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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Tigard, Oregon
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    3,017

    Default Wiring help please

    Need some advise from you wiring experts out there please. I have relocated my ballast switches to above the arm rest (see pic below) and occassionally, when someone besides me is driving, they will accidentally hit one of the switches. I would like to remedy this by using an unused switch on the dash to turn the power to the ballast switches on and off. My boat was delivered to the dealer with a Gravity I system so I have one ballast switch on the dash that is no longer being used. I would like to use this as an on off switch for the three current ballast switches. It's a 3 position switch - Empty, Off, and Fill. I would like the 3 ballast switches to be inoperable when the dash mounted switch is in the Off position and operable when the dash switch is in the Fill position.

    How would I go about wiring this up?

    Thanks in advance.

    Al

    Al

    2006 Mobius LSV

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Henderson, NV
    Posts
    7,020

    Default

    one wire going to all 3 of the ballast switches has to be fused power for the pumps and solenoids when switched to the fill position. find that wire, probably hot all the time. my guess would be it's attached to the center pin of the gg ballast switches so it can send power to the fill pump when switched up and to the drain pump when switched down. run it to the unused ballast switch first, then to the 3 gg switches.

    that would be my guess. I have not ever taken the gg switches apart to play with them, but that is where I would start.

    good luck.. I was planning on moving my switches as well, but you bring up a good point to leaving them where they are.
    '06 Supra Launch 20SSV-gone but never forgotten

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Tigard, Oregon
    Posts
    3,017

    Default

    sandm,

    Thanks for the input but I am going to need more detailed instructions than that If someone has actually looked at the back of the ballast switches and can give me specific instructions, I would really appreciate it. I don't want to short something out.

    As far as moving the switches, I would still definitely do it. I used to accidentally bump the switches in their original location but I wouldn’t know it because the switches are hard to see. I personally don't bump the switches in their current location because I am used to them being there. It only happens when someone besides me drives the boat and even then, only rarely. A simple on/off switch for the ballast switches will take care of the issue and I've got a couple spares on the dash (the other one being the aux switch).
    Al

    2006 Mobius LSV

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    California
    Posts
    2,840

    Default

    Al I'm sure there is probably just one main power wire running to the ballast switches. It probably runs to the first switch and then is jumped to the others. Check it because if that's the case you just need to run the power into the switch you want to use as the power switch, then to where the power went to the switches originally. Basically you're just interrupting power.
    2007 Mobius LSV

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Eugene OR
    Posts
    1,786

    Default

    Al,

    The typ of switches you have is ON-OFF-ON. On the back of the switch you should have a two wires comming from the main power. (a 12 volt and a ground wire)(This is if you do have lights on the switches). These two wires are connected to all three switches.

    What you can do is cut the 12 Volt wire going to the three switches and plug it into the single switch in the same spot that it was plugged into the three switches. Then on the single switch you will plug a wire in from one of the connectors to the three switches where that 12 volt wire was plugged in before. I cannot tell you what pin in the single switch you will need to use but you could test until it works.

    The light on the single switch will not work unless you also plug a ground into it. This would be the same pin that is on the three switches.

    I hope this helps. If you would like more information let me know.
    2008 Outback V - Sold but never forgotten.
    “Do not wait; the time will never be “just right.” Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along." -Napoleon Hill

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Eugene OR
    Posts
    1,786

    Default

    Al,
    You are also going about this the wrong way. You need to put little spikes on the switches so if someone bumps them they know they did somthing bad and know not to do it again.
    2008 Outback V - Sold but never forgotten.
    “Do not wait; the time will never be “just right.” Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along." -Napoleon Hill

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    North End Lake Lanier GA
    Posts
    8,155

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by cab13367 View Post
    sandm,

    Thanks for the input but I am going to need more detailed instructions than that If someone has actually looked at the back of the ballast switches and can give me specific instructions, I would really appreciate it. I don't want to short something out.

    As far as moving the switches, I would still definitely do it. I used to accidentally bump the switches in their original location but I wouldn’t know it because the switches are hard to see. I personally don't bump the switches in their current location because I am used to them being there. It only happens when someone besides me drives the boat and even then, only rarely. A simple on/off switch for the ballast switches will take care of the issue and I've got a couple spares on the dash (the other one being the aux switch).
    One thing people might be forgetting.

