Vehicles of today have come a long way from being operated by a handle to being operated by an advanced steering system. A lot of other things have changed too such as the wheels they use, which once had spokes like the one on your bicycle. But another aspect of vehicles that hasn't always been present yet it makes up the majority of their function possible is the switch.
Automotive switches are responsible for changing the landscape of vehicle interior since they offer extra functionality as well as ease of use. But without switch wrings there wouldn't be switches or the extra functionality they offer. Automotive switch wiring makes all the small and major features found in your car today, possible - even the ones that haven't become mainstream yet.
Types of Car Switch Wirings
SPST vs DPDT
The most notable difference between switch wirings is the number of poles they have. DPDT and SPST are acronyms that refer to the number of poles a proper car switch wiring has. The letter “S” stands for single while the letter “D” stands for double. But these acronyms also represent the number of throws a switch has represented by the letter “T”.
The number of poles is represented by the letter “P”. This means that an SPST automotive switch wiring has one throw and one pole while a DPDT switch wiring has two poles and two throws. The former is able to close a circuit at one position only while the latter are able to close a circuit in both the up or down position.
DT or double-throw switch wirings are also able to have what is known as a centre position which is configured as on-off-on. This is not as common in vehicles though. DP switches control two circuits acting like two identical switches that are usually mechanically linked. This is also the reason for the creation of different types of electrical switches too.
Momentary vs Maintained
There is another type of categorisation automotive switch wirings are split up in, maintained and momentary. This refers to how a switch is activated. For example, momentary switches are ones that stay active only when engaged by you. A maintained switch on the other hand is one that stays in the position you leave it in until you change it. This means that momentary car switch wirings are best for when you want to use something temporarily and maintained ones are better for a feature that you want to leave on for a long period of time such as your AC.
How to Wire a Car Switch
1. While there are different types of switches used in vehicles their installation process and wiring largely stay the same. Once you've found a fuse line close the location of your new switch. This is done by using a test light. Once you've done that you then need to mount the switch.
2. For the mounting process you can either use a switch panel or drill a hole for the switch to mount to. Make sure while making the whole you don't damage other wiring switches. The hole you make needs to be about 1.5 cm but do keep in mind that some switches will require you to drill a larger hole.
3. Next, you need to connect a wire from the fused source to the centre terminal found on the toggle switch. Making this connection can be a little bit tricky especially if it's your first time doing this. This is why it's better if you use a Scotchlok connector. The time needed to make this connection will be cut in half with a Scotchlok connector.
4. Make sure that when making any connections to the switch you should make them with insulated solderless connectors. This is a lot sager of a practice which will keep both the switch and the wires safe. At the end make sure you run another wire from the second terminal found on the switch to the button or device controlling the switch.
5. You might think that the grounding process has been left out but this isn't necessary in this case. Why? Because vehicles use the bode as the ground side for any circuits, eliminating the need to run another wire to ground the switch. Before you put everything back together though, make sure to test the switch and the function it controls.
Conclusion
Something so simple but yet so important can easily be taken for granted but car switch wiring hasn't been at the end of that. Since switch wirings are so versatile they still play a big part when you want to upgrade your vehicle's interior. With more and more vehicles having more features available even on their trim levels knowing how to wire and install an automotive switch wiring can save you lots of time and money too. Not only for upgrading but for servicing certain functions on your own.
