Confused by light switch wiring

[Tmdh89]

I have a 3 gang light switch by my front door, the left switch operates two outdoor lights, the middle operates a light in the entrance, and the right one goes to a light and switch upstairs.

The issue I have is that the outdoor lights only go on when the middle switch is on, and I'd like to have these work independently.

I had a look behind the switch to see if I could make any sense of it, but odd wire colours have thrown a spanner into the works and I can't quite work out why the outside lights won't go on independently of the middle switch.

Can anyone shed some light on this, excuse the pun.

 

[ETAF]

do you have a multimeter to test the connections at all

looking at the 3rd diagram - you have a loop connection going to switch 3
you mention the middle switch needs to be ON

i wonder if that link is only live when the middle switch is on
hence a multimeter to test

 

[CBW]

If the middle switch is on can you turn the outside lights on and off? Can you post a better photo of the wiring and the front of the switch?

 

[Tmdh89]

Yes I do, although was having little luck getting any readings earlier so I think I'll have to give it another go.

I thought the same as you regarding the loop, but there is also a black wire going into that middle connection which I assumed was the live that provided power to the middle switch.

 

[ETAF]

which I assumed was the live that provided power to the middle switch.

OR maybe its the switched LIVE from the middle switch , and so NOT live until the switch is made - hence the tester

 

[Tmdh89]

Here's the front, I'll attempt to get a better picture of the wiring at the back later, I appreciate the ones I've sent aren't the easiest to work out. Yes once the middle is on, I can turn the outside ones on and off, but they turn off when the middle is off.

 

[EFLImpudence]

As said:

Move the link wire:

 

[ericmark]

This picture shows to right three wires so likely the slave of a two way lights, there are a few way to wire two way lights, but likely the line in is either the brown or grey, unlikely to be the black.

Switch to left clearly linked to middle switch, that link should be the line in as feeds both switches, I will guess the brown is line in to centre switch and black line out, so swapping the link to the brown on centre switch seems likely the way forward.

 

[Tmdh89]

Just did as suggested and it worked, thank you so much all. I've been wracking my brains over this for a while.