Just bought a used OEM switch. My truck is a 94 Hilux. I have the lights mounted. I have a wiring harness with relay. Now I need to know which wires connect to which things. Diagrams included in hopes that somebody knows right off the cuff which goes where. Help? :-)








Pigtail from the switch





The actual switch I'm using.

 

Got a multi-meter? You would need that to figure out which wires are for power, for steady illumination that comes on with tail lights, and/or indicator light which lights up when switch is on.
Why not save your time and just get a simple on off switch?

 

RAD4Runner -

I think Brock_Lee just doesn't want to do it that way. https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...l#post52298721

Personally, even if someone told me what they thought the function of the wires was, I still wouldn't risk putting 12v on there without checking first. Any error would lead to a dead short to a very powerful battery.

 

LOL! Yeah, figured that out when I went back to our suggestion to get a multi-meter

 

Dude you need a multimeter.
Hack the wrong wiring and you'll have a thread asking why you don't have headlights.
It isn't rocket science, just takes a little time to learn to use one and helps alleviate a ton of headaches

Set the meter to DC volts, put the black lead to ground and out the positive lead on the copper contact you want to test

 

To be honest, I'm not understanding how to use a multimeter for this application. If I went and bought one, how would it help me figure out which wire from the switch is supposed to be connected to which wire on the harness or to the 12v or to whatever? I'm dense. It's not that I don't want to do it this way. It's that I don't understand. Help me? Direct me somewhere?

 

Among all the wonderful things that a $6 multimeter can do, it will tell you the resistance (in ohms) between two points. So, the first thing you need to do is figure out what is going on with your fancy switch. You need to find out what is switched (which means changing from 0 ohms to infinite ohms), and what is (maybe) a light bulb (which means it's about 20 ohms and doesn't change when you press the switch).

You have 4 wires. That means you have 6 possible pairings. Write yourself a chart, 6 rows (labeled green-red, green-green w/wht, and so on) and 2 columns (switch on, switch off). Since you're looking for about 0 to 20 ohms, use the 200 ohms scale. Measure the resistance in all 12 positions on your chart.

I'll guess you have a SPST normally off switch with a separate 12v incandescent bulb. Which means ONE pair will have about 20 ohms, and ONE pair will be infinite ohms when off, zero ohms when on.

You've got your homework. Either doing that will make it very obvious what to do next, or you can report back and someone will walk you through it.

 

If you do not get a multi-meter, you'll never learn, You do your part by:
(1) Getting a multi-meter, and
(2) Finding out what was original function/purpose of the switch you bought was. What vehicle?

We do our part by helping you.

The better you do your part, the better we can help you.

 

I also posted this in your other thread:

When you get your multimeter, this may help you get started: http://www.cygnusx1.net/Media/Supra/...otaTech/h4.pdf

While it was a waste of my time to do so, I browsed around eBay to see if I could find the listing for the switch you bought. There are lots of "Toyota" switches there, and they ALL have a different set of wire colors than your switch. Some of those listings have pin-outs, but since their wire colors don't match yours you can be SURE they won't help.

But as we've been telling you, it really IS easier to just figure it out yourself.

 

1. Multimeter acquired
2. Based on the eBay auction title the switch is "JDM Toyota Corolla Arm Rest Shifter Console Aux Fog Light Switch"



I looked at that pdf. It's a little difficult for me to understand.

I appreciate your time and efforts!

Now that I got the multimeter can you guide me a bit? I work during the week and I have a son with autism so it took me a while to acquire the multimeter. I only get slim time to work on the lights/truck.

 

I wish you and family the strength to cope with your challenges.
Meanwhile, Yotatech can help with your automotive challenges.

I wish you had purchased a simpler on-off switch. But anyway... Generally white with black stripe is ground. That is probably the ground for the indicator light (on when contacts are closed)
I can make an illustrated guide but need clearer picture of your volt-meter.


Cheers!

 

Your efforts are incredibly appreciated, friend! Here's a much clearer pic. :-)

 

Wow. You realize, I hope, that meter was an antique back when your truck was built.

But, let's get to it. You need to measure ohms, which is the top scale (notice that it reads "backwards," and is asymptotic (the high numbers on the left are closer together). The "8 on its side" is Infinity, which is no connection. Zero (on the right) is a dead short. Those are the only two measurements you care about.

