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Wiring from key switch to engine

C

ClarkieSr

Active Member
Can anyone help me as to how to wire the key switch to the IO 540 on the -10? When I bought the panel from SteinAir it didn't come with wiring , nor did Van's firewall kit have it. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Which key switch are you using? There's one with "OFF, R, L, BOTH, START" and one with "OFF, R, L, and BOTH" but not the "START" position.
 
start switch wiring

ClarkieSr said:
I have the switch with the start function
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When I purchased my switch from ACS, there were directions on how to wire it. I'm away from home and don't have access to the documentation to send you. Someone else should chime in......
Rick
#40956
Southampton, Ont
 
Some more info needed i think

I had the same problem and searched forever for the ACS wiring diagram and found out that with my "shower of Sparks" I needed to have a certain ignition switch and wire it accordingly.

You should let us know if you are running impulse mags, shower of sparks, or the new electronic mags that might help to know what you need.

Wiring was so much simpler with Bob Nuckolls book. I bought the Vans wiring kit for my RV 7 but it was such a dud, very little info on how to wire and it was set up for a totally different system. So I would define your ignition system and buy that AeroElectric Connection by Bob Nuckolls, you will not go wrong there.

Good luck
 
dave4754 said:
I had the same problem and searched forever for the ACS wiring diagram and found out that with my "shower of Sparks" I needed to have a certain ignition switch and wire it accordingly.

You should let us know if you are running impulse mags, shower of sparks, or the new electronic mags that might help to know what you need.

Wiring was so much simpler with Bob Nuckolls book. I bought the Vans wiring kit for my RV 7 but it was such a dud, very little info on how to wire and it was set up for a totally different system. So I would define your ignition system and buy that AeroElectric Connection by Bob Nuckolls, you will not go wrong there.

Good luck
Click to expand...

Have to disagree totally with this post!
The Vans electrical kit and associated wiring diagram and instructions that comes with it is both simple, and complete. The aero electric method makes for a far more complex electrical system.

My 2 cents!
 
Wire power through a 5Amp fuse or breaker to the "Bat" terminal. Wire the "S" terminal to the "S" on you starter solenoid. L goes to the left mag using 18AWG shielded wire. Cut the shield on the switch side, then tie the center conductor to the P-lead and the shield to the Gnd screw on the mag. Same for the right mag, except there is a Gnd port next to the R terminal on the switch that will get a little bridge jumper to ground the right mag when starting because it won't be retarded. Then there is a Gnd port in the middle of the switch that gets an airframe ground. There will be an LR and another port that will get nothing.
 
I do like Jesse's explanation. Seems simple. My question is: Will the wiring be the same without an impulse coupler. I have 2 Slick Mags that don't have any impulse couplers, but I have a champion "Shower of Sparks"
 
Never used a SOS system, but IIRC, it's basically a standard mag with the addition of a 'vibrator' circuit that's only active for starting. How is it controlled? When you shut it off, does it expect to see the switch open the control circuit, or close it? Do the SOS section installation instructions show a separate control from the mag switch?
 
The slick start will be wired to the left mag I believe, but will deactivate when taken off of start and the switch goes to "both". My wiring is at the airport so this is from memory for the slick start. I said shower of sparks in my first post, but it is a "slick start"
 
Slick Start takes its power from the starter solenoid. You will also need to add the jumper that deactivates the right magneto on start. Left magneto should have a retard breaker that the Slick Start connects to. IIRC, the wiring diagram is on the Champion website.
 
Jesse said:
Wire power through a 5Amp fuse or breaker to the "Bat" terminal. Wire the "S" terminal to the "S" on you starter solenoid. L goes to the left mag using 18AWG shielded wire. Cut the shield on the switch side, then tie the center conductor to the P-lead and the shield to the Gnd screw on the mag. Same for the right mag, except there is a Gnd port next to the R terminal on the switch that will get a little bridge jumper to ground the right mag when starting because it won't be retarded. Then there is a Gnd port in the middle of the switch that gets an airframe ground. There will be an LR and another port that will get nothing.
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Now I'm confused. I didn't think the GND from the key switch also went to the airframe ground. Aeroelectric only has the ground at each mag.
 
