Trying to replace headlight switch on my 92 Western Star, that I figured would be simple but nope. Old switch is the up headlights, down just running lights I think? And there is 8 places to connect wires. New one I bought is 6. I took all the top wires from old to top on new, same for bottom, then the 2 power wires on the sides, and turned it on, no lights. I'm trying to find a diagram or some information on the old switch and what wires went where but I can't find anything. I don't know if i'm further ahead at this point to go to all my lights and put a meter on the ends to check what wire is what? None of the wires are labeled. I had the box lights on at one point checking, but they even stopped. Worried maybe I blew a relay or fuse somewhere when I put power to everything when it was hooked up wrong?
Here’s a picture of old switch. Anyone have any idea on the wiring layout for it?
Without a diagram and indicating numbers or colors are pretty well down to a jumper wire and test light as to figuring which wire goes where, then a voltmeter to verify power in and a continuity or ohm meter to validate switch functions then build your own diagram with color tape on wires or small multi color wire ties for identifiers. Find your fuse box will have some bad ones by now.
Might help if you could post a picture of the original switch. This looks like the new switch. Note that when the lever is in the "up" position it connects the center terminal to the lower terminals and when in the "lower" position it connects the upper terminals to the center terminals. In the worst case situation you may have to dismantle the original switch to be able to figure out how it functioned and decide how you can wire up the new switch.
Yea that is exactly the switch I bought. Here's a picture of the old one, difference is that extra prong top and bottom. I assumed the extra 1 on the top and bottom would still be loads? Googling the numbers on it didn't bring up anything. And that if it's a load on the top or bottom it wouldn't matter if some wires that weren't touching on the old switch were on the new one as long as they were on the same side? Unless i'm mistaken isn't the switch just giving power to all the lights? Shouldn't I have technically been able to connect every single wire together to the load and it would just drain the battery, unless i'm missing something like one of the prongs on the old switch was a ground? One wire from the top and bottom each go to the other switches for the headlights, and the heated mirrors. Assuming one is for the switch to light up with the dash, the other not sure. The wiring has definitely all been replaced, but all worked perfectly fine. The old switch just wouldn't stay on in either position is my only reason for replacing. I know I will have to trace some wires, I just don't understand why it didn't work even if I misplaced a few wires. I know some of the lights have power on either on of the switch, but it shouldn't matter if both were connected together should it? It's been so long since i've driven the truck and needed the lights but I believe one side is park, the other is lights on. Park is just clearance lights, and the other is clearance, dash, and taillights, and headlights are on totally separate switch? But I believe there is 5 wires on top side and 5 wires on bottom side.
Your old switch may be known as a three pole, or four pole, double throw. Your new switch is only a two pole double throw. Unless you can find some numbers, you're in the worse case... have to take the defective switch apart to verify the contacts and operation. Try this site to match your switch... I believe it to be either I or H series. https://www.carlingtech.com/toggle-switches I suspect Dmiller is correct on your fuses. You've cross connected some circuits that were not meant to be connected together.
The only numbers on the old switch are Carling 18VOLT 0210. Definitely looks like the I or H series. Here's the switch tore apart. It looks like the middle terminals don't get power from the switch moving? But I honestly know nothing about these things.
Looks like the middle contacts are a light bulb. ( That's burned out.) In one position, it's green... in the other position it's red. Note the colored filters on the plastic toggle bat. Notice the heavily pitted contacts. Likely the cause of your switch failure. Except for the lit toggle switch, your two pole double throw switch will work. Merely insulate those two light bulb wires from each other and anything else. When you put those wires with the others... one of those wires created a dead short. Hopefully, the fuse melted before anything else did.
If you want to fix the contact arcing problem... watch this video to learn how and why >> https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...35D652E3B0028111ECDC35D&view=detail&FORM=VIRE Any capacitor rated for more than the expected system voltage will work. eg ... a 25 volt capacitor on a 12 volt dc system. If 24 volts, I recommend at least a 50 volt capacitor. The size of the capacitor is called microfarads. You'll have to figure the amp draw to size the needed microfarads to reduce the arcing & pitting. It's just like the old points & capacitor in cars half a century ago. (My '77 VW had points & capacitor)
Thank you that helps a ton. Yea the switch worked but most of the time it wouldn't stay on it's own in either on position. So it's just the two wires going to my other switches that are the problem then, and by getting rid of those I just won't have these switches lighting up?
"These switches" as in multiple switches ? No .. just the red/green indicator light in this switch. AND hopefully you didn't damage anything besides a couple of fuses. Remember you placed a dead short across some of those circuits when you grouped all the upper and lower wires together. Likely the plastic toggle got worn so the catch and contacts didn't close.
After all the pictures, I can say you have a LT series switch rated at 18 volts for longevity. (lamp operating at reduced voltage such as 12 volts. Look here https://www.carlingtech.com/sites/default/files/documents/LT-Series_Details_&_COS.pdf
Fair enough. Hopefully not, one of the good reasons of having a old truck with no computers at least there's really not much it could do.
Well almost got it figured out. I got all lights working, except for dash lights and power to other switches. One wire is shorting out when I put power to it, but every light on the truck and trailer work so for now I just taped it off it goes under the dash somewhere. The other switches like the jake, heated mirrors, all have wires from the top and bottom side of the switch going to the headlight switch. The dimmer has 1 going to it. The jake, heated mirror and dimmer switch have no power going directly to them, and right now don't have any power. Except for the dimmer, hooking them all up to power they are working fine. I'm just confused about how to hook up the wire on the top side of the switches that links them all together? My thought is that must be related to the light on the switch itself? For the jake, and mirror if I put power to bottom side they work fine. I think all I need to do is figure out what to hook up where to get all the dash and switch lights back.
Hate to say but easiest is to install separate switch
That sounds about right. The two wires that went to the middle contacts were for a light bulb. One is power and the other is ground. Trace the wire back... likely a fuse is keeping the dash lights out.
Need to see a wiring diagram
Yep that was it, a few of them were grounds including the one that was shorting out. Grounded them and now everything works again like before. The only difference is I no longer have park lights. Just everything off/on. Don't really care about loosing that though.