# 2 post auto lift - 220v wiring



## Scot Clark

I have a 2 post auto lift. On the motor plate it says: 3hp 220v 20 amps.
There is also a safety shut off switch on top if the car gets raise too high. 
The wires for the safety switch run down the column to where the motor is. 
The motor has a switch housing with 3 wires coming out the housing. Green, Red, and Tan.
On the face of the housing is the push button. It is connected to the switch inside with 2 blue wires.

To connect the safety switch, I'm told to spice into any one of the blue wires from
the push button going into the main switch. 

Questions: 
Should I use a 20amp 220v breaker or go up to a 30 amp.
If I go to a 30 amp. Should I go up to 10 AWG, or can I still use the 12 AWG.

The tan motor wire used as ground seems odd. I'm used to seeing green for ground.
The green and red wires are on one side of the switch. The other side has two wires going to the motor.
Do I just connect the tan to bare wire/ground buss, and the red and green just go to black
and white (re-marked black) to the breaker?

Thanks.


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## Scot Clark

a little more info...

inside the switch box housing, the 2 wires from the motor
go to the top of the switch. One goes to 4 T2, and the other goes
to 6 T3.  

The wires I have to connect to come off the 
top of the switch as 3 L3 and 5 L3.  I'm thinking these
get connected to the black and white (remarked black)
to the 220v breaker.

The tan wire I have to connect to comes off the motor housing. 
This I figure has to be the ground

2 blue wires coming from the bottom of the switch goes
to the push button.  I think I have to spice the safety cut
off switch into one of these wires. The cut off switch is on
top of the lift and gets actuated if a car is raised to high.

Will go to 10awg and 30 amp breaker.

Hope some one can tell me if my thinking is correct or not.
Thanks in advance.


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## ToolGuy

Hi Scot,

I think the best thing to do is contact the manufacturer. They know their product better than anyone here.


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## speedy petey

NO. The best thing to do is have a licensed and qualified electrician do this job. 



Is this in your home or a commercial setting? If commercial then there is a very real likelihood that it is illegal for you to be doing ANY electrical work at all there.

Sorry if this sounds harsh but it is the harsh truth.


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## ToolGuy

nevermind..


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## Scot Clark

Hi:

It's single phase. At home useage.


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## ToolGuy

imho, 10 awg and 30 amp breaker is the way to go. Since you're not getting any advice, other than hire an electrician, I thought I should throw in my diy advice. My reasoning is that a 20 amp motor will probably pull a little more amperage when it first kicks in. I'm assuming it's a dedicate circuit. It should be. 

In other words... Yeah, I'd do what you're doing.


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## Scot Clark

Thanks ToolGuy.


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## kok328

Can you post a pic of the nameplate?
 What guage wires do you have coming out of the motor and what guage wires are coming from the safety switch?
I suspect the two blue wires are a motor overload reset button.  The green wire is typically a ground but, the are usually bolted to the motor housing, not ran internally.  I also find it hard to believe that if this is an entire setup from the same mfg. that they would have you splicing wires.  You should have been provided connectors for that purpose.


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## Scot Clark

Hi :

Thanks for all the suggestions. 
I got a responce from the mfg.
They said use the tan conncted to motor body as gruond.
Run the power to each terminal , one to L2 and one to L3.


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## ToolGuy

Scot Clark said:


> Hi :
> 
> Thanks for all the suggestions.
> I got a responce from the mfg.
> They said use the tan conncted to motor body as gruond.
> Run the power to each terminal , one to L2 and one to L3.



Glad we could provide a lift. Haa haaa  

Sorry, couldn't resist.


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## travelover

Glad we didn't let you down.


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## trader12

If u'r not suggest,.,.,.
I would like to suggest you to have a look at Harding steels lifts; I had a quite good time using their lifts. You can look out for Garage Parking Lift  As you have mentioned your requirement is for a small garage. Its very important for you to take and consider before buying a lift that it should be in the dimensions suited to your garage.
Hope this helps!!


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## trader12

Hope this site will help you,.,.


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## ToolGuy

He already has the lift, just needed info on how to wire it properly. But I took a look at that site and that's pretty impressive. I always thought of car lifts as just for mechanics. Almost makes me want to start a car colleciotn!


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