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Replacing Stock Ignition Switch

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Discription: General Mobile Electronics Questions and Answers
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=44575
Printed Date: July 15, 2025 at 5:41 AM


Topic: Replacing Stock Ignition Switch

Posted By: nzbug
Subject: Replacing Stock Ignition Switch
Date Posted: December 06, 2004 at 1:38 PM

Hi all, sorry in advance for the long post, hopefully my description of what I am trying to do will be as clear as mud at the end of reading this!

I am currently in the process of re-wiring my 1969 VW beetle and want to replace the stock ignition switch with a combination of toggle switches and relays and was wondering if my theory here is sound...The original switch is getting a little tired and rather than replace it, I wanted to do something a little different!

I want to use 2 toggle switches (1 for the Accessory position and 1 for the Ignition circuit) and a momentary push button switch for the start circuit to mimic the ignition siwtch. All 12v battery feeds will be be run through a seperate kill switch to isolate the toggle switch feeds and 12v battery common relay inputs...(effectively like using a key for the ignition switch).
All switches are from ignited performanc(www.ignitedperformance.com).
The kill switch is rated at 500amps, toggle switches are rated at 10amps and the push button starter switch is rated at 10amps. All relays are SPDT, 12VDC 30amps from local auto parts store. The rest of the car has been re-wired with a American Autowire kit from Watsons Streetworks.

So for the accessory circuit, my wiring would be like this....
12v low current feed switched through toggle switch to relay coil term 85 to energize the relay coil. Relay term 86 to ground. 12v High current fused battery feed to relay common term 30. N/O relay term 87 to accesory wire, (accesory circuit of watsons kit)

For the ignition circuit, the wiring would be like this......12v low current feed switched though toggle switch to relay coil term 85 to energize relay coil. Relay term 86 to ground. 12v high current fused battery feed to relay common term 30. N/O relay term 87 to ignition wire (ignition circuit of watsons kit).

For the start circuit, I only want the push button starter switch to be able to engage if the ignition toggle is in the "on" position....so wiring would be like this.... 12v low current feed from output of ignition toggle switch, through the momentary push button switch to relay term 85 to energize relay coil. Relay term 86 to ground. 12v high current fused battery feed to relay common term 30. N/O relay term 87 to starter wire (starter solenoid)

Does all this sound OK and would it work? How safe would this be...ie: how reliable are relays in this type of situation? Can I daisy chain all my common battery feeds to each relay (term 30) back to one fused point for ease of wiring, or should I run seperate fused feeds to each realy? Can all my relay coil grounds (term 86) be grounded back to one point also?

Thanks in advance for reading my post, and any advice/suggestions offered.

Mark




Replies:

Posted By: Hymer
Date Posted: December 06, 2004 at 7:25 PM
Sounds right to me, I did the same thing with my 56 chev. I rewired by hand to aux fuse panels rather than buying a rewire kit. The onlyt question I have for you is if you are running a voltage regulator to clean up the output from the (ugg) generator? It's been a while scince I worked on an old VW but I think they used them. If your kit came with the connector, make sure you use it! Oh yeah, you really don't need a relay from your starter switch if you have a starter solenoid (thats what the solenoid is) you can just run a 12v lead to one side of the switch and the other side out to the trigger on the solenoid.

Good luck.

Hymer




Posted By: nzbug
Date Posted: December 06, 2004 at 7:34 PM

Thanks Hymer.....I've actually converted over to an internally regulated alternator so should be fine in that respect.... :)

As for the relay, I thought as you did originally that the push button starter would be OK (rated at 10amps and all), but the instructions that came with it recommended a relay so I thought it is cheap and easy to install so why not.....





Posted By: rsudbay
Date Posted: December 08, 2004 at 12:03 PM

lol, your car is going to be like starting up an airplane. sounds fun.



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hey, everyone has got to start somewhere. but ill learn




Posted By: Hymer
Date Posted: December 08, 2004 at 10:20 PM
You should add an extra coil, a couple of relays and some spark plugs, and of course one more switch and get some flames shooting from the pipes when you fire her up... VW's are great for flame throwers, they tend to leave plenty of un-used gas in the exahst... Heh just like a jet plane...

Have fun...





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