Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

[Cargeena 2]

I just bought a 3 gang switch panel at my local Bass pro Shop and I have some questions about how to wire it to my 12 volt battery.
It has the 3 switches with separate fuses for each plus a cigarette lighter and a dual toggle switch for the battery meter (test 1 & test 2).
I see how to wire the main positive & negative terminals to the battery but I am having trouble with other wires attached to this panel.
Two red wires come out of a small wired box on the back of this panel for the battery meter, where do I wire these two?
Also, there is a fuse under the cigarette lighter that has another red wire coming out the back of the panel, where would I wire this to?
I believe that on the back of each switch, I would wire the positive & negative for each device I want to run ( stern light, bow light and an extra), is this also correct?
Any diagrams or links would sure be appreciated.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

You might want to take a look at this...

You'll notice that none of your "function" switches has a ground. Switches simply interrupt the circuit. However, if they have indicator lights, there will be an additional terminal at the top of a switch for a ground, as the indicator lights need a ground.

You also need to make sure the grounds on your batteries are tied together at the batts. The 2 leads from the batts can either come off the batts themselves, or off the batt 1 and 2 posts on the batt switch, but they do need to be fused close to the switch or batts, 5A ought to do it.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

If the switches on the panel have built in indicator lights they definitely will have a ground but the internal light is all that ground is for.

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

Okay according to that diagram, the positive wire that comes from the back of that panel directly under the 12V socket is jumped to the nearest positive relay (Switch #3) ?
Also, In ordrr to run the main positive post of this panel directly to the battery, I have to insert a 40 amp breaker in between that connection?
Thanks for that diagram, it gives me a better understanding of how to do it correctly.

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

If the switches on the panel have built in indicator lights they definitely will have a ground but the internal light is all that ground is for.

The panel is already pre-wired; On each switch, the positive is already connected and there are two round slots to attach the positive wire for say the bow light.
On that same switch, the negative wire is connected with an open end to attach to the ground of say that same bow light, as the switches are lit when on.
On the switch nearest to the 12V plug, I would jump the positive wire from the fuse under that socket to the positive slot on that switch (Accessory), correct?

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

A little more work is in order here...standby...

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

Here's the way you do it.

If your little switch panel has a built in ground bus, great. If not, I would get one...

And yes, you do need a 40A breaker coming off the batt switch or batt. Protects the whole helm...

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

Here's the way you do it.

If your little switch panel has a built in ground bus, great. If not, I would get one...

And yes, you do need a 40A breaker coming off the batt switch or batt. Protects the whole helm...

Perfectly understood now, the first diagram from the other gentleman gave me the heads up & your diagram is the last piece to this puzzle.
Thanks guys!

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

Uh-Oh; Having trouble locating that 12V Bus, is there another name for it & would anyone know where I can buy one, for example a major auto parts store or other store?
I found the 40 amp breaker at O'Reilly's Auto Parts.
Thanks so much.

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

I see this bus bar in this forum's boat parts section, is this what I need to buy?
Also the two nuts at the end are for attaching this bus bar to under the dash of my boat, correct?

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

No, those 2 large studs with nuts on them are for attaching larger cables with 1/4" terminals. Right next to each stud is a mounting hole, that's how you attach the bus. Use 3/4" #10 pan or oval heads self tapping screws, make sure where you want to attach it has coring in between the glass layers...so the screw ends don't poke out the other side...

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

No, those 2 large studs with nuts on them are for attaching larger cables with 1/4" terminals. Right next to each stud is a mounting hole, that's how you attach the bus. Use 3/4" #10 pan or oval heads self tapping screws, make sure where you want to attach it has coring in between the glass layers...so the screw ends don't poke out the other side...

Perfect, I will order one now as I don't see any place close by to get one.
Thanks for your info Seabob!

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

And this picture would be the 40 amp breaker I use? Does it need to be any special voltage? How do I wire the breaker into the wire from the battery to the panel? I believe I run one wire from the battery to the load side of the breaker, then a wire from the load side of the breaker to the positive main on the panel? I am very new to this and appreciate this info, as the weather will cooperate soon & I hope to have this ready within a week. Thanks.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

You can use that breaker, and it will work, but it's meant to be panel mounted, very difficult to mount otherwise. Here's the one you want...

but in the surface mount type. And here it is, right on iboats...
Surface mount 40A Breaker

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

You can use that breaker, and it will work, but it's meant to be panel mounted, very difficult to mount otherwise. Here's the one you want...

but in the surface mount type. And here it is, right on iboats...
Surface mount 40A Breaker

Going to order it right now, Thanks again Seabob!
I may look for someone local in my area to professionally wire this up for me just to make sure it is right.

