# Toggle Switch



## monkmonkey (Mar 23, 2012)

In my leopard there is a power on/off toggle switch under the hood. I was driving today and the car's power started to go on/off. Eventually I couldn't move anymore. So I looked under the hood and found the toggle switch (50A) was broken. I then replaced the burnt smelling switch with another, proceeded to turn the ignition on, 3 seconds later smoke came bellowing out from under the hood. I quickly rushed out to see what the problem was. All looked secure, so I drove home without a problem.

Can someone speculate for me?


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## frodus (Apr 12, 2008)

Is it switching pack voltage?

Are the contacts rated for pack voltage?


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

What is the switch hooked to? Not familiar with the leopard but 50A would be undersized for most traction circuits and overkill for a contactor.

Is the switch still working? You can fry a switch so it shorts out and is now a (unreliable) wire.


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## monkmonkey (Mar 23, 2012)

Ziggythewiz said:


> What is the switch hooked to? Not familiar with the leopard but 50A would be undersized for most traction circuits and overkill for a contactor.
> 
> Is the switch still working? You can fry a switch so it shorts out and is now a (unreliable) wire.


One wire is a ground. The other goes to the negative battery cable.

The switch smelled burnt and is unable to switch on/off.


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## monkmonkey (Mar 23, 2012)

frodus said:


> Is it switching pack voltage?
> 
> Are the contacts rated for pack voltage?


The "off" turns power off so the contactor will not engage if the key is turned on. I don't see the point of it really.

Your other question I have no idea but it probably is the original.


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

So is it between the battery and ground, or the contactor?

The point of such a device is as a safety disable. I have one which I use when I need steering or other powered stuff, but don't want the contactor on, or when parked for extended periods or in questionable locations.

Mine is a $3-4 Walmart switch. It's carrying ~1 A continuous at 12V, so very low power requirements.


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## monkmonkey (Mar 23, 2012)

Ziggythewiz said:


> So is it between the battery and ground, or the contactor?
> 
> The point of such a device is as a safety disable. I have one which I use when I need steering or other powered stuff, but don't want the contactor on, or when parked for extended periods or in questionable locations.
> 
> Mine is a $3-4 Walmart switch. It's carrying ~1 A continuous at 12V, so very low power requirements.


It does not go to the contactor. Just negative battery and ground.


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

In that case it's used as a battery disconnect, to prevent your AUX batt from draining under phantom loads if parked for a longish time. It's carrying your full AUX load, so depending on your loads it could spike over 50A pretty easily.

Mine is around 10A with everything on, but I've heard normal cars are around 30-50.

Is your AUX line fused (as a whole, obviously there will be individual circuit fuses)?


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

Is this the same car that you were given the good advice on from the likes of major and others? If it is are you talking about the little chrome toggle in the upper right hand corner? If so then I think the problems are from slip shawl work and I will reiterate what has been basically advised before. Tear it down and redo it right. Cars like this one is what will give DIY EV’s a bad reputation.


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## monkmonkey (Mar 23, 2012)

dragonsgate said:


> Is this the same car that you were given the good advice on from the likes of major and others? If it is are you talking about the little chrome toggle in the upper right hand corner? If so then I think the problems are from slip shawl work and I will reiterate what has been basically advised before. Tear it down and redo it right. Cars like this one is what will give DIY EV’s a bad reputation.


Yes it is. When you say tear it down and do it right, do you mean just make changes as suggested? I don't need to take everything out do I? I just ordered a precharge resistor, so thats a start.


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## major (Apr 4, 2008)

monkmonkey said:


> Yes it is. When you say tear it down and do it right, do you mean just make changes as suggested? I don't need to take everything out do I? I just ordered a precharge resistor, so thats a start.


Anybody who did that installation and wiring cannot be trusted to have done anything properly. Relying on anything done by that idiot is a huge mistake on your part and I'd say makes for a dangerous vehicle to be on the public roads. Do you understand that?


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## Salty9 (Jul 13, 2009)

The problem sounds similar to one I had in an old Jeep pickup. I melted 2 throttle cables before I discovered that the ground strap to the motor had been broken.


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## dragonsgate (May 19, 2012)

Salty9 said:


> The problem sounds similar to one I had in an old Jeep pickup. I melted 2 throttle cables before I discovered that the ground strap to the motor had been broken.


I went through a couple clutch cables on one of my Fiats before I realized what was happening. The engine was grounding through the cable slowly arcing it away. Installed a ground strap in place of the one that went who know were from body to block and had no problems for the next twenty plus years. As for the Leopard Take it apart right down to the motor and seeing as how you got that far you might as well take it out and clean and inspect it. Take notes and draw diagrams and take photos of the wiring and such before you remove it. Clean everything properly and mark what it is and where it went for later reinstallation. Go to a library and find books that show you how to make proper splices and connections. I might not hurt to even get some books on house hold wiring incase you are planning on in stalling a hookup for the charger. Get books on electronics, and motors. Read them even if you do not understand everything and read them again. If you show an effort to correct everything I think most of the people on this forum will try to give the best advice they can. While I am on the soapbox I will add this. Seeing as how the wiring was so shabbily done I wonder what shape the breaks, steering and suspension is in. I mean it is nice to have an EV that goes but it can be just as nice to be able to make it stop when you want it too.


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## ricklearned (Mar 3, 2012)

Salty9 said:


> The problem sounds similar to one I had in an old Jeep pickup. I melted 2 throttle cables before I discovered that the ground strap to the motor had been broken.


That is why I plan to isolate the 12v ground system. That means running black ground wires to every spot the needs 12 volts. I will see how that goes as my build progresses.


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

ricklearned said:


> That is why I plan to isolate the 12v ground system. That means running black ground wires to every spot the needs 12 volts. I will see how that goes as my build progresses.


Good luck with that. A lot stuff bolted to the body will turn the car back into a -12v ground. The speedometer housing is its ground connection and bolted to the body. Lights also are built like this, and the wipers, and the radio. I could have pulled off a non-grounded chassis, but only because the buggy body is fiberglass so bolting things to it doesn't ground them. I have ground wires collecting at a stud on the frame at one point up front and another in back.


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## Ziggythewiz (May 16, 2010)

Even if the 12V system isn't isolated from the chassis, at least with separate wiring you'll have more reliable connections.


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