Wiring Help for KC's

D68enny · Post by **D68enny** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:46 pm

Ok this may be a pain in the arse thread, but I am going to give it a shot. I have my KC lights hooked up and they work with the three prong switch that came with the lights. On this set up the is a Green (load) line that hooks to the switch and runs to the relay which goes to the lights. The next line is a white power (supply) line that hooks to the switch and it comes from the battery. The last line is a brown (ground) which is a ground wire. With this configuration and supplied switch, I hit the switch, the lights turn on and a red light comes on in the switch. Everything works fine.

Since the switch is sort of cheap i got this rocker switch from http://www.4x4mods.com/ which has for pins on the back. Ok when you go under the link, click on online store, then dash switches, then the 40 series rocker. I got the RS41P series switch. It is an on off switch that lights up when the lights are one. My question is how do i wire the switch with the above set up. The supplied diagram which is for a 6 pin does not make sense to me. There is a NOTE right above the diagram for the 4 pin installation.

I am assuming the left side 2 pin is the ground. The right 5 pin is the supply line, and I cannot figure out where to hook up the Load line which runs to the relay. Do I choose pin 1 or 4, or am totally wrong with the way I am thinking. If anybody can help I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

rlrnr53 · Post by **rlrnr53** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:27 am

According to the diagram as I understand it, #5 is Power in, #2 is ground, #4 is power out and #1 is a switched ground. Bring 12v power to #5, ground #2 and use #4 to go to your relay. You can ignore #1.

D68enny · Post by **D68enny** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:14 am

Ok when I hook it up that way I connected the SUPPLY line to #5, the LOAD line to #4, and at that point the light on the switch would be on in the off position and when I turned the lights on the KC's would come on and the switch light would go off. All with no ground connected. Then when I hooked up the GROUND line to #2 the 5 amp fuse in the supply line would blow.

Is running my supply line going to the switch and my load line going to the relay from the same power source OK? That is the only thing I am questioning on my wire install.

I cannot figure out what is going on.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 10:44 am

You can use low amp smaller gauge wire to your switch. All it does is light your switch, if applicable, and send a signal to the relay which should have come with your KCs. The hot wire to your relay should be 12 gauge and fused with a 30A fuse. That is if, I understand what you are asking.

D68enny · Post by **D68enny** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:33 am

f9k9 Wrote: You can use low amp smaller gauge wire to your switch. All it does is light your switch, if applicable, and send a signal to the relay which should have come with your KCs. The hot wire to your relay should be 12 gauge and fused with a 30A fuse. That is if, I understand what you are asking.

That is how my set up is wired. I was thinking that having both the 12 gauge wire to the relay and the smaller gauge wire to the switch running off the same power soure in the fuse box may be causeing a problem, but after reading your post I realize that it does not matter. As you mentioned that smaller gauge wire is just for the light on the switch.

I am trying to figure out how to wire the new switch in mentioned above, so far something is screwey and it may be with the switch.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 1:57 pm

Wiser members are tied up with serious personal matters at this time. I am sure that if, you bump the thread on wed that you will have a lot more help. I wired 600 watts of lighting to my basket and I am an electrical moron

D68enny · Post by **D68enny** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 9:36 pm

I will let it sit for a few days and see what happens. At this point I am clueless. I want to blame the switch, but I don't think I would get a switch from the company that has wrong internal connections.

Post by **Walt** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:26 am

A search might give you more to go on as well, as this topic has been brought up before.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:10 pm

Sounds like you have the load and supply reversed , or the supply and ground.

Do you have a multimeter?

D68enny · Post by **D68enny** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:07 pm

HenryJ Wrote: Sounds like you have the load and supply reversed , or the supply and ground.Do you have a multimeter?

I have one somewhere, but I do not know who to use it that well. When I switched the load and supply the lights come when the switch is turned on normally, but the light in the switch does not come on. This is with no ground hooked up still.

I have not tried switching the supply and the ground. I have one fuse left and wanted to blow it on my best shot.

I am going to give it a shot.

Ok that resulted in the lights being on with the switch in the off position, and the fuse blowing when I turned the switch on.

What has been left out that would make sense? I will get some more fuses tomorrow.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:13 pm

D68enny wrote:........I am going to give it a shot.

Ok that resulted in the lights being on with the switch in the off position,

When that happened to me, I had the ground and positive reversed but, had no fuse issue.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:21 pm

A little testing with a multimeter would save some fuses. You need to determine where the short lies.

Leave the load unattached. If the light is supposed to come on with the switch active use a 9v battery and the multimeter to do some testing. It will light the bulb and offer voltage for testing, but not enough amperage to do damage.

Perhaps the problem is elsewhere? Perhaps the relay wiring or the lights?

D68enny · Post by **D68enny** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:08 pm

HenryJ:
Perhaps the problem is elsewhere? Perhaps the relay wiring or the lights?

I have not thought about the relay or the lights because the original switch that came with the KC lights works fine. I turn on the switch, the lights come on and the little light on the switch comes on. That switch is just a little crappy switch and wanted something a little nicer.

I have tried numerous times talking to the people at 4x4mods.com, but I have not received one email back from them. It also took them 27 days to get me the switch. I am not real happy with them.

I can't believe how much a little switch can make you feel so stupid.

I will have to dig out the multimeter tester and see if I can figure anything out with that. I do not know how to use one that well. I have only used it once to see if a electrical socket had juice inside of a new home and I need some guidance with that. [/list][/code][/quote]

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:57 am

Use a little 9 volt battery and a test light or the OHM meter on your multimeter to energize the ground terminal. Then check for continuity at the other posts when the switch is off. Note results.
Then do the same with the switch on.
repeat that for the supply and load. That should give you a good idea of what does what.
There will be continuity between the ground and supply or load when the bulb is to be lit. This is through the bulb filament.

Using the 9v battery and the multimeter to test voltage may be the best solution as you will be able to see the light working and check voltages rather than continuity alone.

I suppose it is possible that one operated with a LED light may operate differently that I am accustomed and not require a ground? Maybe you will have to wait for a response from the seller.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:15 pm

If, it helps any, the rocker supplied with the KCs is a LED lighted switch. I am still running mine and 3 additional ones for the cargo basket lights.