And side note: If I modify the switches they way I wish both the upper and lower lights on the switch will dim with dash illumination. Whereas wiring the normal way would result in disable text, but bright icons.

 

Give me some time to think about this. I may need to go a different route, just like you.

Keep us informed on how it works out.

Jeff

 

I am looking at this 5 connector switch.

It seems:
The wire from the relay solenoid can connect to pin #2
The wire from the dash lights can connect to pin #6 and not be connected to pin #2
The wire to ground for the load can connect to #3
The wire to ground for the dash lights would connect to #7 & #8

I suppose you could tie #3, #7 & #8 together

 

That is the same switch with a different wiring diagram. If one wires it that way, both upper and lower lights are always on and there is no dash illumination. Basically the way I showed prior is the way you just said, less putting all three ground together. But keep in mind, if you ground those three pins together you will have no upper light as it will be a ground on both sides. Remember, but default positive for each light is on the bottom and the ground is crisscross at the top two pins. With positive for the upper pin only being supplied in the switch on position when pin 3 gets positive - which as we know with a grounding relay setup, will not work.

I am pretty sure my solution, while not being off the shelf, will work. My additional switches should be here soon. Everything else has arrived including some custom cable (12 wires, each numbered, 16awg). I just need to find/make a hole in the firewall.

 

I don't have a switch yet thanks to the high volume of packages being delivered to everyone else (for some reason it happens every year around this time).

I took a third and fourth look at you switch diagram and you are on to something,....... but I wonder.....

Pin 6 would be +12 from the dash light connector to the LED between 6 and 7.
Pin 7 would be wired to a ground lug.
Pin 2 will be + power from the solenoid relay
Pin 3 would remain open (Pin 3 is internally connected to the LED and then pin 8).
Pin 8 would be wired to a ground lug.

When you turn on the dash lights, + power would flow to pin 6 then through the LED to pin 7 and then to ground lug causing the LED to illuminate.
When you push the switch, + power from the battery through the relay solenoid to pin 2, internally through the LED to pin 8 and then to a ground lug causing the LED to illuminate and make a path to ground for the relay solenoid.

I have not tested this by actually wiring it up, but it seems like it should work. I will wait until after I have tested this before I respond back with my results.

Jeff

 

There is no connection between 6 and 7, it goes 6 to 8 - remember, the LED circuits criss-cross on the board. Why its designed like that, not sure. But so far all the switches, no matter how many pins and brand, have the same design. I point this out because the grounds are not shared either, which is why in some diagrams they say you can simply jump them.

"When you push the switch, + power from the battery through the relay solenoid to pin 2, internally through the LED to pin 8 and then to a ground lug causing the LED to illuminate and make a path to ground for the relay solenoid."

No and this is why. As I mentioned earlier, pins 2 & 3 are the actual physical part of the switch. So when you flip the switch on, pin 2 closes to pin 3. Now if it was designed to instead did go to the LED then back to pin 3, you wold be correct. But there is no connection on the LED board at pin 3 anyway. And I am not sure the LED could handle the pass-thru load of the power needed for the relay, etc, etc. The contact pins for the board are only on the outer most pins - 7/8/3/6 (an in fact, only 3 of those not all four but you can relocate the contact springs).

When the rest of my stuff arrives I will start taking some pics to help better explain. And when you have your switches, you will have a better hands on view. If you open them up, make sure you assemble them back correctly. The back body and face body are keyed. The board can be flipped, as I may be doing, but should go back the proper way. And the contacts inside can fall out. Not a big deal at all, but they have to co back correctly or you could have major issues with contacts creating sparks.

 

Small update. I tested the blue/green combo switches I have. Flipping the board around will not work as I planned - would make things simpler. The LEDs themselves on these boards are surface mount and in fact color specific. The switches had colored lenses, I hoped the LEDs were white. The must use the colored lenses just to give a deeper color.

So going to plan B. With plan C being wiring these by the book and just switching the positive. Which for a couple switches will be a problem for what I am planning.