Electrical problem. Need help.

[Wedge]

I installed a spoiler dash switch on my 02 C2 Coupe (US car) yesterday. All went well. The spoiler raises and lowers from the switch just fine. I ran into a problem with the tie-in to the wires that are supposed to illuminate the LED inside the switch. I followed the instructions from the guys at Car-Gems as well as I could. The directions read "Run the blue wire (fron the switch provided) to ANY blue/grey/brn (sic) near the radio...now take brown wire (from the switch) and tie to ANY brown wire." This is what I did, using the wires that go to the intermittent wiper dial on the lower left side of the console. Again, the switch activates the spoiler, but the LED does not illuminate. I have crimped the 2-to-1 connector properly (the metal piece is flush with the plastic and the cap locks over it).

In retrospect, I remembered that the intermittent wiper dial was not an illuminated piece. Logic tells me I need to tap into a different set of brown and blue wires that function as illuminating circuits. The only other switch on this side of the console goes to the "PSM Off" switch, which does illuminate. However, there is neither a blue nor a brown wire that runs to this switch. There are only striped wires: red and white, pink and white, yellow and white, etc.

Can someone please tell me how to proceed before I really make a mess of things? Should the wires I used be illuminating the switch LED? Should I disconnect the spoiler switch from the wiper dial and tap in to the PSM switch? If so, which wires are the ones I need to use? Much thanks!

[Scouser]

Have a look at my 996 in-dash tail switch instructions in the DIY section. Specifically instruction #11. There are pictures showing you step by step instructions.

[Loren]

Have a look at my 996 in-dash tail switch instructions in the DIY section. Specifically instruction #11. There are pictures showing you step by step instructions.

You can find Scouser's DIY here.

[dwaynemosley]

To throw a little food for thought into the fray.

I have an '03 Targa. When I wired my spoiler switch, I could not get the illumination LED in the switch to light when wired to the PSM switch using the Scouser directions. This didn't make any logical sense as I had previously wired a switch for my garage door opener and sourced the illumination voltage from a switch nearby using the same method as Scouser described. Basically, tapping into the two outermost terminal wires on the connector. When the Scouser directions didn't work for me, I pulled out the DVM and could never measure any significant voltage across the two outside terminals of the PSM switch regardless of the illumination brightness setting. I still don't know why.

On to "Plan B": I was able to get the illumination to function when I wired it to the wiper control knob which sits at the bottom left of the "horseshoe". Mine is illuminated. I was also able to detect voltage readings moving up and down with the dimming function when I measured across the terminals on the knob. So, mine is wired to the wiper control knob. It works and hasn't stopped, so I've left well enough alone.

I'm not sure if these comments will help or hurt the current situation, but it has been my recent experience. :)

Dwayne

[Wedge]

To throw a little food for thought into the fray. 

I have an '03 Targa.  When I wired my spoiler switch, I could not get the illumination LED in the switch to light when wired to the PSM switch using the Scouser directions.  This didn't make any logical sense as I had previously wired a switch for my garage door opener and sourced the illumination voltage from a switch nearby using the same method as Scouser described.  Basically, tapping into the two outermost  terminal wires on the connector.  When the Scouser directions didn't work for me, I pulled out the DVM and could never measure any significant voltage across the two outside terminals of the PSM switch regardless of the illumination brightness setting.  I still don't know why.

On to "Plan B": I was able to get the illumination to function when I wired it to the wiper control knob which sits at the bottom left of the "horseshoe".  Mine is illuminated.  I was also able to detect voltage readings moving up and down with the dimming function when I measured across the terminals on the knob.  So, mine is wired to the wiper control knob.  It works and hasn't stopped, so I've left well enough alone. 

I'm not sure if these comments will help or hurt the current situation, but it has been my recent experience.  :)

Dwayne

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Dwayne. Do you think the PSM switch didn't work because you used the two OUTER terminal wires instead of the most lateral one and the top one like Scouser described in his instructions. I dunno. I'm about to give it a try. Thanks to all who responded.

[dwaynemosley]

To throw a little food for thought into the fray. 

