Not my brightest question

[abadsvt]

I want to try my rear suspension but not sure how to hook up everything. I know how the valves work but when you hook up the wires to a switch is what i am confused on. The switch i am using has three conectors on the back. I would imagine that one is for the fill and one is for the dump but what is the center one? Is that ground or power? Also don't you need to have the battery conected to it to give it power? I hope that make sence. Thanks Josh

[el curioso]

It's the power.

[abadsvt]

So the center conector on the switch is the power? So I need to have one wire from a battery and the red wire from the valve. Also that means that the black wires from the valves go to the top or bottom conector on the switch? Thanks Josh

[el curioso]

Totally out of the subject but related I don't know if you have seen this web page But it gives alot of info.

Link#1

[el curioso]

Here is the how I wired the box in mine.

Link#2

[el curioso]

The valve gets the ground at its own connection and the only wire that enters is some thing like an activation wire it sends power to it and operates(sp?) the valve .

Heres how it was explained to me

Battery
+........-
+........-
+........-
+........-frame---------------valve ground ___________
+....................................................... / \
+++++++Switch+++++++++valve positive \ valve /
........................................................ / plug \
......................................................... \___________/

+=Positive wire
-=Negative wire


__Switch___
|.....Fill........|to valve for fill
|................|
|................|
|.......(+).....|from battery (12 Volt source)
|................|
|................|
|...Dump......|To valve for dump
|__________|

[el curioso]

Originally Posted by el curioso

__Switch___
|.....Fill........|to valve for fill
|................|
|................|
|.......(+).....|from battery (12 Volt source)
|................|
|................|
|...Dump......|To valve for dump
|__________|

This is suppose to be a sketch of the switch not the valve .

[abadsvt]

Thanks for the links! I have one more question. I bought 2 compressors, and 2 tanks. The 2 tanks are little 3 gallon 2 port tanks. To hook up the pressure switch do i need to put a tee on the out feed side of the tank? Thanks Josh

[el curioso]

Yeah you need to put it some where where it take the pressure of both tanks
I put it right after the check valve that comes out of the compressor but I have one edc. But just about any where after the check valve will work.

[jimmydean]

My valves are set up not to use the middle post. Red wire is hot, black wire is ground. All I needed was to run the toggle swich to the hot wire on each valve.

[Shane]

Valves don't have a "fill" or a "dump" position ... they are either OPEN or CLOSED ... nothing more ... nothing less.

They are what's called "normally closed" valves, meaning when there is no power applied, they are closed. When power is applied, they open.

That's it. No fill. No dump. Open. Close.

[el curioso]

There are valves that have both actions (fill and dump) it all depends on what brand your using.Not trying to step on any toes.

[abadsvt]

Thanks for helping! I wired it like that but air still went into the bag. Not sure why but then it got to cold in my garage that tommorrow i will double check my wires. Thanks again!

Josh

[XXL]

The switch you're probably dealing with is an SPDT... while there is no hard rule, generally the center pin is "common" (not to be confused with "ground"). If you are grounding the other end of the circuit, then this pin will need +12 volts. The other 2 pins will energize with 12 volts when you toggle the switch (often opposite the way you toggle-- as in... toggle up will energize the bottom pin).

Since I mentioned "common" above, you can run a ground to the center pin, and when you toggle the switch, it will throw ground to one or the other pin... after all, it's just a switch. It doesn't care about polarity. In order to make this work, though, you'll have to supply +12 volts to the other end of the circuit. Some valves are set up for this, some are not. I prefer to use grounds on my relayed circuits (whatever they may be for) because I don't have to worry about a loose or shorted wire becoming a potential fire hazard. Worst case scenario for a circuit set up like this to short out is that my bag deflates or over-inflates. Not good, but certainly better than a fire.