So, not too new to the forum but this is my first actual post. Sorry if it is a long winded one. The pics are down a little.

I had seen a video on youtube about this guy modding his OEM switch blanks and turning them into a usable button/switch:
[url]http://youtu.be/9QrDxvd6uj4[/url]

After a lot of searching on here and other forums I had come to the conclusion that nobody has actually completed this mod into a working unit, with a lot of people wanting to do so. So I figured I would give it a shot. The video shows him doing it in a 2012 JK and I have an 08, but just looking at it I didnt see any differences.

So after I got the dash apart and the switch panel taken out i popped the back off and everything apart to see what I needed. My intention was to make my button disable the entire traction control module. A concept I had seen at: ESP Kill Switch. In short is says to cut the Purple with a "STRAIT" light blue stripe wire (not the Purple with the light blue stripe twisting around it)

and install a switch between them. Instead of a switch I used a male and female spade connector just in case I needed to put it back to normal


At first I thought I could just get a switch like the one in the video that would be normally closed at radio shack....no luck where I am at. So I got to thinking and come to the conclusion to have the normally open switch trip a SPDT relay (ended up getting a DPDT because thats all they had). It didn't need to be a large one because it isn't dealing with a lot of amps. So I grabbed the following
Switch:
SPST 12VDC/50mA 5.0mm High Tact Switch : Tact Switches | RadioShack.com (note the height is 5.0mm)
Relay:
12VDC/10A DPDT Plug-in Relay : Plug-In Relays | RadioShack.com

Here is how the relay was wired



Than I started working on the switch. I popped off the blank (I used the far left one to balance out the bank of switches since I only plan to use one) and trimmed the bottom of it to the little line in it.



Next i soldered the two power leads to the switch (one source and the other is to go to the relay). I tapped into the accessory power outlet on the left side so it will turn off when the JK is off. After that I placed the switch on top of the loop under where the blank goes and used hot glue to hold it in.


Than ran the wires up the side to the little slit which had to be widened and made a little deeper.

 

Than had to add a little bit of extra length to the button by putting hot glue on the end just to make sure it made contact with the blank when it was pushed


To snap it all back together you will have to knip a corner of the computer "chip" off, as well as cut the back of the whole unit. Cutting the chip was a little iffy but after looking at it there was no circuitry there.


Put it all together and wire it up according to how the diagram says and it will work to kill the stability control.

The purpose of the DPDT (SPDT if you get that) relay is to break the circuit for they stability control system. Since the switch is a normally open it would put power to the relay throwing the contact from the normally closed to the normally open thus breaking the circuit.

Im sure there are other uses but this is the one that felt would work perfectly.

I will post pictures and a video of the final install once I get a decal to put on the switch (open to ideas).

JW

 

So I spent all morning trying to find a good decal to place on the blank... no luck. Here is a video of the button in action
http://youtu.be/_gdSgE_eDHc

 

thanks! I commented on your video..im going to attempt this

 

No problem!! Let me know if you have any questions!

 

Pixeldecals should be able to set you up with a good decal for your switch. Do you have a picture of the "chip", I'm curious what the circuitry looks like without having to take it all apart. Also- in regards to your 'button', if it's a blank then how did you make it so the button will depress? Mine have zero play in them but I do have a switch I would like to put there......very small like the one you've got.

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Sorry I don't have a picture of the circuit board. But when its all apart and you look at the bottom left hand corner from the switch side there's no circuitry there. As for the blanks you can see in the pictures below where I shaved down the side to the line and that gives it a little bit of a toggle. Using the hot glue along with the micro switch returns the button back to its normal position. When mine was put back together the blank didn't move as much as it did before the switch was put in because of that.

Thanks for the idea for pixeldecals!! Ill check them out.



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Ahhh, I skipped right over that picture earlier, yes- I see what you mean though. I may have to give this a go.

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Go for it! I love it