New switches, lights = new problems!!!

Okay, I've installed my new OTRATTW switches, 4 so far. 3 are in the blanks to the left of the st. wheel. In order from left to right are LED light bar, bed lights, reverse lights.

My DDM reverse light, a square 110mm 5 LED light is mounted in a hole I've cut in my AllPro bumper. It's ground near there, and the positive wire runs along my frame with the bed light positive wire. I've used 18AWG all around. I have a Blue Sea fuse block under my dash, near my brake pedal. My bed lights are LED sticky light strips from Autozone, 36" each, under the bed tie down rails. The light bar will be above my windshield. Its pos. wire is in the driver side channel in the side of the w.s. and the excess wire is under the rubber strips up top for now.

NOW FOR THE PROBLEMS!
The only light I have fully mounted and wired is my reverse light. It works, but the switch lights do not! I have the pos. power for the switch lights coming from an add a circuit in my cabin fuse box with a 3amp fuse. With my lights on, it gets ~12v pos power. With lights off, it gets nothing. I have ALL the switch grounds going to the same ground location, and it seems to work just fine. I have the incoming power from the BSea box, spot #3 with a 15amp fuse. The switch lower light turns on when my key is ON, but back off when I turn my head lights on. THEN, the top light NEVER turns on at all.

This has been driving me nuts for days. I've been looking at jeeps as if it will solve my problems...
Please help!

-wascly wires

 

Also, is my 18AWG wire okay for all this stuff? For the power to the Blue Sea block, I've used 3 wires, taped together with single connectors on each end from the battery to the block. The reverse light draws like 1.3amps it says, not sure on the led light bar, but the bed lights im sure are similar... what fuses should I use for each? I'm thinking similar size fuses due to them protecting all the same AWG wire, right? 15amp or so? I've read up on the 80% rule, and generally understand it.

 

What switches did you get?

 

the contura V laser etched, two lights, 5 pins in the rear. ON/OFF, not on/off/on; the light bar is V1D1JCCB Red/Red if that matters

 

Check this out. If the switch is functioning correctly, then the upper light should be working. Does this wiring diagram look like how you have your switches wired? (I'm assuming you meant V1D1J66B, the number you typed didn't turn up anything on OTRATTW's site)

 

no, the "CC" is for red/red as in the bulbs... if you click on their contura V switches, the top one is their light bar one, click the menu part of THAT switch, and go down a bit, there is the red/red JCCB label.

thats just how its wired, yup! just like they have on the instruction paper that the switches come with...

the end item works fine, but the switch lights aren't working properly... im thinking it's something to do with the negative switching of the head lights...

 

i have the grounds grouped together, could that be a problem? they are grounds, i wouldnt think it would matter where or how they are grounded...

 

I'm assuming you've verified the power with a test light or a volt meter since you know when circuits are getting power relative to key position and lights on/off.

Since none of the switch lights are working, but the accessory is working, I'd double check your switch grounds. Use a test light at the same ground and test a known live circuit to make sure it's a good ground.

After you've ruled out the grounds, you need to retrace your steps with the power. The 3A add-a-circuit should be connected to pin 6, pin 7 is the ground for the lower light. If you have a test light, test for power on the add-a-circuit fuse, when it's hot, trace the power through the switch, make sure you have power at pin 6, then again at pin 7.

For the upper light, I don't know how you have your Blue Sea fuse holder wired up, but I'm assuming it's correct. If you have power coming into pin 2, and outgoing from pin 3 and the light isn't working, it's either the bulb or the ground. Test for power at pin 8.

 

It doesn't matter that you grouped the grounds as long as it's a good connection and a good ground. I group my grounds also, but usually if nothing is working when you're done, it's the grounds.

 

yeah, checked all connections with a volt meter. i havent checked the rest of the switches... it COULD be just the switch, doubtful, its brand new.

I'm going to use some LED strips that I have (for the bed lights, not installed yet) to see if in fact all power and grounds are good.

I'll try the rest of this tomorrow!

 

forgot to say, today, i unplugged both grounds on the switch, and wtf... the light STILL lights up! how is this possible? its not being grounded any other way!

 

The grounds on the switch are just for the lights that are built into the switch. The switch will still function perfectly fine without the switch being grounded, the switch lights just won't light up. The accessories themselves should be ground somewhere else, close to where the accessory actually is. Do you mean you ran the grounds for the lights back into the cab to ground in the same spot as the switch?

 

see, this is interesting. i remove pin 7 and 8 grounds and the lower light still lights up!

i have the end items, the accessories, grounded at their location.

 

other than exactly how the OTRATTW instructions AND the above post with the pin layout, i havent done anything! ive verified all pos and neg connections with a volt meter, and Ive tried all five switches. all have the same result.

 

That shouldn't be possible. If the light isn't grounded, it shouldn't light.

At this point, I think you should make sure the function of the switch is what the wiring diagram says. Get a wire, attach it to the battery, then connect it to pin 2. With the switch off, pins 3 and 8 should not be live. Turn the switch on and make sure 3 and 8 get 'hot'. Then, with pin 2 still connected to the battery, ground terminal 8, the upper light should illunimate when the switch is on. Likewise, do the same with the lower light. Connect 6 to the battery and the only pin that has power should be 7, regardless of switch position. Ground 7 and the lower light should illuminate.

If any part of that logic check doesn't work, then you either have a bad wiring diagram or the switch internals are messed up.

 

DING DING DING!!! Switch internals! OR bad wiring diagram... you pick. Efffing OTRATTW!!!!!!!!
Spent numerous hours today, finally gave in, called in back up, cost me some cash, but after the pro looked at all my work, and the switches, and double checked everything with a multimeter... STILL couldnt figure it out. Finally, we opened up a switch, looked at the wiring diagram... after some MORE time, bam... the LEDs arent wired in like the diagram says they are. Basically I was grounding ONE LED, with pins 7 and 8, (both its pos. and neg. wires ran to 7 and 8 respectively) I was pissed. Checked the rest... all the same! 5 switches... wired differently. wtf. SO, we adjusted the diagram...

I'm going to email OTRATTW to see if they can calm me down and repay me by sending me some of the switch plugs for the rear of the switch, (one plug containing all 5 connectors, much easier to plug in and unplug when removing dash panels, never knew they existed!)

 

Man I love those switches more and more every time I see them. I didn't realize the backs lit up like that. Can't wait to get mine.

 

the backs? you mean how the LEDs are so bright they glow around the switch? i was actually thinking of putting a dab of black shoe goo or something on the LED to tone it down a bit. their reflection in the front driver window is annoying, but its day one. ill see how it goes for a bit...

 

a better shot of the TRUE diagram... for those who may need it! wired up this way, they work perfectly.
was wondering. are the TOP lights, the symbols, supposed to be lit (when my lights are on) when the switch is off, and then the bottom light, the words, turn on when the switch is on, but not lit when the switch is off. correct? i like it this way, but not sure if its supposed to be like that or just cause I've changed up the wiring diagram... I did a lot... reversed the switch, reversed the rockers, reversed the LEDs, changed pin layouts... wow... what a day.

 

I didn't end up with flipping the rocker cover. It's the correct way. I only changed the two pin connections.