'91 L cooling fan, dash-mounted switch?

[bobstad]

I've a "new" Mexican made illuminated white plastic toggle switch I've had since perhaps '82, for I've forgotten what use I'd had in mind; which has never been used.

I've been thinking this might be ideal to wire into the circuit for the wire to the thermostatically controlled cooling fan, from the sensor to the relay; to break that circuit, thus turning on the fan.

The white toggle switch has an orange translucent window which illuminates when the switch is closing its circuit,(we'd assume, since the switch has never been used; though a bulb is visible) with "12V" and "MEXICO" on one side of the plastic switch body behind the toggle, with "E7560" on the opposite side, under what looks like a trademark-a low triangle with the base on the bottom and inside that triangle maybe the letters "CC"[squished at their tops to fit] under a smaller triangle, perhaps, above them near the top of the larger triangle.

There are three brass "spade"(male) type electrical connectors on the back of the switch.

One of these connectors is in the middle of the switch, with the other two diagonal from each other on either end of the switch, so that one of those is on the same side of the switch as the connector in the middle. I have no idea which is which, or how to connect them successfully to make the fan work as desired, or also have the switch illuminate with the fan on.(presuming the switch is meant to illuminate depending upon the position of the switch, though perhaps this could be meant to function, or could be wired to light, when the headlights are on and/or when the instrument panel lights are illuminated?)

My desire is to mount this switch once wired successfully; in the panel to the left of the steering wheel that also includes the wheel dimmer for the instrument panel lights. Though I have no idea how to access this area, am not sure how to mount the switch there, or which of the two available sections of the plastic panel might be preferable?

(thats my mother in our garage at 1510 West Hilyard Lane in Eugene in the first photo; my father in the second in an Isuzu Trooper of his decades later...)

[nonamekid]

I believe on switches like that, the middle spade is for ground. The bottom spade should be for 12+ volts in. The top spade goes to whatever you want to power. The bulb needs the ground so that it can turn on. The switch would work without the ground plug, but sadly the light would not turn on.

[bobstad]

So simple, which even though I didn't think of it, is nice to understand now. Lots of other things on my mind.

I guess the switch should be adequate for the current involved?

Thanks.



Probably need to ask in custom interiors and exteriors about mounting the switch in the dashboard?



Okay, if I use this switch to turn on the cooling fan by breaking the circuit from the thermostatically controlled sensor to the relay to the fan; then I need to figure out how to make the light on the switch turn on when the switch breaks the circuit?

This should be easier than tying my shoes to figure out I guess?

[knux511]

I think that should help

[nonamekid]

^^^^
That is different than what I was thinking. I think there are a few different ways. I suppose the best way would be to use a multimeter and check resistance between terminals.

i will move this post to Custom Interior for you.

[knux511]

i would just make a mini circuit and play with it... switch and battery and a test light to see when the switch is closed/ open and when it lights up the way you want. And i agree Noname, i've had a few that were backwards, usually you just gotta play with em to find out. good luck!

[ejp2fast]

does this switch that you guys mention, does the fan ONLY come on with the switch? or is it wired so that the thermostat switch still can turn the fan on? (when the switch is in the proper posistion)

[mechanicaldj]

you may want to wire it through a relay, because the amps might burn out your switch and wires

[bobstad]

Is my post being correctly interpreted?

you may want to wire it through a relay, because the amps might burn out your switch and wires

This seems perhaps questionable mechanicaldj?

I've been assuming the amperage low from the thermostatically controlled switch in the motor with the sensor in the coolant; the wire from which I'd be putting my switch in the middle of.

The way the fan is turned on is when the circuit from the sensor and thermostatically controlled switch to the relay is broken.(right now I just disconnect the wire to turn on the fan)

The wire is not a very substantial one, so that I reason any wire similar is going to be adequate, no?(with the switch required corresponding also)

[bobstad]

The thermostatically controlled switch on my car has never worked.

The first few years I had the car I never noticed this because I never got stuck in grid lock.

I could handle the bay area if I was careful, but in Seattle gridlock is worse, so I learned to disconnect the wire to the relay from the thermostatically controlled switch in the motor so the fan runs all the time until the wire is reconnected to the dysfunctional thermostatically controlled switch in the motor.

Hope I'm being a little clearer?

[bobstad]

I think that should help

No, people really pay other people to fix their cars?(LOL)

I can never tell the difference between the thieves and the repairman who appreciates someone doing the work instead of themselves. I guess I get about a 50/50 mix if I try to pay for assistance, though this can vary wildly depending on the neighborhood, town or region.(etc.)

I'm going to take the switch over to the shop here which works on my ancient television, equally old stereo and all the other weird household electronic junk indispensable to life and see if he can tell me what to do.(other than the proverbial long hike off a short pier)

Fong is really pretty nice.(TECH ONE ELECTRONICS here in B'ham...all us Hamsters!!!)

[bobstad]

And, does anyone know the best way to tear into the dashboard to mount my cool switch next to the dimmer wheel?

[knux511]

So you just want to run the switch up to the fan in a simple circuit? i would make sure that i put a fuse in at the very least..

[bobstad]

Fong helped me to figure out that with the toggle in one position this opens the circuit between the middle brass spade and one of the ones on the end, and in the other position that circuit is closed while the opposite one is opened.

I got there after 5 p.m. and with his shop facing the setting sun I was unable to see if the light was turned on though considering the device he was using to test the circuits perhaps there wasn't any current to make the light go on?

I have an old 12v wall wart I will cannibalize to make a low-amperage tester with to see if I can figure out a way to break the circuit and make the light come on at the same time.

[bobstad]

So you just want to run the switch up to the fan in a simple circuit? i would make sure that i put a fuse in at the very least..

Not really. The idea is to break the circuit from the thermostatically controlled switch in the coolant on the motor(near the distributor, for all you folk used to popping the hood on occasion) which goes to a relay.

When the thermostatically controlled switch is functional as the one in my car is not, this breaks the circuit to the relay to turn on the fan.

So now when I want the fan on I unplug the wire to the relay from that dysfunctional thermostatically controlled switch and the fan runs all the time.

Putting a switch in to break the circuit would allow me to turn the fan on as I drive as needed whenever I noticed the temp gauge start to rise.

I'd simply get a new thermostatically controlled switch; except too often in installation of one people here at the web site say the housing the switch is in on the motor gets broken. Which seems to be a major hassle once that occurs.

Bravery might prevail eventually, but the idea of a dash switch has had appeal too.

Someone suggested a gentle seeming method to get the old thermostatically controlled switch out of the housing on the motor, but experience tells me to await a properly "zen" moment to try doing such an operation.(there are few wrecking yards in this "green" county anymore; which is greatly inhibiting)

My bugaboo is over-tightening everything.(probably attributable to learning initially on cast iron, from four banger Model As and Ts to 289s...the air-cooled VW I had a dozen years was often a nightmare of heli-coils, inserts and such from stripping things out, especially prior to discovery of anti-seize compound in a tube I now coat every bolt I ever touch with)