Dual Switch wiring help ch4x4

Hey y’all,

I need some help with a dual switch I am installing. I feel like I’ve tried every combination of wires but still can’t land it.

I have two relay harnesses from two different light bars that I am trying to put on a dual switch from ch4x4.


I believe my hot wires from each harness are my green from lower and yellow from upper (see below)


For some reason, if I hook either of these up to the RED on my dual switch, it keeps the switch Ill on regardless of my light circuit being on.
If anyone can shed light or work with me on this wiring situation I would greatly appreciate it

 

Here's the way I read the wiring diagram:

RED - +12V input to the switch (switched power or not) This becomes the output power when the switch is toggled.
BLACK - Ground
YELLOW - +12V will illuminate the switch. Our dash lights are wired differently, so this won't work directly wired. Yes, there is a way to wire this.
BLUE, GREEN - output +12V when switch is toggled. Normally, run these to a relay to switch your device on and off.

Does that make sense?

I can help you on Mod Day, if you are planning on going.

 

Did you ever figure this out? I wired in my dual switch last night and ran into the same issue. All my single ch4x4 switches are wired to the same wires and work fine but not the dual switch.

Pretty stupid now I can't use my two lights unless the truck is on.....or if I want to use them while the truck is off I have to have the switch lit up 24/7.

 

they are horrible at communicating with me. I have no resolution. I think the switch just stays illuminated

 

I went ahead and sent an email to them...see if we hear back. If that's the case, they really need to include that in the switch description....would not have purchased it if I had known!

 

I just wired mine up without issue.








Also edit of note - not all relay harnesses are the same. The trigger wire for the upper harness was white (with +12V being red), while the trigger for the lower harness was blue (with +12V being white). Use your multimeter to make absolutely sure which wire is your trigger switch. Or you can do what I did and start touching the positive wires together to see what happens. (warning - leave the negative wires capped off.)

 

• Red & Black supply the power to your switch that will latch your relays when you depress the switch. These should be connected to +12VDC and ground from the vehicle and the + side needs to be fused
• Yellow should be coming from a circuit that is powered on when the lights are on - you will need to find a circuit to tap into that supplies +12VDC when the lights are on
• Blue goes to your accessory relay (if using a single pole single throw 86 -- or 85 if you are using a constant on 86 and using your switch as a ground interrupt)
• Green goes to your other accessory's relay (if using a single pole single throw 86 -- or 85 if you are using a constant on 86 and using your switch as a ground interrupt)

The three questions you need to answer are:

1. Is my switch getting constant 12VDC?
2. Am I tapped into a circuit that provides 12VDC to the switch when the lights are on and am I getting that +12VDC when the lights are on?
3. When I push the respective switch into the on position is the wire to my relay sending +12VDC (that is if you are using a positive switch - ground interrupt is different)

If you break it into inputs and outputs then prioritize the constant power, then the switch illumination power, and then the output to latch the relay the problem seems a bit less daunting. At least it does for me. Hope this helps. I like this Holley video and visit it every now and again when I need a refresher on automotive relays. Please keep us posted.

 

Everything on my dual switch works as it should, minus being lit up 24/7 when connected to my 12v relay cable.

Yellow wire is tapped to my tail light fuse so it illuminates when the lights are on
Blue wire goes to my light bar relay
Green wire goes to my ditch light relay
Black goes to ground
Red = this wire I tapped off a relay 12v source that my other two single switch lights use and DO NOT light up 24/7 but the dual switch does. If it was a constant 12v source, wouldn't my other switches be lit up 24/7 too?

 

What color is it illuminated? (Example, mine is supposed to be blue from headlights, green when powered on)

If yours is always illuminating blue (or "off" color), then your yellow wire is getting constant power. If its always the "on" mode color, then one of your relays is crossed with constant power.

 

Red is your +12VDC to the switch that latches the relay(s) when the switch is closed
Yellow is your illumination

Two different circuits, two different functions. The bulb or LED that lights your switches is yellow so whenever +12VDC is present on yellow your switch will be illuminated. Your red is your constant. If you spliced your yellow to red, then yes.... your switches would be illuminated whenever +12VDC was present. If your Red went directly to the battery and your yellow was tapped to your red, then your switch would be illuminated even when the ignition was off (as long as your battery had a charge).

