While looking at Jeff's (sysvr4) installation instructions for the Lidatek laser echo LE-20, I noticed the push button toggle switch he installed for his MP3 player. He mounted that in the pop-out panel to the left of the fog light switch. I thought that looked nice.
I thought it would be cool to re-wire the Lidatek-provided toggle switch to a lighted automotive rocker switch. I found a nice looking one (Gardner Bender: Rocker - Mini, Lighted - GSW-48) that states that it is for automotive uses.
My idea was to eliminate the Lidatek-provided LED and use the lighted rocker switch instead. I'm having a problem, though, getting the rocker switch to light when the Lidatek alerts.
I used the dremel tool to cut out a rectangular hole centered in the pop-out panel. The hole barely allows the switch base to squeeze though, but the hole is narrower than the lip of the switch base that protrudes above the pop-out panel. Mounted in the panel, it looks very nice.
There are three connectors on the rear of the rocker switch, each with a spade terminal. They are numbered and labeled:
- Line
- Load
- Neutral
I clipped the three wires off the toggle switch provided by Lidatek.
I attached to the red power wire (with the fuse) a female terminal that snaps into the rocker switch spade terminal. I connected the power wire to terminal #2 ("load") on the rocker switch.
In the Lidatek-provided toggle switch the other two red wires (that run to the transponders and speaker) are soldered to the same terminal. I attached both of them to the same female terminal connector, and I connected the two red wires to terminal #1 (line) on the rocker switch.
Terminals #1 and #2 are the ones that close the circuit when you toggle the rocker switch. That part works fine. When I turn on the switch, the Lidatek speaker chirps. I used an IR remote to test the two transponders, and the system alerts just as it is supposed to.
I have not yet mounted the transponders on the bumper. I seem to have misplaced the 8mm socket. Funny, that happens to the same one that fits the trucks on my son's skateboard.
Anyway, to get the rocker switch to light, I tried running a wire from the white line that connects to the transponders, and hooking it to the #3 (Neutral) terminal on the rocker switch. This is the same white wire that connects to the black speaker wire and that would connect to the black LED wire, if I were using the LED. No luck.
I just can't seem to get the switch to light, and I'm not an expert in this stuff. It's possible that I have a bad light in the switch itself (I'll check that). I am assuming that is not the problem, though.
Do you guys have any thoughts on how to wire this so the rocker switch will light up? Here's the wiring diagram...
