led on switch turning off in on position

Hi all,

I want to buy a 3 pin switch with an led.
I want the led to notify me that the switch is in the open position, not closed.
Any thoughts as how I would do this? Im stumped...

Im aware of how to do this with an external led, but unsure how to do it with a switch that has an internal led.

Thanks

Reconnect the LED's +12V from its present centre pin to the outer input +12V pin, then move its GND to the centre pin.
That should flatten a normal car battery after a week of few.

Much simpler to leave the switch as is then no LED = off.
Plus no flatty batty. Peter why do people want to complicate things?

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Sometimes it's complicated situations. There are times I've wanted similar - not that I can thinks of an example ATM except for a night switch (find the switch to turn lights on).

Shezza's application might be f.ex when IGN is on to show the fuel or water pump is off. (Of course in normal cars both are automated.)

Let me explain further...

I have installed a windows auto up module in my car. I want to install a cut off switch in case I want my windows to stay down on the odd occasion. Though I dont want to forget to re-enable it, that could turn out pretty bad. Thats why I want to be notified that the module is disconnected. I dont think Ill forget, but its not a risk I want to take.
And there will be no flat battery as the notification light will run off ACC power.

Very confused... you talk about moving pins. Though one pin is set at the + for the led, it is set. Then the other two are in and out. Out doubles up as the earth for the led.

So similar to my 2nd example - ie, with IGN on you want to be notified by lit LED that you have manually disabled something.

By pins I mean move the LED's leads - strictly speaking one LED lead/wire and it's resistor's wire (ie, a 12V LED).

LED+ goes to (IGN) +12V and LED- to the load so the load grounds the LED.
When the switch is "on", the LED is shorted - ie +12V to LED-.

Normally LED- is to GND (hence the 3rd switch terminal if its SPST) with LED+ to the +12V switched output so it's on when the switch & output are on.

If you can't reposition the LEDs leads then it can't be done with that switch or LED unless it is an SPDT switch and you add a relay...

Or simply add an normal on/off switch, you'll be able to see if the windows don't close.
Of course if this is in connection with an alarm, alarms with aux outputs can be modded such that you use the aux to close the windows.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Its a SPST switch. I guess I could add a SPDT relay, I could make that work. Was just looking for a more simple solution. Dont like over complicating thing even if some think I am complicating things.
I cant reposition the leads.

And the module puts the windows up one at a time. So Id be hanging around staring at my car to make sure all the windows go up. Not the way I roll :P

Thanks for all the posts

Sure, add the relay and watch the battery go down even faster.
Why do amateurs always want to complicate things?

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Provided it's all IGN powered it should be fine.

Of course it's probably better getting a new switch that can be reconfigured, but I'll assume you're stuck with the one you've got.

Which I forgot to mention
But there's another easy way.
The LED itself, provided it's 3mm and not the "super bright" type, if you use the car everyday won't make much difference to your battery.
What you want is a two pole single throw switch.
Small types available from RS, Farnell etc.
4 terminals on back. When switched one way two make contact and the other two break, reverse happens when switched the other way.
So when "off" the side with the LED, 2.5 or 12V+ to LED cathode, anode to switch and then ground/(earth)/NEG/(-) is still connected.
When switched to "on" window close control is connected, LED circuit opened this LED is off.
I believe this switch is also known as an NC +NO.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Here's another way to do what the OP wants.

shezza wrote:

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Though one pin is set at the + for the led, it is set. Then the other two are in and out. Out doubles up as the earth for the led.

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I think you'll find that the "double up" pin is the output to the load and the positive for the LED. I call this pin "Common" below. The pin for the LED is the NEG side of the LED. I call this "Ground" below.

Most lighted SPST switches have 3 terminals. Battery, Common, and Ground. The contacts are between Battery and Common. The LED is between Common and Ground. Battery would normally be input, and Common would normally be the switched output.

Wire your power Input to the Common terminal.
Wire your load to the Battery terminal.
Jumper Ground back to Battery terminal with the load.

When the switch is open, the LED will be grounded through the load that is now turned off, and it will illuminate. Close the switch, and there is no current flow through the LED (+ to + = no flow), so it goes out. The module has to provide low enough resistance internally between its power input and ground for this to work. I've never tried it, but my hunch is it will work. Test first, before you wrap it all up.

So much banter all the time about how complicated it is to do things from you two. Took me less than 30 seconds to figure out how to do what the OP wants.

Davep "congrats" you are the new Howard
And I mean it as a compliment.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.