Switch question

reinman88

I have a 99 gas workhorse with no factory headlights.

My switch has off, on, and a third setting which I'm told could be used for headlights.

With my cowling off I got a good look at this switch today, and I see 4 male connections on the back of the switch, one is a double. One wiring harness coming in has a blue and green wire coming out of it. The blue is hooked to the middle male connection which is the double connection, the green is hooked to one of the outside male connections. A red wire jumps from the center double male connector where the blue wire is hooked, to the fuel gauge. There is also another wiring harness that goes to the fuel gauge.

This leaves me with 2 unused male connections on the switch. I always thought I'd find one and that would be the one for the head lights.

Do both of the currently unused connections on the switch work off of the third setting?

Or would one of the unused connections work off the on position?

Such as, turn the switch from off to on, and one of the two unused connections is hot, so lets say you could hook up a radio to that. The second unused connection is only hot when you turn the switch all the way to the third setting, and this could be for the head lights.

BGW

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum

Aussie Workhorse

Hi mate, I have the headlights and they run off the 3rd position on the switch on my 2003 WH, the 2001 WH I have has a pull out button switch for the headlights.

As I have my cowling off for paint I can take a few snap of the back of the ignition and you could work out from that. The wiring diagram in the manual also tells you what wires go where.

Not sure if that helps just let me know if you need the photos. It sounds like we both have our carts pulled apart and at the same stages.

Aussie

reinman88

I looked in the manual in the tech section, but it didn't say what was what.

In the manual it showed a red and blue wire in one harness, which would be my blue and green wires. The manual shows the other harness that goes to the fuel gauge and the oil pressure light, plus it shows the jump wire. Which I have in mine.

Then it shows another harness coming in with blue and white wires. It shows them hooking to the two unused connections, which it labels L and B1. Problem is it doesn't say what L or B1 are.

I suppose L could stand for lights, but not sure what B1 is, and is it working off the third position on the switch or the on position of the switch.

scottyb

There are 2 separate circuits within the key switch. The 2 unused in your case should be separated from the used ones and simply have continuity when the key is in the 3rd position. This separation allows for a 36v connection in position 2 and a 36v & a 12v connection in position 3.

reinman88

So both of the unused connections work on the third key position.

I take it I could use either one for lights if desired, or could use both for something else that would be 12 volt, like a radio.

I can see the disadvantage to having your radio and lights on the third position since you either have both or neither. But an extra dash switch for the lights, which usually comes with the light kit, would solve that.

To me the advantage to using one switch connection for the radio is the ease of wiring. The radio and switch are right next to each other, so no need to run a wire all the way back to the battery or fusebox for a power source.

scottyb

The two poles are power 12v in and 12v out.

littlecarguy

Scotty, I think your right, Hence the labeling B1 for Battery and L for lights.

reinman88

So the switch will not get the power to run the third setting on the switch unless it has another hot wire coming from the battery hooked to B1, and then the power will go out the connection marked L. Be it for lights radio or whatever.

reinman88

It is one connection for power in and one connection for power out, thanks Scotty.

It was a little more difficult in my situation because instead of lights I was hooking up a radio, and the radio has two hot wires. One is for constant power for memory to save your chosen radio stations, the other runs the radio.

I'll end up having to run two hot wires from the battery. One to my constant power wire, the other to the power in connection on the switch. The second hot wire on the radio got hooked to the power out connection. Now the radio works on the third setting, but I don't lose my saved stations.

So far I just ran temporary wires to make sure things work.

When I get ready to run lights, I wonder if I can just hook to the wire that I'm using for my constant power to my radio. Since the wire will be up under the front cowling for the radio, it would save me having to run yet another hot wire all the way back to the battery.

Better yet would this be the time to place something like a fuse panel, or relay panel, behind my dash. Basically a place where I could run power from the battery. Then have 3 or 4 out connections where I could run both my hot wires needed for the radio, and another wire for lights.

Basically on side A, one main hot wire comes in, on side B you can have 3 or 4 connections where you can have power go out to radio, lights, or whatever else is needed.