I recently installed some aux reverse lights on my '99 XL, (wired as shown below), switched by a SPDT switch (on-off-on) w/ two pilot lights. While the reverse lights work as planned, the pilot lights on the switch are all messed up.

Pilot lights work as follows: (switch position makes no difference)

• park lights on, no reverse: pilot light for on w/ rev is lit
• park lights on, in reverse: both pilot lights are lit
• park lights off, in reverse: pilot light for on w/ park is lit
• park lights off, no reverse: neither pilot light is lit

The switch is wired as follows:

• lug 1 to park lights (brown wire)
• lug 2 to pin 85 on the relay
• lug 3 to reverse lights (black w/ pink wire)
• lug 4 to ground

The switch works as planned ... push forward for on w/ reverse, push back for on w/ park lights

I'm pretty cluless on electrical, but looking at the diagram for the switch, I'm thinking my problem may be just the way the switch is designed.

Does anyone have any insight or a solution for this problem?

 

Your diagram doesn't show how you wired terminal 4. Did you connect anything to it? And you didn't indicate which terminal numbers the wires go to, which is important to figuring this out.

But you're right - this switch isn't designed to be used the way you're using it (backward). You really need a switch with INdependent pilot lights for your application, or it might work the way you want with 2 relays.

 

You have all the wiring info posted, and it looks correct.

Thing is, the switch you have :
1. The indicator lamp is not the side you would think it is on, it is on the other side ( which is also the direction you would press the switch ) of the terminal that you wired it to.

2. The way the switch is working is as designed, you have the power to the same terminal as the indicator lamp.

You will need to get a switch that does not have the indicator lamps built into it, and put the indicator lamps on external if you want that function.

 

Thanks SSCULLY, the more I thought about it, the more I thought I was asking for too much out of one switch. Again, the aux reverse lights work as planned, which is all that really matters. I just wanted the pilot lights to help keep me from driving down the road w/ the reverse lights on

I have an engineering degree, and took several electrical classes in college, but for some reason I have a real adversion to anything electrical. Maybe it has something to do w/ having a dad who was a near-genius electrical engineer