toggle switchs

[mini420]

Hey Dan,
Hows it going? Cody from Wilmington.  I saw on the other forum you left out to Tucson.  Sorry to see you go as I dont know anyone else here with a Mini.  But as long as your doing good.

I got a question for you.  I posted on minimania and have gotten some advice but figured Id ask you too on here.

Im replacing my rocker switches for toggles on an aluminum dash Im having fab'd. Do you got any advice on the amp and pole/throw?
I have some websites to get them from and they arent expensive.

Im pretty sure a 20-25A switch will be ok.  Im just not sure on the pole or throw.  Im only keeping the headlights and hazards.
I will be adding fog lights later but that will be an easy one since it will be all new wiring.

Any help would be great.
Cody

Anyone else with any kmnowledge would be great too.

[94touring]

Oh hey man.  Yeah not sure myself on that one.  Someone else around here with some electriccal knowledge may have a good answer.  You still thinking of selling the car or going to hang on to it now?

[mini420]

I am hanging on to her for a while at least. everythings for sale, just a matter of price.
I went and painted her a sick as orange with pearl white roof.  One of the guys I ride with paints motorcycles and did it for cash and parts.  I paid for supplies.  Luckily the car fits in his booth... Came out really good. Wasnt a complete respray. Im going to do the engine bay in a flat black, as well as inside the boot. But the enterior was shot in orange. Ill post some pics on here.

now as for the switches I answered my own question on the headlights.... sort of. still need some help if anyone knows the answer....

The three wires to the headlight switch are 1. power 2. headlights 3. parking lights
I connected a 30A toggle. it had power, ground and load. having 1 load im guessing is also meaning 1 pole... corrsct me if wrong.
i connected seperatley and the switch worked fine for the headlights and then fine for the parking lights. so i can either get two of those or try a double pole double throw, DPDT.

Is this correct?
the hazards is still a mystery... i ran out oftime before having to turn to house stuff. but looking at it closer and seeing what the wires are will tell me more

[MPlayle]

The headlight and flasher switches are each "special purpose" switches.

The head light switch is a 3 position switch that operates both the headlights and running lights:
- position A = off
- position B = just the park/running lights (front and rear)
- position C = headlights and running lights (again front and rear)

It has power in, and bridges to nowhere (off), output 1 (running lights only) or output 1 & 2 (all lights).  You would need either a similar type switch in "toggle" package, or two toggles in "cascade": toggle 1 for running lights also feeds to toggle 2 for the headlights.

For the flashers:

The switch is always live with two positions: power fed to turn signals through the ignition, or power fed to the flasher direct.  The Mini's flasher switch has separate wires for left and right as well, so 6 wires on the back of the switch.

[94touring]

Nice man, looks like a huge improvement over your oranged peeled purplish paint job you had.

[mini420]

Dan- it was blue alright.... but thanks. it really does look a lot better. i was never a big fan of the last color. I still have a list of things to do but Ill be stopping for a bit once the dashboard is done.

MPlayle - Thanks for the info.
The headlight switch would need to be a double throw. having an off, on, on... i belive
what Im not sure is the pole. Im thinking double pole and that what Im going to try. I know how to wire up with two seperate toggles. I would be turning on the park lights and headlights seperate... which is ok but Im going to try and figure it out with one switch

Interesting info onthe hazard switch. I noticed the constant power but your saying theres also an alt power tied into the ignition switch to...  so of the 6 wires off the switch 2 are power. one constant and one alternate and the other 4 go to each turn signal?

thats going to be a hard switch to find. in a sense it is kind of acting like a relay between the lights and the the switch on the steering column.

[MPlayle]

Not quite right.  There are two constant powers into the hazard switch - one for left, one for right.

In the normal position (hazards off), these are then fed commonly to the ignition switch and then to the turn signal stalk and on to the turn signals themselves.

In the "hazards on" position, those constant powers are fed to the flasher relay and on to the turn signal lights.

[mini420]

well i got the headlight switch. just need to finish my dash to have a place to put it.
anybody have top and bottom dash rails available???

so the switch needed to operate the headlight is a DPDT, double pole double throw and pretty simple to wire
total of 6 prongs on back. center two are for power. if holding so that the two powers are pointing left/right you wire like this
two top prongs are one pole with the two bottom being the other
on top pole wire up park and headlights
on bottom pole wire just the park.

and waalaa. one on is just park and the other is park and headlights
i havnt given up on the hazards switch just yet. if i figure that out ill post

also if anybody has more questions i could help or post a pic

[batman1usa]

 ;D  Oh I do like that color.

[joltfreak]

nice color!
it looks like you have most of a zeemax kit on. what happened to the front bumper?
i can't tell in you pic but do you have the rear bumper as well?

[mini420]

Thanks,

I has the whole kit when i was still in England but I didnt like the way it looked. Tried selling but actually just tossed the front rear and side views.
I think this way you get the classic look front and back with a sporty side view

[MiniGene]

Thanks,

I has the whole kit when i was still in England but I didnt like the way it looked. Tried selling but actually just tossed the front rear and side views.
I think this way you get the classic look front and back with a sporty side view

Nice job!  That is a cool look for sure.