First, you zero the ohmmeter. Touch the probes together, and the needle should jump ALL the way up to zero. If it doesn't quite make it (or goes too far) there is a dial on the side of the meter you roll with your thumb to get it to zero. You do this every time you use the meter to measure ohms.

Doesn't move at all? You may have a dead battery in the meter. Look into it.

Now that you can measure ohms, measure them on your switch. Set the dial to Rx10 (so the 5 in the middle is 50 ohms.) You have six combinations (pairs) of wires. I'm going to guess two leads go to a lamp, two to a SPST NO switch. If that guess is correct, two wires will have about 50-100 ohms, and the other pairs all will be infinity. Put the probes back on the two other leads, and press the button. If I'm right, the meter will jump up to zero ohms. You've found the switch.

Of course, if the lamp is burned out all pairs would have infinity ohms. Then you'll need to re-check all 6 pairs with the button pressed; you're hoping to find a single pair with zero ohms when pressed.

Good luck!

 

Oh well. It's what I was able to borrow. :-)

Green w/white stripe and red wires; When I push the button on the switch the meter jumps from ∞ to somewhere around the 1 or 2. What does that mean? All other combinations the needle stays at ∞.

 

When you release, does it stay at 1 or 2 ohms or does it go back to infinity (open)?


This might be some sort of a latching switch, and I could not safely say how it should be wired without looking at its schematic, or actually testing it myself with power.

For lights, considering that you do not have schematic of the switch, I strongly
recommend you get a simple, plain on-off switch. Push one way and it stays there and gets you 0 ohms or closed or near zero ohm. Push the other way it stays there and gives you infinity or open.

 

I'm going to GUESS that G-W to R is an SPST NO switch, and the other two wires are to a burned out bulb. But that could be wrong; I'm not there.

So if you're really daring, you could try ignoring your lamp wires (since the bulb doesn't work) and using G-W / R as a power switch.

What to do with it? We're not there yet. It depends on how you've wired the relay; ground switched or 12v switched. Get it wrong and you've got fireworks.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and we all really want to help you. But we're not doing a good job from this far away. I'm just going to say it: this job is over your head, and you need someone to stand there with you and walk you through it. Or just go ahead and pay someone to do it right. There's no shame in knowing your limitations.

 

When I release it goes back to infinity. Since the switch for my hazard lights is the exact same switch, but with a different symbol on it, this thing should wire up just like my hazard switch, right? One of the wires will connect to my dash lights so it glows like the other switches. The other will be ground. Perhaps I should reference how my hazard switch is wired.

 

What bulb are you referring to? I think the other two wires are ground and dash lights.

I purchased a harness with relay included on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151103109826?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Agreed. This is definitely over my head or I wouldn't be posting here asking questions. :-) I am considering taking the truck to my mechanic and having him install the switch for me. I appreciate your advice!

 

You cannot use that switch, unless you pay someone to get creative. My Advice:
(1) Keep the relay-harness assembly, you will need that.
(2) Buy a SIMPLE single-pole, single throw switch like this.
(3) Follow wiring as we suggested above.

Cost... a few bucks for the switch... and a six-pack you could buy us - LOL!

 

I'm pretty sure that RAD4Runner has figured out that you have a "momentary" switch; it's only "on" while you are pushing it, it goes to off when you let go. Like a horn button. It would only work for your lights if you were satisfied holding the button down while you wanted light.

The "bulb" I referred to would be the one that lights up. You may be right about the other two leads going to ground and "dash lights," but if the bulb was good you would get something like 20-70 ohms, not infinite. Those bulbs don't last forever. Given that you can buy a NEW switch for $4, I can't imagine replacing the bulb.

The Dorman switch RAD4Runner cited would be a good choice, but what function are the three terminals? Not even Dorman's website gives a hint. http://www.dormanproducts.com/p-1386...origin=keyword There are only three terminals, so for an automotive electrician figuring them out is trivial. But YOU are back where you started from.

The eBay listing you cited shows a wiring diagram for a ground switched relay (they use this diagram because they spec an LED switch, which often have a single ground for both the LED and the switch. I'd guess the Dorman switch does that.). You could follow that diagram, and it might work.

Or you might have fireworks. You can give it a try and keep your fingers crossed, but your idea of taking all the pieces to a mechanic (and pay him a few extra bucks to let you watch) is a good one.