Illuminated Toggle Switch-Why a Ground
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
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From: Ontario
Illuminated Toggle Switch-Why a Ground
In one of my latest projects I am using a simple on-off toggle switch to control a lighting system. So power in one side and out the other when the circuit is closed. It works fine. I was thinking of replacing that unit with an illuminated version but those switches have a third terminal marked ground. What is the purpose of that ground? Surely the lighting system is grounded already as it now works fine. Basically I just want that illuminated tip to light up when power is flowing and go off when the circuit is open. Can I ignore that ground terminal under these circumstances?
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Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
The fruits of your advice. Thank you. The switch is metal (the pic above was just illustrative to show the three terminals) but the small black panel in which it is sitting is insulated from the frame by dash panel trimming. So I ran a black 16-gauge ground wire to a screw under the dash right on the framework. Works fine and the little LED tip is surprising bright. High tech in a 1974 
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1st Gear
Joined: Jan 2011
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Hey, Paul 74, I just stumbled across your post. Did you get it figured out for it to work the way you wanted? Does the light go off when the switch is off? If not, you should be able to wire the light's ground into the 'after-switch' circuit and use the main circuit's ground. Then, the switch's illumination circuit will only be complete when the switch is on and the main current is completed. Just a thought if the light isn't going off when the switch is off!
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
Hey, Paul 74, I just stumbled across your post. Did you get it figured out for it to work the way you wanted? Does the light go off when the switch is off? If not, you should be able to wire the light's ground into the 'after-switch' circuit and use the main circuit's ground. Then, the switch's illumination circuit will only be complete when the switch is on and the main current is completed. Just a thought if the light isn't going off when the switch is off!
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
The DRL module went south today so with some (actually pretty extensive) extraction of wires and some minor re-soldering I am back to factory specs on the front parking lamp extensions. Too bad; I liked those DRLs. The supplier will longer ship to Canada (???) and of course I have lost confidence in the product in any case. A friend's module from the same company went bad as well. Nice experiment but not a nice outcome.
I will be now looking for driving lamp options. The IGN wiring to the front is still there as is the LED toggle switch under the dash but it is disconnected at the fuse box. So that circuit is not hot, but could be very quickly. I will be looking at driving lamp options in the near future.
I will be now looking for driving lamp options. The IGN wiring to the front is still there as is the LED toggle switch under the dash but it is disconnected at the fuse box. So that circuit is not hot, but could be very quickly. I will be looking at driving lamp options in the near future.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
The DRL module went south today so with some (actually pretty extensive) extraction of wires and some minor re-soldering I am back to factory specs on the front parking lamp extensions. Too bad; I liked those DRLs. The supplier will longer ship to Canada (???) and of course I have lost confidence in the product in any case. A friend's module from the same company went bad as well. Nice experiment but not a nice outcome.
I will be now looking for driving lamp options. The IGN wiring to the front is still there as is the LED toggle switch under the dash but it is disconnected at the fuse box. So that circuit is not hot, but could be very quickly. I will be looking at driving lamp options in the near future.
I will be now looking for driving lamp options. The IGN wiring to the front is still there as is the LED toggle switch under the dash but it is disconnected at the fuse box. So that circuit is not hot, but could be very quickly. I will be looking at driving lamp options in the near future.
