Ignition switch Super switch poll - Accessories and mandatories

[Paul Bennett]

Ok. I keep reading that the ignition switch properly controls just 'Coil and Gauges'. Radio, heater, elec wipers (if applicable) are accessories best placed on another switch.

Amungst you 'Extra-Switchers', what have you done, placement wise. Or is this just all talk, you simply add additional loads onto the coil or gauge terminals.

Cars with Overdrive and electric gas pumps could benefit from a relay without violating the primary ignition switch 'coil and gauge rule'. Well, coil, gauges, and relay coil rule.

At first I thought using a relay makes sense but not if one wants to play the radio without having juice run to the coil. Key off, coil off, mandatory, I'm sold but realize my answers are best done by a poll, hoping to cover the possibilities

 

[51 MERC-CT]

Ok. I keep reading that the ignition switch properly controls just 'Coil and Gauges'. Radio, heater, elec wipers (if applicable) are accessories best placed on another switch.

Amungst you 'Extra-Switchers', what have you done, placement wise. Or is this just all talk, you simply add additional loads onto the coil or gauge terminals.

Cars with Overdrive and electric gas pumps could benefit from a relay without violating the primary ignition switch 'coil and gauge rule'. Well, coil, gauges, and relay coil rule.

At first I thought using a relay makes sense but not if one wants to play the radio without having juice run to the coil. Key off, coil off, mandatory, I'm sold but realize my answers are best done by a poll, hoping to cover the possibilities

If you are talking about your '50 Merc., the ignition switch has a 'radio-only'
position on it

Have two switches on the dash, one for the heavy duty stuff and one for the rest.

 

[Kahuna]

I guess it depends on the car & type of ignition switch used:
On my early car (32), I use several switches & relays to control individual
items, as there is no accessory terminal on the ignition switch.
On my 56, I use the accessory terminal for everything & add relays & circuit
breakers as necessary to handle the individual load.
Don't know if this helps your "Poll"
Jim
BTW, 51 Merc, those are indeed, heavy duty switches

 

[Drbrown]

As you note, stock wiring (at least in my '47) from the Ignition Switch is intended to feed only the coil and dash lites. However, because "well meaning" persons hooked the heater and other stuff to it, the feed wire to the Ignition Switch on my car burned-out. The stock wiring system provided no fuse or circuit breaker protection. Lucky I didn't have a fire. My solution: I added a 20 amp fuse on the wire feeding the Ignition Switch (all wiring should be protected by a fuse or circuit breaker). After disconnecting the excess stuff, I ran a wire from the Ignition Switch to a new 20 amp relay (this is a low amp draw). I made that relay turn a small fuse Panel on and off. I then connected the heater, elec wipers, tach, directionals, radio etc to that new fuse panel, which itself is fed from the batt. (The OD already had a separate 30 amp fuse). So all those items are now controlled by the Ignition Switch, have individual power supplies, AND are individually protected by fuses. True this adds more wiring and connections, but it makes finding elec problems much easier.

 

[Pete F]

You did the right thing adding the relay and fuse panel to the circuit ,the relay takes all the load off the ignition switch.
Is the coil still feed off the switch directly. If so that's good.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[mhsprecher]

There is an article in the March/April V8 Times about installing an auxiliary electrical source for accessories. FWIW my 45 truck and a heater and electric wsw attached to the ignition switch and suffered electrical problems similar to Drbrown.

 

[rich b]

Back to the OP's concern about playing the radio with the ignition on; if a change to an ignition switch with an accessory position was not feasible, a latching relay (broken by a switch on the drivers door) could be used for the radio.

 

[34PKUP]

Ok. I keep reading that the ignition switch properly controls just 'Coil and Gauges'. Radio, heater, elec wipers (if applicable) are accessories best placed on another switch.

Amungst you 'Extra-Switchers', what have you done, placement wise. Or is this just all talk, you simply add additional loads onto the coil or gauge terminals.

Cars with Overdrive and electric gas pumps could benefit from a relay without violating the primary ignition switch 'coil and gauge rule'. Well, coil, gauges, and relay coil rule.

At first I thought using a relay makes sense but not if one wants to play the radio without having juice run to the coil. Key off, coil off, mandatory, I'm sold but realize my answers are best done by a poll, hoping to cover the possibilities

Seems like starting in the late 40's all ignition switches had a radio only position. Just like yours.

 

[Drbrown]

Pete .... Per stock arrangement, kept coil and dash lights directly connected to ignition switch. Just added a medium gauge wire to the new relay that activates the aux fuse board.

My '47 key switch has no radio only position.

 

[Paul Bennett]

Back to the OP's concern about playing the radio with the ignition on; if a change to an ignition switch with an accessory position was not feasible, a latching relay (broken by a switch on the drivers door) could be used for the radio.

That 'latching relay & switch at drivers door' is the best idea I've heard in a long time. Now to discover a practical location for mounting the relay and perhaps adding an additional normally open door switch. Course could a inverting relay at the dome light circuit ... domes come on it unlatches the radio/latch relay which would be latched with juice from diode to ignition switch. Right now ... I'd hate to be the next owner complaining about the po screwing up the wiring...keep it simple (note to myself). One thing I've come to dislike is the location of the breakers above the e-brake in the cramped under-corner. And I just love the location of the fuses outer edge of my Ranger dash.

 

[Frank Miller]

If you wanted to keep it simple the wire the relay to the switch and install a kill switch in the coil circuit to turn that off if you just want accessories. Complicated would be a latching relay to activate the ignition circuit when the starter button is pushed.