    Fuse system.

    The current set up runs a Power line to the Pump ON and PUMP Out part of the system.

    Each of the Ballast switched have there own fuse.

    When you run the system off 1 main power switch you need to Fuse the new switch with a Fuse big enough to accept the power draw from all 3 Ballast switches because now your new Switch is a MAIN Breaker for all 3 of the ballast switches.

    Not a huge deal but if you have the Main Power Switch on. Left, Center and Right ballast pumps running, now all 3 are pulling power from the same MASTER switch on your dash. It will pop the factory fuse. I think the ballast switches are 10 amp or 15 amp fuse. The switch on your dash will need a 30 or 45 respectively fuse.

    The fuse system on your ballast switches will act the same as a single throw fuse but the main switch needs to be able to handle all three ballast at the same time.

    As for wiring it. Keep it simple.

    There is a main feed coming to your 3 way ballast switch its daisy chained to the other switches and fused at each switch.
    The ground is the same way.
    You just need to splice into this main power for Fill and Drain as they both need to operate off the dash to make the system Main power off your Dash.
    You can Splice the Fill and Drain power together into the same connector on the Dash switch as the dash is simply a Power On Power Off switch now. Its not being used as a Drain or Fill.
    Run your ground wire to the Dash switch. < it should be grounded from the factory >
    Use Top or Bottom as the power depending on what direction you prefer the switch on for power to the other switches.
    Ground it the same way as the others are as these are all the same style switches.
    Now when you hit the 3 ballast switches and the Dash is off nothing should happen. Turn the dash on and the 3 ballast switches should work normally.

    If you want any help let me know bud. Im only a few minutes away from ya lol. I have been thinking of relocating my switches too i hate bending down to see them just not sure where i want them as of yet.
    Last edited by mmandley; 10-06-2009 at 09:47 AM.
    Malo <--- Means--Evil or Mean One. This explains a lot.
    2013 Mojo 2.5 Skylon Tower. Bestia < Beast >
    [COLOR="#696969"]

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Vancouver WA
    Posts
    3,034

    Default

    I believe all three switches share a common power that switches power on to relays which are fused.
    Cab I would just find the wire that is hot to the switches, unplug that main power, run it back through the unused switch in the dash, then back to switch bank.
    Good luck.
    Last edited by newty; 10-06-2009 at 12:03 PM.


    PWI as usual...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Tigard, Oregon
    Posts
    3,017

    Default

    razz, jester, mandley, newty,

    Thanks for your suggestions. Good point about the fuse mandley, although, like newty says, there is one resetable circuit breaker for all three ballast switches, not one for each (you can see this in the pic). I did call the dealer and he tells me that each ballast switch as well as the aux switch is rated at 20A. He says I can pop the switch out and the amp rating should be on the side of the switch. So I need to look at the empty pumps and figure out the total amp draw when all three are on at the same time. The ballast switch can obviously handle whatever the one fill pump draws.

    As far as wiring, I did look behind the switches last night and found the pos feed going to the resetable breaker then to one of the switches. It them jumpers over to the other two switches. The single ballast switch that I am going to use as an on off switch has three spades on the back that line up with Empty, OFF, and Fill - plus a 4th one that the neg wire attached to it.

    So I just need to disconnect that pos feed going to the resetable breaker and run it to the middle spade of the single ballast switch, then run a wire from the spade coinciding with the Fill position of the single switch and run it back to the resetable breaker. Is that correct?

    Mandley, you are welcome to come by my house and check out the switch relocation that I did. Also, I see on another post that you are going to have someone winterize the boat for you. I can show you how to do it yourself while you are here if you are interested. There's really not much to it and you can save yourself a lot of cash.

    Thanks again everyone.

    Al
    Al

    2006 Mobius LSV

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Vancouver WA
    Posts
    3,034

    Default

    You got it Cab! That should do it. I don't think there will be enough voltage going through the switch to make that big of a difference.


    PWI as usual...

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