Thread: Last steps....., i need a little advice pls

Is this the switch you were talking about?



The link you provided does not have a pic. Basically it all depends on if they are standard or have a bunch of pins for some proprietary system. And the picture doesn't show the back.

I will assume that they are standard and just have 2 pins on the back side. When the button is not depressed, the pins are left open. When the button is pushed in (and locks down) the pins close.

So therefore you do this:

To kill the PC's power abruptly switch of death: Connect a small guauge 12v constant wire to one of the pins on a switch. Then connect the other pin to a relay that triggers off of it. Then the PC's power will go through that realy. Put the relay as close to your PSU as possible, because it will mean a break in your thick guage power wire, so you might as well use it as a termination point and then inbetween it and the PSU's 12v wire.

For the ignition, have it so that the 12v goes through all the time, and when you push the button, the 12v is interrupted and no more ignition. This will cause a graceful shutdown of your PC, and also will not automatically turn back on until you release that button.

Same thing with the lights, except use constant again.

You don't want to put your driving current through the switches because that is dangerous and a bad practice. So that is why you use relays. All of these things are really cheap.

Also the switch you pointed to is $21. You can get better looking switches for like $1.

Alright I'll type another simpler answer for you. Gonna be a bit of typing so keep tight...

Alrighty. First the almighty switch. I am going to take your problems one at a time. First the M2's ignition line.


You want something that will tell the M2 to either start the computer with the car, don't start it at all even if the car starts, and a always on, never shut it down even with the car off.

So you need 3 positions. 12volts constant so that the M2 thinks the car is always on, no shutdown. Off, so that the M2 never boots up, because it doesn't think the car is on. And 12v switched so that the M2 comes on when the car comes on and goes off when the car goes off. First 2 are manual control and the 3rd is the automatic feature you payed for in your M2.

So you need a switch that has 3 spots. On/Off/On. The On's can be different conditions. In this case, the 1st "on" is always on no matter what. The 2nd "on" is on only when the car is on.

Lika dis:






Now you need to connect wires, lika dis:






In the 2nd picture, I tried to sorta show you how the switch works. In the back of the switch a little rocker thing (more of an axe shape though, mine is EXTREMELY simplified), hits 1 or 2 of the contacts but always the middle. So you have Off when it is in the centre and hits nothing. And you have always on when the switch is down, and auto mode when the switch is flipped up.

Make sense so far?

Good.

Now for your volvo switches. I think these are simple on off switches. Either they are on, or they are off. That simple.

Lika dis:




Now your VW switch is just like that picture except instead of throwing a lever arm, you are pushing it down. When you push down, a metal plate shorts out 2 seperate contacts. Now they are 1.

Lika Dis:




Now that switch may or may not lock. Meaning when you push it down, it stays down without you pushing it until you push it again, and it pops up. Then it stays up and off until you push it. Then it clicks, and stays down. So on and so on.

If it doesn't, meaning that you must physically hold the switch there to keep the button working in the on position, then they are useless to you.

So, connect the 12v wire to the red input on the second picture. Then connect the relay trigger wire from the red/yelloiw wire


What is a relay I hear you cry. Well hold on and I'll tell ya.

DAYYYIM, imagine how much easier a "search" would have been.

Or, perhaps a link to http://switches.globalspec.com/Learn...itches_General would have sufficed.



Michael