switches - Micropuck LED driver gets really hot

I have a Cree LuxDrive LED powered by a 3.7V 750mAh LiPo Battery hooked up in a circuit with a latching switch.

For some reason every time I turned it on, the driver gets really hot and almost starts to melt so I have to immediately shut it off.

The light works but can’t use it if the driver keeps getting so hot. I’ve tried replacing the switch with the new one and still the problem persists. I have to use the type of switch currently pictured because it’s for a very small application. Maybe I’m using the wrong type of switch? It’s a double pole double throw but I’m only using 2 of the 3 pins on each side of the switch.

Answer

If you want to keep using the same Li-Po battery, put 2 1N5408 diodes in series with the battery output (+), but tiny and cheap 1N4007 types will work. This will drop the voltage by 1.2 volts to 1.5 volts, depending on the load. These diodes are rated for 3 amps at 1 kV. The 1N4007 is rated for 1 amp at 1 kV.

Now your regulator will only get 2.25 to 2.5 volts, well within its safety margin. Diodes are not resistors, so little energy is wasted as heat (1.2 watts if a 1 amp load).

^{simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab}