Big Mack
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Old Aug 7, 2010 | 06:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Capirato
Why does the Earth-Ground prong have to be grounded ??

~ Cap
the ground on switch it for the illumination of the switch.if you don't ground it the switch wont light.
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Old Aug 20, 2010 | 11:07 AM
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I every body i have a question on this too
when i try to put a switch for LED , i dont know which i did wrong.
I burn the fuse, and after i replace the fuse, My CD/AC everything works fine but all the bottoms on the console Has No LighTs any more !
Can it be fixed ?
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Old Aug 20, 2010 | 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by xiaowen
I every body i have a question on this too
when i try to put a switch for LED , i dont know which i did wrong.
I burn the fuse, and after i replace the fuse, My CD/AC everything works fine but all the bottoms on the console Has No LighTs any more !
Can it be fixed ?

where did you draw the power from?
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Old Aug 22, 2010 | 01:02 PM
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Originally Posted by JSwenis
where did you draw the power from?
Door light ....the red one on the door.
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 09:56 AM
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