What I ask myself in any wiring situation is: what is my source voltage and what voltage am I supposed to get and am I getting it when expected? I then ask myself what is my expected output and am I getting the expected output when and where I expect it.

 

I get what both of you guys are saying and I understand the difference between the red and yellow cable. That being said, even with my yellow cable not being hooked up, my switch was lighting up red (off) when hooked up to my 12v relay wire - which I guess would make it a constant source(?) BUT this is where I get confused....my other two single switches are also hooked up to this same relay 12v source. I have them all tied in together and they do not light up 24/7, only when my dash lights come on (due to my add a fuse) AND I can use them with the truck turned off...

Again, when I hook up this dual switch to the same 12v source as my other single switches, it's lit up 24/7 while the single switches are not.

So what is different about this dual switch or is it faulty?

 

So you have the model that is Amber(off)/white(on)?

And it's showing Amber with the yellow wire completely unplugged?

... defective switch.

 

I believe that's what color it was lighting up as. I now have the red wire tied to an ignition fuse and when the truck turns on, that switch is red. When I push the switch buttons to turn on my ditch lights/light bar, it turns white.

 

Yeah it's not supposed to do that. The red illumination should only be powered by the yellow wire. It should be on a completely different circuit than the switch itself. The white illumination is powered by the red wire and will only illuminate when the switch is on.

At least that's how it's supposed to be.

I think you got a bad switch.

 

this is where I landed with my switch.
Still trying to get resolution from them

 

I recently purchased one of these custom dual switches (April 2022) and have the same/similar issue(s) that started this thread.

What I found is that the red and yellow pins are connected internally and they should not be.
So, when I had 12V going to my red wire, since it’s [incorrectly] connected to the yellow wire pin, all my dash buttons were lit up when they weren’t supposed to be. In other words, 12V on my red wire was sending 12V through the switch, out the yellow wire and into my other dash switches, lighting them up.
I installed a diode on the yellow wire to stop the flow from going to the rest of my dash buttons which stopped my other dash lights from erroneously lighting up. However my switch was still always lit up, whether the dash lights were on or not.

I contacted Ch4x4 and told them what I found. They said their technician was out and just sent me another switch. As much as I appreciate them doing that, the second switch has the exact same problem, red and yellow wire pin on the switch are connected.
I ended up leaving my yellow and black wires disconnected. I’m only using the red, green and blue wires which works but the switch isn’t lit up.

I am running directly through the switch because the switch has a 3.0A rating and the lights I’m using only draw 0.3A.

Setup is:
-Top button/switch, when on, manually turns my puddle lights On.
-Bottom button/switch, when on, the puddle lights turn On/Off same as interior cabin lights and also turn On when I select the Reverse gear for the transmission.

Here’s my wiring:

 

I decided to open the extra switch and check things.

On the circuit board itself the main red +12V wire pin and yellow dash light input pin are connected on the same path. Also, that yellow wire pin is only connected to that path.
There’s no way the yellow dash light input wire can control turning the switch light on or off.

Still no response from CH4x4.

 

Hey all. Did you guys get this figured out? I'm trying to wire this switch, many different ways, two two light bars (LB) from the same manufacturer. Both light bars worked individually and together perfectly w/ the supplied on/off switch (3 prong, black, blue, white). I've tried pretty much every possible wire combination to no avail. FYI - I have never connected the yellow since that's not my main priority. I have maintained the black as ground as the prong is brass on the LB switches. I've tried connecting the blue and green to each LB's blue wire (red to each LB's white) and also each each LB's white wire (red to each LB's blue). I've also done a lot of playing around w/ only one light bar, all to no avail. Any help is appreciated.

 

No, read that post above.
I have made a few attempts to contact ch 4x4 and they have provided no resolution.

 

Donellyd,

No way to answer your question without more information.

How are you trying to use the dual switch? Top button for one light bar and bottom button for the other?
Are you using relays?
If you’re light bar(s) draw more than 3 amps you’ll need to use a relay for the light bar and then use the switch to control the relay.