2003 262 - using open auxiliary switches

[Bfun220]

Lol.
No, I had to work 8 days. Have 4 more to go.

[notstock4long]

I too appear to have a bad LED on one of my aux switches. On the one that works, the delivery captain told me that was for the GPS antenna. So like an idiot I had been turning it on until I decided to try it without it, and the GPS still worked. But, since that LED worked and the other didn't, I had believed him. The one LED hasn't worked since the minute I got the boat, which irks me now that I have looked at the switched and see that it should be working.

[notstock4long]

I think the led should light up though. It's amazing how they loop the hot wire-red one to each other in a chain.

There are definitely a lot of what appear to be odd wiring practices. Just strange how they do a lot of it. Probably the accepted way of marine wiring, but different than my initial thoughts on how I would do a lot of it.

[Big Block Power]

100% correct. Too me if a switch is left unused it should have a power out terminal open and these have wires going to all terminals and operate nothing? Maybe your supposed to piggy back the led lead?

[Driller]

The LEDs are piggy backed to the switch with their own spade connector. The grounds to the LEDs are all hooked to the same connection. At least on my 2011 242. I just replaced one last week.

[Driller]

Now I'm wondering if I should replace another on the aux switch. Using the voltmeter first to see if the switch is hot.

[Driller]

I'm pretty sure another member just posted in another thread that same thing happened with his led and his dealer stocked the led.lol.

Yep. My dealer keeps them in stock. The one I replaced was on the bilge pump. I knew it should be working because the pump would run, but no LED light.

[Big Block Power]

Now I'm wondering if I should replace another on the aux switch. Using the voltmeter first to see if the switch is hot.

If I'm a betting man I would put money on it that it is hot.

[Driller]

I'll let you know when I get around to looking at it. I have a spare LED just in case.

[Big Block Power]

Take a picture of how your spare switches if you take that panel out or if you get a good shot of them.

[Driller]

I'll take pictures next time I'm into the panel, but as I recall the auxiliary switch we are discussing has 2 relatively heavy gauge wires running through the switch (yellow). I looked at the battery setup today while I was checking the oil and it appears the "House" Battery positive terminal is tied to a positive bar with no fuses whatsoever. There is however a breaker panel mounted under the dash with a breaker for most everything.

As I recall there are only 3 wires attached to the push button switch. A Positive in, A Positive Out, and the connector for the positive lead of the LED light. The device it is functioning must be grounded to the common ground, and the LED is grounded under the dash to a common ground. All LEDs grounding together.

Maybe the setup is Battery / Positive Bar / switch / Breaker Panel / Device.

Maybe nothing is tied to breaker panel? Will have to dig a little deeper.

[Bfun220]

On my 220 aux switches have power to them. And the led has the ground hooked up. I remove a wire from the switched side of the switch and hooked my positive wire from my chart plotter at that piont on switch. I also attached positive from led to same. Then i attached my negative from the chartplotter to ground. Now I have switched power to the chart plotter and working led.

[AsLan7]

FWIW, the captain's call exhaust we just had installed at Gerry's marine used the existing wiring running thru the boat to the switch. They used one of the auxiliary switches for the underwater LED light.