I’ve got this set of 12 volt switches, with each switch emitting a blue LED light. I’d like to disable the LED lights. Can you look up the schematic, and tell me which wire I need to disconnect?
The purpose is twofold, one eliminate all unnecessary electrical consumption to extend battery life, and two, present a stealthy look for boondocking, no sign of Life.
This disables the lower light, the upper light comes on when the switch is engaged
Disconnect the wire to pin #6 (Lower Light Pos. / +) on each switch. This is the standard way to disable (or stop the constant illumination of) the lower blue LED on Nilight 5-pin rocker switches like the ones in your panel.
These are typical Nilight 5-pin illuminated rocker switches (common in their multi-gang panels). The pins, viewed from the back with the switch oriented upright, are generally:
- #8: Upper Light Neg. (−)
- #7: Lower Light Neg. (−)
- #2: Incoming power (+)
- #6: Lower Light Pos. (+)
- #3: Outgoing to accessory/relay/load
The switches have two LEDs: a lower “dash/locator” light and an upper indicator that lights when the switch is on. In the factory/pre-wired panel setup, jumper wires typically feed power to the lower LED via pin #6 (often jumped from the main power on #2) and provide grounds on #7/#8.
How to do it
- Disconnect power to the panel first (for safety).
- Access the back of the panel/switches. The pre-wired connectors use clips—press the clip and gently pull the terminal off the pin (do not yank the wire).
- Locate and remove the wire/terminal on pin #6 of each switch you want to modify.
- This stops power to the lower LED. Official Nilight wiring notes and manuals explicitly describe disconnecting #6 so the lower light only comes on with the switch (or stays off depending on the rest of the circuit), rather than staying constantly illuminated when the panel has power.
- Optionally, for a more complete disable of both LEDs:
- Also disconnect the ground wires from pins #7 and/or #8.
- Or leave the grounds and just remove the positive feed(s).
- Insulate any loose terminals with electrical tape or heat-shrink so they cannot short.
- Reassemble and test. The switches will still control their loads normally; only the indicator LEDs will be affected.
Notes / caveats
- Exact behavior can vary slightly by panel model and whether the panel uses constant battery power vs. ignition/accessory power, but #6 is the consistent pin called out across Nilight guides for controlling the lower light.
- The upper LED is usually tied to the switch output/state, so removing #6 primarily targets the always-on/locator light. Fully killing both may require also isolating the grounds or the internal LED circuits.
- If your particular switches have slightly different labeling or an extra pin, double-check the numbers molded on the switch body or the included diagram.
- These are low-current LED circuits, so removing the wire is safe and reversible.
If the lights behave differently after removing #6 (or if you can share a clear photo of the back of one switch showing the pins/wires), I can refine the advice further. Always work with the power off and use proper fusing on the main panel feed.