Jesse said:
Wire power through a 5Amp fuse or breaker to the "Bat" terminal. Wire the "S" terminal to the "S" on you starter solenoid. L goes to the left mag using 18AWG shielded wire. Cut the shield on the switch side, then tie the center conductor to the P-lead and the shield to the Gnd screw on the mag. Same for the right mag, except there is a Gnd port next to the R terminal on the switch that will get a little bridge jumper to ground the right mag when starting because it won't be retarded. Then there is a Gnd port in the middle of the switch that gets an airframe ground. There will be an LR and another port that will get nothing.
Click to expand...

This one gets my vote. I also have the same switch and Stein panel. Just did this a few weeks ago. Stein confirmed this so, don't get confused by all the other methods, this it.

PS I don't have slick start.
 
Last edited:
Here's my set up-
Slick mag on left with retard breaker, Lightspeed on right (will use LS to start engine). No shower of sparks on left mag.

Using the ACS A-510-5 key switch (without START position) and a momentary button to engage the starter. Left mag P-lead shield grounded to mag. LS wired per installation instructions.

Do I need to tie the shields from both P-leads to the GND terminal at the switch and does this terminal get grounded to the air frame?

Thanks
 
Jasonm said:
Now I'm confused. I didn't think the GND from the key switch also went to the airframe ground. Aeroelectric only has the ground at each mag.
Click to expand...

The shield is grounded at the mag to make the shield do its work, removing the electrical noise from the p-lead wire. The key switch gets an airframe ground to ground the p-leads when either doing a mag check or keeping the mags from firing when in the off position.

The Slick-Start is used when either you have an impulse coupling, but want even hotter spark, or when you have a retard breaker mag and also want hotter spark. The slick-start gets power, as was already stated, from the starter solenoid, so it is only powered while the engine is cranking. I don't understand how a retard breaker works, but I know it retards the timing to or after TDC so it doesn't backfire. I spent some time researching in the past to see how the retard breaker worked without a Slick-Start and never found an answer.

The Slick-Start wiring diagram has VIN getting power from the switched (starter) side of the starter solenoid through a 5Amp fuse. The Gnd port goes to the ground screw on the left mag. The 1 port goes to the P-lead on the left mag. The 3 port goes to the retard breaker terminal on the left mag. The key switch wiring doesn't change from what I described earlier. This paragraph describes wiring when you have a single retard breaker mag, and it is on the left side.
 
Jasonm said:
Here's my set up-
Slick mag on left with retard breaker, Lightspeed on right (will use LS to start engine). No shower of sparks on left mag.

Using the ACS A-510-5 key switch (without START position) and a momentary button to engage the starter. Left mag P-lead shield grounded to mag. LS wired per installation instructions.

Do I need to tie the shields from both P-leads to the GND terminal at the switch and does this terminal get grounded to the air frame?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Jason,

In this case, I would recommend you wire the mag to the R port on your key switch and use the R-Gnd jumper, then wire your lightspeed kill wire to the L port on your key switch. I know it doesn't follow with Left and Right physically, but you could think of it as Lectric and Regular. THis way you will be killing your mag when cranking, which will remove the possibility of it firing before TDC when turning slowly and getting a kickback.

I don't know how the key switch with no start position works to kill one mag for start, but I have done this with a double pole start button/switch that grounded the mag when I pushed the button or flipped the switch to crank, killing the mag during start.

You do not tie the shields to the ground port on the key switch. You just tie them to the ground port on the mag. I don't know if the lightspeed requires a shielded wire, but you can follow their instructions on that.
 
Thanks Jesse

When starting off the R position, the L position goes to ground and vise versa. When starting from the BOTH position neither the L or R is grounded. I'll have to double check and see if there is a jumper terminal to ground the mag while starting from the LS. I could always just start of the R position instead of BOTH.
 
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