Bed lighting question

So then if I did it that way both lights in the switch would dim with everything else, but the lower light would only be on when the bed lights were on?

 

Yes, I think that's what would happen if you tapped both sides of the hvac/dash light circuit.

The way I see it, if you leave it the way you drew it, and tap the solid green wire at the hvac controls for the upper light, then everything should be fine. The top light will come on with the dash lighting, but won't dim when you adjust the dimmer control. The bottom light would come on when you switch the bed lights on. How often do you dim the dash lights? Is it really a big deal if that upper switch light stays bright when you dim the dash?

Carribe is pretty smart, I'm kinda waiting for him to chime in again, he's got me thinking I might be missing something here, but right now I don't see it. I'd wire it the exact way you drew it and put up with the top light being full bright whenever the tail lights are on.

 

Its not a big deal if it doesn't dim, but if all it takes is wiring the green with tracer to be the ground, I might as well go that route. Or just get a switch that has two completely separate lights in it.

 

Maybe there's a chance of the dash lighting trying to ground through the bed lights when the lights are turned off. I guess that could happen, but you could wire a diode in to prevent that. Personally, I'd just go with what you have and forget about making that upper indicator light dim.

If you can find a switch that has the two lights completely isolated, that would eliminate any chance of problems for sure. But it wouldn't be worth the extra hassle to me. I'm confident it would work for sure if you don't try to get the indicator lights to dim with the dash.

Edit: I'm retracting the part about the diode. Don't see that working now.

 

Well I haven't ordered the switch yet so I think I'll try and find one with two independent lights in it so I don't have to worry about weird grounding issues

 

Here's the thing. I *think* I've read about folks drawing power from the green wire to power a light and going straight to ground, and it working to power that light and simply not dimming.

And the rheostat in the ttora diagram is not shown as connecting into the body control module - as I read it.

So, it might work - simply as a non dimming light on when instrument lights are powered.

That said, I personally wouldn't do it. I've smoked a body control module in another car and it's a big repair bill and the car out of commission for a while.

So I personally play it extra safe when tapping into any factory wires. In this case - it may just be plain old "fear uncertainty and doubt" on my part. But I also try not to recommend other TW folks to try modifications I'm unwilling to do myself. :chicken:

 

So if I read that correctly, the two lights in each switch are both indicators of weather the bed lights are on or off and either switch would be able to turn them on or off right? And if thats the case, why use two lights at all?. Plus that way I can't get the switch to illuminate with the dash switches and such. Which I want to be able to do.

 

I think that's what Rogue Predator wants....the top light on the switch would just be to see where the switch is in the dark.

If he wires it the way you posted here, one of the two lights on each switch will always be on.

This is a three way switch like in a house. Flip the switch one way to turn the lights on, then walk across the room and flip the other switch to turn the lights off. Power goes into one SPDT switches common terminal (would be the center terminal if we were talking about a common SPDT toggle switch without any fancy lights on it), then out on one of two wires to the second switch. Second switch connects one of those two wires to the output (center terminal of second SPDT switch). There is no set off or on position for each switch. It's going to vary depending on the position of the opposite switch.

I know the basic part of this works. I've done it on my truck. The only thing that's going to be different is that I don't have lighted switches. So, basically he's got two indicator light bulbs that just happen to be built into each switch. They share one common terminal and have one unique terminal for each bulb. Ground the common terminal and connect the two remaining terminals (one for each indicator) to a source of positive 12V. Use the dash light positive for one, and the bed lights that he's adding for the other.

The only way I see for anything weird is if he tries to get that one indicator light to come on with the dash lights AND respond to the dimmer by connecting the common indicator terminal on the switch to the dash lighting ground (dimmable). I'm not sure that the dash lights wouldn't try to ground through the LED strip he's adding for the bed lighting.

 

Good advice. Standard disclaimer always applies. But looking at the diagram from 05 and ASS-U-ME ing that it hasn't changed, hooking into the solid green wire in the dash lights should be pulling positive power directly from the tail light relay's output.

 

I'm not certain that Caribe understands what you're trying to do.

Actually, maybe I should ask you again?

I have been trying to help you wire this so that you flip one switch on to activate your lights, go to the second switch and flip it to turn the lights off.

And you want one indicator to activate with the dash lights, and the other to come on when the bed lights are on.

Right?

Want to make sure this doesn't turn into a clusterf#$k.

Bed time for me. I'll check back tomorrow.

 

Thats exactly what in trying to do

 

I believe that the diagram you drew yourself will accomplish that.

Neither one of the lights on your switches are going to dim with the dash light dimmer. That wouldn't bother me at all. You may feel differently.

If I were you I wouldn't try to re engineer this whole thing at this point just for the sake of making that one light dim with the dash lighting.

There's a whole ton of people reading this thread. It would be nice if someone else who knows electrical would chime in. I'm very confident this will work, but you've got two guys telling you two different things now, and a third opinion would be just the thing to help you make up your mind.

 

Yeah, if the switch wont dim I can live with that. But if I can get my hands on an identical switch with one more terminal and wired so that both lights are completely independent I could get them to dim and not have to worry about any gremlins....I think.

 

Yes, I agree with you there as well. Just don't think that's going to be easy to do. But I also didn't think you'd find the configuration that you've got already.

 

I'm gonna call the company that makes the one I planned on using and see if they can't make one with two completly independent lights. Probably a long shot but what the hell...

 

Called the company that makes the switches, they have a SPDT switch with two independent amber LEDs. Working with a distributor now. They have the same switch but DPDT so I might go that route. I should have part numbers and diagrams up later today.

As promised, Diagrams are attached

Also new diagram for wiring the lights:

 

Sweet.

 

Everything look right now?

 

Yeah, I think you've got it all right now.

 

Sweet.