• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

5 PIN ROCKER SWITCH 12 VOLT

Inspector 1

Active member
105
73
28
Location
Spring Texas
I'm in need of some help in wiring a 5 pin Rocker Switch. I wired 4 switches in a gang box. 2 for accessory fans, 1 -USB switch, and 1 for LED Fog lights. My problem is that the only switch working is the USB port.
Here is the nomenclature: # 8 tied into ground from fuse box. # 7 tied into the ground wire from the fan. # 7 and # 8 tied together with a jumper wire. # 2 tied into power from fuse box. # 2 has continuous power. # 3 tied into the positive side of fan. # 3 has power when switch is on. # 6 left blank. The fans nor the fog lights are turning on although they have power going up to the accessories.
Side note ; Each accessory had a male adapter on the end that plugged into a cigarette lighter or female power source. I cut off the male end and wired each accessory accordingly. Could this have something to do with the problem as every thing was working fine when plugged into the female power sources?
 

Attachments

Last edited:

TOBASH

Father, Surgeon, Cantankerous Grouch
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
3,586
3,497
113
Location
Brooklyn, NY
You know Steel Soldiers has an Electrical Forum under Restoration.
 

BLK HMMWV

Well-known member
1,577
500
113
Location
Pasadena California
the switches didn't come with a wiring diagram?
Normally there is pin #s next to each pin and a wiring diagram on the side of the switch.
Are they lighted?
where did you buy them? part # or Model #
Do they have any info on the website you purchased them from.
 

Inspector 1

Active member
105
73
28
Location
Spring Texas
# 8 and # 7 have been tied together. Here is the nominclature: # 8 tied into ground from fuse box. # 7 tied into the ground wire from the fan. # 7 and # 8 tied together with a jumper wire. # 2 tied into power from fuse box. # 2 has continuos power. # 3 tied into the positive side of fan. # 3 has power when switch is on. # 6 left blank. The fans nor the fog lights are turning on although they have power going up to the accessories.
 

Attachments

Inspector 1

Active member
105
73
28
Location
Spring Texas
Side note ; Each accessory had a male adapter on the end that plugged into a cigarette lighter or female power source. I cut off the male end and wired each accessory accordingly. Could this have something to do with the problem as every thing was working fine when plugged into the female power sources?
 

BLK HMMWV

Well-known member
1,577
500
113
Location
Pasadena California
Remember the site is set up around OEM wiring and components found in the technical manuals.
Why did you jump pins #7 and #8 together ?
And why did you choose them for ground?
What wiring diagram are you following?
Once again are the switches lit?



Have you tried putting a meter between pin #6 and pin #8
 

Inspector 1

Active member
105
73
28
Location
Spring Texas
Remember the site is set up around OEM wiring and components found in the technical manuals.
Why did you jump pins #7 and #8 together ?
And why did you choose them for ground?
What wiring diagram are you following?
Once again are the switches lit?
Yes, the switches are lit. When I turn the switch on they light / Switch off the lights go off. I tied 7 and 8 together because someone on this site posted a diagram showing them tied together. I have been on several other sites where all stated the same thing. I chose 7 and 8 for ground because every You Tube video that I watched shows the nomenclature exactly how I wired the Rocker switch. Shows 7 and 8 as ground . I am running a 24 / 12 converter into a 12 volt fuse panel so the OEM tech manuals would not apply. I simply cannot understand why I have power on the wiring up to the fan and it does not turn on. Every place that needs power has power. If I were to disconnect all rocker switches and reconnect the male adapters and reconnect all the female adapters that accessories plugged into, they would work just fine. I don't have any electrical experience so this has been a challenge to say the least. I purchased the switches individually from Federal Military Parts. I also purchased the gang box that the switches mount to. Any advice based on all the information stated would be very much appreciated
 

BLK HMMWV

Well-known member
1,577
500
113
Location
Pasadena California
Ok
Automotive stuff is DC compared to a houses wiring which is AC.
Normally on most DC devices wiring there is a stripe or marker on one of the 2 wires .
You said the USB unit is working that is controlled by one of the switches.

