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Dirty Harry 11-08-2021 05:48 PM

dimmer switch
 
The floor-mounted dimmer switch in my car has bit the dust, and I'd like to replace it with a toggle switch of some sort to be mounted on the dash or nearby. This will alleviate a little congestion in the footbox, I think. I seldom drive at night, and don't use high beams much, so it's not like I'd be using the switch a lot.

The switch should be heavy duty and simply switch between two options, with no "off" position needed.

So far, I haven't run across a suitable switch to use. Does anyone have a suggestion and a source for one?

patrickt 11-08-2021 06:29 PM

The easiest solution would be to utilize a momentary ground switch, which could be as simple as a horn button or the like, that you just tap and it flips back and forth from hi to low beams. To do that, you would keep your regular headlight switch that has OFF-ON-ON but the the current would run through a VW Latching Relay that is flipped back and forth by the momentary ground switch. You can see my VW Latching Relay here: http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/era-...utes-less.html and you can read about it and the use of a latching relay in detail here: https://mgaguru.com/mgtech/accessories/at113a.htm One cool aspect of doing this is that the momentary ground switch would also act as a Flash-to-Pass whether the headlights are on or off. Just touch the momentary ground and you flash your high beams. :cool:

Dwight 11-08-2021 08:09 PM

I like a four way switch like the one Speedway sells.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speed...d+light+switch


"When the knob is all the way in it is the off position. One notch out is park lights, two notches out is low beams, and all the way out is high beams"

cycleguy55 11-08-2021 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirty Harry (Post 1499142)
The floor-mounted dimmer switch in my car has bit the dust, and I'd like to replace it with a toggle switch of some sort to be mounted on the dash or nearby. This will alleviate a little congestion in the footbox, I think. I seldom drive at night, and don't use high beams much, so it's not like I'd be using the switch a lot.

The switch should be heavy duty and simply switch between two options, with no "off" position needed.

So far, I haven't run across a suitable switch to use. Does anyone have a suggestion and a source for one?

Don't use the switch to carry the current load, just use it to switch a relay. Connect your power to terminal 30, your low beams to terminal 87a (normally closed) and your high beams to terminal 87 (normally open). Use a SPST switch and connect one switch terminal to battery (+) and the other to terminal 85 on the relay. Relay terminal 86 connects to ground. When you flip the switch to 'On' it will send toggle the power from terminal 87a to terminal 87, switching from low beams to high beams.

See this diagram in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

Dirty Harry 11-10-2021 05:19 AM

Gentlemen,
Thanks for sharing your ideas.


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