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

Just want to say you're getting great advice from seabob. I wired up a panel like that last week; only difference was mine has only one battery test lead. Other than that I wired it exactly like the last diagram.

Also not sure how much that 40a breaker costs but you could use an inline fuse in it's place. That's what I did and I carry spare fuses in my tool box on the boat in case it blows.

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

Just want to say you're getting great advice from seabob. I wired up a panel like that last week; only difference was mine has only one battery test lead. Other than that I wired it exactly like the last diagram.

Also not sure how much that 40a breaker costs but you could use an inline fuse in it's place. That's what I did and I carry spare fuses in my tool box on the boat in case it blows.

No doubt about that Trendsetter.
I belong to a very similar forum that deals with scanners & radios and when I saw this forum was almost identical, I joined right away because I knew how helpful we could be for each other.
Plus we can discuss our boating & fishing experiences in here, share some pix, etc.
It don't get better than that for me.

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

Well, I installed the switch exactly as the diagram shows, with the negative bus bar & the 40 amp breaker. No power at all to the switch so I will have to look for a local electrical person to check my wiring & redo it right.
The only part that went right was when I cut the hole inot the dash with my Dremel rotozip & the panel fit 1st time!
I gave it my best shot anyway & Thanks for all your help iboat members!

 

[seabob4]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

Well, I installed the switch exactly as the diagram shows, with the negative bus bar & the 40 amp breaker. No power at all to the switch so I will have to look for a local electrical person to check my wiring & redo it right.
The only part that went right was when I cut the hole inot the dash with my Dremel rotozip & the panel fit 1st time!
I gave it my best shot anyway & Thanks for all your help iboat members!

No you don't, you can do this. First, you need a multimeter. If you have one and know how to use it, great. If you don't, and don't know how to use one, go get relatively cheap one at HD/Lowes/Sears, and here's a tutorial from my site that will teach the basics so you can do what you need to do...The Proline Guy...The Multimeter

First, make sure you have voltage going in and coming out of the breaker (of course, make sure the breaker isn't tripped, some are shipped that way...). Then, go to your fuse block and make sure you have voltage there. Check for continuity between your battery negative post and your ground bus bar. If these all check good, check for voltage at the output end of each fuse holder. Then check for voltage on the center terminal of each switch. Then turn each switch on, and check for voltage on the bottom terminals.

Let me know how it goes...

 

[Cargeena 2]

Re: Wiring help for 3 gang panel switch with lighter, battery meter

No you don't, you can do this. First, you need a multimeter. If you have one and know how to use it, great. If you don't, and don't know how to use one, go get relatively cheap one at HD/Lowes/Sears, and here's a tutorial from my site that will teach the basics so you can do what you need to do...The Proline Guy...The Multimeter

First, make sure you have voltage going in and coming out of the breaker (of course, make sure the breaker isn't tripped, some are shipped that way...). Then, go to your fuse block and make sure you have voltage there. Check for continuity between your battery negative post and your ground bus bar. If these all check good, check for voltage at the output end of each fuse holder. Then check for voltage on the center terminal of each switch. Then turn each switch on, and check for voltage on the bottom terminals.

Let me know how it goes...

I sure will Seabob; I talked to an electrician on the phone today & he explained pretty much where the problem is.
He told me basically what you just said but he also noted that I had to run the negative wires from each switch to whatever I was planning to power, not the bus bar.
He stated that since I had a 40 amp breaker on the positive line, I could run the negative wire from each switch direct without worry of overload.
But I will buy that meter & check the lines first as you suggested but my question is: Is that bus bar really necessary?
I ran each negative wire from each switch to the bus bar, then attached to main negative wire from the battery to the bus bar, which I now know I should have ran another wire from the bus bar to the main negative on the panel, which I didn't.
I also jumped the lighter plug positive wire to the 1st switch as the diagram showed, so I'm certain once I straighten out the ground issue, it should work.
I'll be back at it on Sunday as I'm going to enjoy some dock fishing Saturday, need a break & some calm serene fishing always fits the bill.
Thanks Seabob!