Wire This Switch ??

[TruthWalleyes]

This is a 3 way switch for a bilge pump with AUTO/OFF/ON.

Can anyone identify which poles do what.

Thanks,

[Chris Barlage]

Number 2 is your power. That I can say for sure. With out giving it a hands on look I would say that 3 would go to the constant on and 1 would be for your auto feature.

Having the switch in the middle would be off.

[TruthWalleyes]

Making 4 the ground.

I'll give that a try. Thanks

[CaptainMusky]

Ha, I love how there are never proper directions for wiring stuff like this. I had a very similar looking switch I bought that was suppose to light up, but of course I have no idea how to wire it to get the light to work. The switch turns on and off the lights I want it to, but the dang switch doesnt light up. Im assuming I had to splice another wire in there somehow. Oh well.

[TruthWalleyes]

yeah, of the 10 light up switches i have already in my boat 3 of them dont light up.

hbird

radio

and the switch that connects two batteries in parallel to a 3rd.

everything works so i wasnt too worried about the lights. mystery

[jentz]

1 is hot in,below it is ground,#2 is auto and must go to a float that gives power to the bilge pump and #3 is manual power.

Why a 3 way, which it really isnt a 3 way switch just a on/off with a direct power post.You could have used a on/off switch for manual power and direct hot wire to the float switch for auto.

[TruthWalleyes]

In the event the auto sticks, that way there is an OFF.

I like knowing that when i walk away from the boat ALL switches are OFF.

[Kyhl]

Good point. I assumed he was wiring a live well.

Yeah, a bilge with a float switch should only need a regular switch as mentioned above.

[jentz]

In the event the auto sticks, that way there is an OFF.

I like knowing that when i walk away from the boat ALL switches are OFF.

I think your mistaken the #2 post is a constant hot.

[TruthWalleyes]

So what you're saying is that if wired as Chris said above, the bilge pump would always be in auto mode.

It is a bilge with a float switch as well as a manual switch. 3 Wires. So with the switch in the center there should be power to neither float or manual. With switch in one direction then bilge should have power to the float. With switch in the other direction, the bilge will run in manual.

Is this correct?

[Chris Barlage]

# 2 should be the power from your fuse panel. Then your pump on either side that way when you flip the switch it moves power to that lead completing the circuit and illuminating the switch. Then middle being off, going to no lead and breaking the circuit. I have this same switch on my lights. Middle off. Up being the bow and stern light and down being just the stern light. Wired that way from factory.

When you put power to number 2 the power will not go anywhere until you divert it to on side by moving the switch. Just like a 2 way. Power would go on one side and the accessory would go on the other side. When you flip the switch it moves power to that lead completing the circuit.

[CAMAN]

I would get a multimeter and figure out what each post does myself. Not all switches with 4 posts are layer out the same.

[Chris Barlage]

Also the guy at napa where you got it should be able to explain it to you.

[Kyhl]

It is a bilge with a float switch as well as a manual switch. 3 Wires. So with the switch in the center there should be power to neither float or manual. With switch in one direction then bilge should have power to the float. With switch in the other direction, the bilge will run in manual.

Is this correct?

I've always run my float switch right to the battery. Then I don't have to worry about turning it on because it turns itself on when needed.

Rains overnight? Who cares, it will pump itself out.

Rains overnight and you didn't flip the switch then you may have a problem.

I have seen one boat parked at a dock right next to mine that was laying on it's side. One side tied to the dock, the other laying on the bottom because either he didn't have a pump or there was no power to the float. Wrecked his weekend and then some.

It was an older boat and I don't know if newer boats would sink like that anymore.

The manual supply allows you to manually override it and turn it on when you want.

I only use the manual to verify that it spins or to verify that there is no water in the hull. I'll hit it sometimes as I'm taking off, when the bow is high and everything tends to slide back, to check if anything comes out when on manual.