Date:         Fri, 1 Aug 2008 11:45:06 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Aux light install..sort of  (long attempt)
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <001801c8f3e9$b4095860$4001a8c0@gateway.2wire.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 08:17 AM 8/1/2008 -0700, Don Hanson wrote:
>   First: The in-dash auxiliary light switch.  It has three positions...it
>also has three large spades and two smaller ones.  Ok, so the three big
>spades are load, current and ground, right?  and the two smaller terminals
>share that ground and power a little bulb that lights up the switch
>rocker..probably. If you use another power source to the small terminals.  I
>left those off, for now.  So, what's with the three positions for the
>switch?

Say more about this switch.  Are any terminals labeled?  Have you
checked continuity between terminals in the various switch positions?

Not knowing anything more about it, it sounds like an SPDT
(single-pole, double-throw) switch, in which case *probably* the
center terminal goes to hot, and two outside terminals go to two
different loads, with center position off.  Or it could be wired to
two different hots, with the center terminal going to the load.  None
of the main terminals would usually be wired to ground -- I suspect
that you're connecting your hot directly to ground through the
switch, which certainly *ought* to blow the fuse.

The two small terminals as you said are probably for a pilot
light.  But a few minutes with an ohmmeter between all combinations
of terminals in all switch positions should sort out what's going on.

David


--
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage," '85 GL "Poor Relation"