Nope, same. White wires not going anywhere the same as in the other switch. Does this help us?

Here's the directions....I have (well..."had", now I have the black wires hooked up, the other wires are just sitting there disconnected until I...er..."we"...figure this out) it hooked up like in the lower picture 3B. In my case as in the picture I put the bare ground wires together along with the white wire from the new switch. I don't have the red wire connected to anything (you can see it capped off and not connected in the second picture in the first post)

So neutral and ground on the switch were connected to ground in the wall.

Does this change anything? Does that mean I connected voltage to my ground in the house?

You know....this is starting to make some sense. This switch on amazon has a red wire on it....just like the original switch that I removed had on it.

But it requires a neutral....which I don't (obviously) have....although there are those white wires in both boxes not connected to each other.

Here's the 3 way motion switch

https://www.amazon.com/ECOELER-Singl...99&s=hi&sr=1-4

I think it’s time for an electrician to be called. You need a switch that can be used with that traveler wire. I installed a motion sensor in my old laundry room that was a 3 way switch configuration, best thing I did. You come home with your hands full and the light automatically turns on.
The other thing you have to do is program the switch once it’s installed, you set the sensitivity and length of time being on.

We don’t know much about electrical wiring so to be safe we call an electrician.

Assuming that something was done to code is not a safe assumption.

I've been inside a lot of switch and outlet boxes in TV and, just like his, they are all covered with spackle or some other white, chalky substance.

In his picture, I see a couple whites stuffed at the back of the box but they could be not white if they are just coated with white spackle. Should there be a white in there? Definitely. Is it? Probably. Do we know for sure? No. This is why I asked.

Something I've also found in a lot of TV boxes? Grounds not attached to anything. I've found loose wires behind patched drywall. Sure, it had wire nuts on it. That's not code.

I've also found a metric ton of push in connectors on everything. Yes, they are legal. No professional electrician I've known would ever use those. "oh, but it's easier". Sure it is. It's also led to house fires and callbacks.

I've also done electric work in equipment bound for Germany and the German electricians, who are required to go through anything we've done, pull off wire nuts and install WAGOs, but those are not $1.10 electrical switches. They are high quality push in connectors rated for the load; Typically 380(it's 400/50 in Germany) 3 phase.

Just some basics here.

A switch typically only switches the black wire.

A 3-way has two black wires and a red wire. The red wire goes to a different switch to allow either switch to turn on or off the item.

Your motion light is a device that requires power so it needs the black and white(Hot/neutral) and also needs to be grounded(bare).

First things first, you need to wire your motion switch into a white wire. THIS MUST HAPPEN. Do not leave the white wire attached to the ground(bare) wire.

As it appears you did not get a 3-way capable motion switch you're out of luck with the red wire. Either get one or cap the red off and abandon using the other switch.

Personally I would have put in a skylight

But a $5.00 plug in light sensor from Home Depot. We have several so when we get up in the middle of the night. We can go to the kitchen or bathroom without disturbing one another.

This is puzzling. There should be a green ground wire coming from the switch, but I don’t see it. The bare wire coming from the switch housing is grounding the housing, but you need the green wire to ground the switch itself. A three-way switch is necessary here. This looks more like a three-way with the green ground missing than like a two way. I’ll attach Lutron directions for a 3-way switch and a 2-way. But this one is different because it’s missing the green wire. Unless this is a new model with a combined ground, in which case this IS a 3-way and should probably be connected any black to any black, any black, to any black, white from switch to red, and ground to ground. But the directions show a blue wire from the switch, not white. A white wire would never be used for a ground wire! Check the wiring diagram that came with the switch. It may be a newer model. (While I’ve wired and rewired houses I’ve owned, I’m not an electrician, so don’t trust me on this.)

Hello.

Go find a plug in light with a motion detector.

Those detectors installed in a multi-way configuration is not a good application.

Typically motion detectors are end of the "branch circuit" application.
For instance I have a singular switch supplying power out to my back light, out back the motion detector turns the light on and off.

My other observation, how bad is the internal lighting in your home. During the day I never flip on lights.
All these windows and the skylight, everything is well lit.

Another fact, I shut off all the lights on the garage door opener. Why?

15 feet away outside I have a lamp pole that provides enough light in the garage, add in the headlights, no issues.

Sometimes we just have to think out of the box

We replaced ours with a motion sensor light bulb. Goes off after 45 seconds if no activity.

I try not to. I've accidentally "let the smoke out" of too many things... :1rotfl:

Now plumbing, drywall, carpentry, tile work? I'm your guy!

I have an LED nightlight in there for night and a solar tube for days. I don’t think I’ve turned the light on in there for years.

A solar tree be is a good solution but for the price you’re better off with your motion sensor. I just installed one in my garage and love it.