I have an '03 Targa.  When I wired my spoiler switch, I could not get the illumination LED in the switch to light when wired to the PSM switch using the Scouser directions.  This didn't make any logical sense as I had previously wired a switch for my garage door opener and sourced the illumination voltage from a switch nearby using the same method as Scouser described.  Basically, tapping into the two outermost  terminal wires on the connector.  When the Scouser directions didn't work for me, I pulled out the DVM and could never measure any significant voltage across the two outside terminals of the PSM switch regardless of the illumination brightness setting.  I still don't know why.

On to "Plan B": I was able to get the illumination to function when I wired it to the wiper control knob which sits at the bottom left of the "horseshoe".  Mine is illuminated.  I was also able to detect voltage readings moving up and down with the dimming function when I measured across the terminals on the knob.  So, mine is wired to the wiper control knob.  It works and hasn't stopped, so I've left well enough alone. 

I'm not sure if these comments will help or hurt the current situation, but it has been my recent experience.   :)

Dwayne

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Dwayne. Do you think the PSM switch didn't work because you used the two OUTER terminal wires instead of the most lateral one and the top one like Scouser described in his instructions. I dunno. I'm about to give it a try. Thanks to all who responded.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know, you may be right. After reading Scouser's directions again, his mention of the two outside wires are for the new spoiler switch and not the PSM switch. :oops: I think I misunderstood them. :eek: I certainly tried to use the two outside wires thinking that all of the switches were wired the same. In this case, they apparently are not.

It looks like I'm going to re-examine my install and meter across the two terminals on the PSM that Scouser mentions. :)

I'll let you all know how I make out.

[JimPDX]

I installed a spoiler dash switch on my 02 C2 Coupe (US car) yesterday.  All went well.  The spoiler raises and lowers from the switch just fine.  I ran into a problem with the tie-in to the wires that are supposed to illuminate the LED inside the switch.  I followed the instructions from the guys at Car-Gems as well as I could.  The directions read "Run the blue wire (fron the switch provided) to ANY blue/grey/brn (sic) near the radio...now take brown wire (from the switch) and tie to ANY brown wire."  This is what I did, using the wires that go to the intermittent wiper dial on the lower left side of the console.  Again, the switch activates the spoiler, but the LED does not illuminate.  I have crimped the 2-to-1 connector properly (the metal piece is flush with the plastic and the cap locks over it).

In retrospect, I remembered that the intermittent wiper dial was not an illuminated piece.  Logic tells me I need to tap into a different set of brown and blue wires that function as illuminating circuits.  The only other switch on this side of the console goes to the "PSM Off" switch, which does illuminate.  However, there is neither a blue nor a brown wire that runs to this switch.  There are only striped wires: red and white, pink and white, yellow and white, etc. 

Can someone please tell me how to proceed before I really make a mess of things?  Should the wires I used be illuminating the switch LED?  Should I disconnect the spoiler switch from the wiper dial and tap in to the PSM switch?  If so, which wires are the ones I need to use? Much thanks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If Followed Scouser's instructions but ran the power to the wiper intermittant switch (the rotating dial) light works just fine and so does the wiper dial. Everything works great.

Try tapping into that...

[0586slb]

The illumination wire colour is grey/blue (grey with a blue tracer). This provides the positive (controlled with the dimmer control) for the illumination. The ground is brown. The illumination in the switch is not a bulb, its an LED so will only light if the wires are connected the right way round! Other areas to watch for is the to make sure the (horrible) wire taps are making a good connection. The best way to tap into a circuit is to extract the crimp from a connector, cut off the old crimp and re-crimp with your wir in place.

[Wedge]

The illumination wire colour is grey/blue (grey with a blue tracer). This provides the positive (controlled with the dimmer control) for the illumination. The ground is brown. The illumination in the switch is not a bulb, its an LED so will only light if the wires are connected the right way round! Other areas to watch for is the to make sure the (horrible) wire taps are making a good connection. The best way to tap into a circuit is to extract the crimp from a connector, cut off the old crimp and re-crimp with your wir in place.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, all. I finally did get the switch to illuminate. It was simply a polarity issue. Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I learned a lot.