Check the wires coming from the USB unit and see if you see any kind of markings on one of the wires.
It may be a white stripe, a red stripe, of small lettering imprinted into the wires jacket.

If a red and black wire the red is the + 12 volts the black the - or ground.

DC stuff is very sensitive to polarity.
Try switching the wires around going to the device your trying to operate.
 

Inspector 1

Active member
105
73
28
Location
Spring Texas
Ok
Automotive stuff is DC compared to a houses wiring which is AC.
Normally on most DC devices wiring there is a stripe or marker on one of the 2 wires .
You said the USB unit is working that is controlled by one of the switches.

Check the wires coming from the USB unit and see if you see any kind of markings on one of the wires.
It may be a white stripe, a red stripe, of small lettering imprinted into the wires jacket.

If a red and black wire the red is the + 12 volts the black the - or ground.

DC stuff is very sensitive to polarity.
Try switching the wires around going to the device your trying to operate.
I wired the USB Rocker Switch directly from fuse panel. The USB has 2 pins / Pos. and Neg. Very strait forward. Positive from 12 volt fuse box and negative from 12 volt fuse box The fans and the fog lights plugged into the cigarette lighter. I cut the male ends off and wired them as positive and negative. The fans have a white and black wire. I split the wires. I'm assuming the white wire is positive and the black wire is negative. I wired them accordingly. The fog lights have neither a positive or negative. Again I cut the male end off that would plug into the cigarette lighter, split the wires and hooked them up accordingly. I did try to switch wires around with no effect other than loosing ground. I color coded all wires so I know they were connected correctly from fuse box. Thank you for your time. I will talk to Federal Military tomorrow. They did send a schematic but it does not appear to apply to my set up. It may be for 24 Volts.
 

Attachments

BLK HMMWV

Well-known member
1,577
500
113
Location
Pasadena California
I wired the USB Rocker Switch directly from fuse panel. The USB has 2 pins / Pos. and Neg. Very strait forward. Positive from 12 volt fuse box and negative from 12 volt fuse box The fans and the fog lights plugged into the cigarette lighter. I cut the male ends off and wired them as positive and negative. The fans have a white and black wire. I split the wires. I'm assuming the white wire is positive and the black wire is negative. I wired them accordingly. The fog lights have neither a positive or negative. Again I cut the male end off that would plug into the cigarette lighter, split the wires and hooked them up accordingly. I did try to switch wires around with no effect other than loosing ground. I color coded all wires so I know they were connected correctly from fuse box. Thank you for your time. I will talk to Federal Military tomorrow. They did send a schematic but it does not appear to apply to my set up. It may be for 24 Volts.
the voltage shouldn't make a difference between 12 and 24 volts. As long as you have the polarity right and it looks like you do.
Try hooking it up like there schematic.
Best BH
 

BLK HMMWV

Well-known member
1,577
500
113
Location
Pasadena California
the voltage shouldn't make a difference between 12 and 24 volts. As long as you have the polarity right and it looks like you do.
Try hooking it up like there schematic.
Best BH
The jumper has me a bit confused especially on the negative side.
Most of the lit switches have a feature to light up the edge of the switch when your dash lights come on then the center of the switch when it's actually in the on position.
 

osteo16

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
585
585
93
Location
Evansville, IN
best bet..start over.. wire one at a time and make sure it works. then add on after that.. shouldnt be that difficult.. 😣
 

Inspector 1

Active member
105
73
28
Location
Spring Texas
best bet..start over.. wire one at a time and make sure it works. then add on after that.. shouldnt be that difficult.. 😣
A "Big" thank you to everyone that helped trouble shoot my Rocker Switch problem. It was suggested to disconnect each switch and run accessory to power. When I did that it was definitely a reverse polarity issue. Everything is now working fine.
 

Attachments

Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks