I'm in the process of collecting parts to install some reverse fogs and I want to wire them to be on - off - on w/ reverse, using a SPDT switch. The switch I'm looking at has four blades, as shown below. I'm pretty clueless on electrical, but I'm guessing I connect it as follows:

• blade 1 to brown parking light wire
• blade 2 to pin 85 on the relay
• blade 3 to black/pink reverse wire
• blade 4 to ground

Is this correct? Any comments/advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

I'm sure SSCULLY is going to give you super advice here as he always does, but to make his task easier, I want to clarify some things.

You want the switch to provide "override" control so that the reverse lights can be commanded ON at any time, also OFF regardless of conditions, and otherwise, automatically ON if you put the truck in reverse. Do I understand this correctly?

I.E., if the switch is OFF, they'll NEVER come on, under any circumstances (even in reverse), and if the switch is ON, they'll be on all the time, even though you're going down the interstate in forward gear at 75 mph. Would they also be ON (with the switch ON) if the ignition key was OFF? (Possibly to throw light on a campsite you are setting up?)

Don't know anything about the electrical system in your MY truck, so all I can do is ask questions like this.

- Jack

 

I have the same setup on my truck. It sure is nice to be able to turn them on anytime or off if you don't need them. Where did you get the switch from? I just have three wires coming off of my switch that I picked up at a camper parts place.
David

 

By the diagram supplied above, this looks correct.

This is what you are doing with the switch ( the ground is just for the indicator illumination in the switch ).


You can always use your meter to double check this by using the resistance setting, turn the switch on, and test one way ( < 10 ohms ) off ( infinity ) and on the other way ( < 10 ohms ).

Don't be shocked if you flip the switch "up" and the terminal that is on is the bottom one ( and switch "down" is the top terminal ).
This is getting at, if you press the on position on the side that has terminal #1 on the other side, that the circuit is terminal #2 to terminal #3.

 

Thanks for the help ... I want to make sure this switch will work before I buy it

JackandJanet, the goal is to have them only come on in reverse when the switch is in one position; the other switch position will turn them on when the parking lights are on (ie it's dark out). When the switch is off, they will never come on. I want to use a lighted switch in an attempt to keep from leaving them on when driving 75 down the interstate

DJ2007, the switch is a Cole Hersee lighted SPDT switch (#58328-103-BP, approx $20 on ebay)) which comes w/ four different lenses (clear, green, amber, and red) for each window. My plan is to have the large window glow red when on w/ parking lights (an attempt to keep me from driving around w/ them on), and the small window glow amber when switched to come on with reverse.

SSCULLY, Thanks for the confirmation on the switch wiring. I'm planning on wiring the lights like the diagram you posted. I understand what you're saying about the switch vs blade position. Because I'm not real confident about my wiring ability, I always do a test wiring to make sure things work properly, prior to the permanent installation.