Switch wiring

Wstaram00

Im wiring a switch it has earth load and supply do I have this right earth - ground
Load - switch. Leg
Supply - power source
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BGW

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DOOmsman

earth load and supply
Are we missing a comma? The earth may be for the light in the switch??

Wstaram00

there are 3 terminals
Earth, load and supply how do I hook the switch up

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Owen

Assuming this is a SPST switch, load is power out to your (insert gadget here), supply ( or line ) is power in to switch. Earth is a ground, but shouldnt be used on a golf cart to the best of my knowledge. Your ground should be at the (insert gadget here) back to battery negative.

Wstaram00

It shows on the switch that earth and load should be linked together is that how it goes I hooked it up and. It worked but I don't have the small led light on the switch working but the switch works. I did power from the to supply terminal. Then load to what ever I was trying to power my grounds is grounded through the neg of the auxiliary battery. How do I get the light on the switch to work

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Owen

Im unfamiliar with any switch where earth and load are together. Maybe its designed to open/close the negative side only? Is this a DC switch? Maybe its made in Korea ( nothing against that) but my korean made english instructions for my bike are a joke, very funny one too.

Stevegrmich

Are you positive the switch is rated for 12v dc and not a 120v ac rated switch?

You can use a switch rated at 120v ac in the 12v dc application, but the LED won't light up.

DOOmsman

Earth goes to 12 volt negative
supply goes to 12 volt positive
load is your lights ,radio whatever.

LJ12530

Club Car does not use an "earth" ie "frame" return (ground). The return path is via a dedicated wire that at some point can be traced back to the negative battery terminal even though it might go through something like a converter on the way.

My understanding is that a frame ground is more susceptible to noise in the circuitry than a dedicated wire system.

Given that the tires are good insulators it is really not possible to have an "earth" ground on a golf cart ( without some kind of grounding strap dragging on the ground ). It is also not necessary. The frame, instead of the earth, is available as a "ground" if desired, but Club Car deems that is not desired so they use wire returns.

When drawing a diagram it is convenient to use a ground symbol as long as you understand that it is simply a symbol representing the negative terminal. Carts with a voltage converter can actually have two, or more, "grounds". One that returns to the negative terminal of the main batteries, and one that returns to the negative side of the output of the converter.

LJ12530

One last comment.
If you connect the negative battery terminal to the frame you are increasing the hazard of a shock. As I recall OSHA considers a voltage of 24V or less as non-hazardous even if you were standing in water and touched a hot lead.
A golf cart typically has a 48V system. If you use a wire return, instead of a frame return, it is more difficult to put 48V on your body. You have to touch both sides of the battery pack or wires that are connected to both sides of the battery pack. If you have a frame ground all you have to do is touch the frame and anything connected to the positive side of the battery pack.

THEORETICAL:
To find out if a system uses a frame ground all you have to do is put one hand on the frame and the other on the + terminal of one 12/8V battery. There shouldn't be a return path hence no current flow/shock. If you gradually move up the battery pack, 24/16, 36/24, 48/36, etc. you should still not feel any tingling. If the return is connected to the frame you should feel more tingling as you move up the battery string.