13 replies to this topic

[MiniLandy]

So, I have this six pole switch, and I'm trying to wire it up to my hazard circuit. These are the wires I have that went to the original switch:

 

Green with brown trace x 2

Green with red trace

Green with pink trace

Green with white trace

 

I've lost the original plug and thus don't know where the wires should go! Been searching all afternoon but can't find a picture of the plug and where the wires should go, would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction of a pic/thread.

 

Oh and if anyone happens to have a picture of the inner workings of the switch itself, that would also be helpful!

[Ethel]

Green & brown both go on the bottom 2 terminals, the rest don't matter as they all connect to each other when you switch on the hazards. the one you are missing goes to one of the little terminals on the side for the switch illum, you also need an earth  on the other side.

[Dan]

  It won't work with that switch, unless you use a few relays to make the actual connections.  For one thing that's a DPDT switch rather than a 6 pole, but the toggle switch you need to make the hazards work directly is a 4PDT changeover.

[MiniLandy]

Yeah I realised last night that the switch won't work. Pretty hacked off considering it says 'suitable for use as a hazard switch' in the description.

 

Going to just wire the two green/brown wires together, then put the other three wires on this switch. Should work, if this diagram I found is correct.

 

Shall report back in a little while.

[MiniLandy]

Right. 

 

Wired the two green/brown wire together, meaning my indicators now work properly. 

 

Wired the remaining three wires together (replicating what would happen when the switch is on) and got nothing. This mean my hazard flasher can is knackered? Odd thing is the green and pink wire shows 12v with the ignition off.

Edited by MiniLandy, 18 June 2013 - 09:50 AM.

[Ethel]

I should have looked at the piccy, thought you were using the proper switch, silly me.
The green/white, green/red are the 2 sides of the indicators, they need to be separate for the indicators to work.

If you are indicating the hazard flasher will be going head to head with that voltage 12v -12v = 0v, that 's why the proper switch isolates the indicator flasher when turned on. You need a proper switch or diodes,relays...

[Dan]

  You can't just leave the indicator flasher permanently connected up to the indicator switch.  If you have the hazards on and happen to hit the indicator then both flashers will quite likely be damaged.  It gets disconnected by the hazard switch for a reason.  You can use the switch you have now if you fit a few relays, or you can get another switch, or you can rewire the system to use a single flasher.

Edited by Dan, 18 June 2013 - 10:17 AM.

[MiniLandy]

I know it shouldn't be setup like this, but I'm going to rewire the whole car at a later date (probably to use a single flasher).

 

Wired the remaining three wires together (replicating what would happen when the switch is on) and got nothing. This mean my hazard flasher can is knackered? Odd thing is the green and pink wire shows 12v with the ignition off.

 

Anyone got an answer for this?

[Dan]

  It could well be.  Unplug the flasher and bridge its connections to see if the wiring works properly.  I'm not sure if connecting a voltmeter directly to the output of the flasher unit is a very good idea but it shouldn't cause any permanent damage.

[MiniLandy]

Righto, i'll give that a shot later on and report back.

[MiniLandy]

Just taken the hazard flasher out of the circuit, bridged the connections, then connected the green/red, green/pink, and green/white. Indicators came on solid, so must be the flasher can. 

 

Pulled the can apart, and the internals looked pretty knackered (rust). I'll pick up a new one. 

[Ethel]

Hazard flashers have an internal heater for the bimetalic switch that makes 'em flash. The terminals are normally open, until the heater warms up 'n closes them. Since closed contacts have much lower resistance than the heater coil they rob all the current, the coil cools, the contacts open...

It won't close its contacts unless there's enough current to heat the coil, but it will always show a voltage via that same coil.

[MiniLandy]

Hazard flashers have an internal heater for the bimetalic switch that makes 'em flash. The terminals are normally open, until the heater warms up 'n closes them. Since closed contacts have much lower resistance than the heater coil they rob all the current, the coil cools, the contacts open...

It won't close its contacts unless there's enough current to heat the coil, but it will always show a voltage via that same coil.

 

That makes sense, and is consistent with my diagnosis of a knackered can (I think?). The inside of it is rusted away, and the remains of what should have been the coil are snapped. 

[MiniLandy]

Just an update on this, I changed the flasher can and all is well.