Carling rocker wiring issue- lights?

Hoping someone has run across this issue when setting up a switch panel with a master switch using carling rockers.

Went with a Fitch style overhead mounted project box. I set it up with a master switch that must be flipped to use the other switches. Thus far, I've only got off-road lights hooked up. I'll be adding stuff for the ARB's once I get the new axles in.



The good news is the off road lights turn on and off... but there are a few things happening that thus far I haven't been able to figure out.

Issue 1: Lights on the switches do not light up. I spliced them into the factory fog light wiring switch. Of course, my Jeep does not have factory fogs, but the wiring is there behind the blank. Hooked into the orange wire, which per my search is the illumination wire. Grounds for this circuit are linked to the grounds for 12v power on the switches, so I'd think if it was a ground issue, nothing would work at all.

Issue 2: Flip on the master, flip on the off road lights, lights turn on. Flip off the off road lights, they don't go off. However, if I flip the master off, the go off. Is this normal for wiring a circuit this way?

Thanks in advance.

#1 Check to see if there is voltage on the orange wire when the headlights are on.

#2 Do the switch lights not go off or just the actual lights?

whitexj98 said:

#1 Check to see if there is voltage on the orange wire when the headlights are on.

#2 Do the switch lights not go off or just the actual lights?

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on #2, the switch lights aren't coming on at all, so the issue is with the actual off-road lights.

Checked this again in the dark. Switch lights do work, but are very dim. Leaning toward bad ground

if you tied into the factory illumination orange wire,remember the light switch does rotate to dim or brighten the interior dash lighting

440_Dakota said:

if you tied into the factory illumination orange wire,remember the light switch does rotate to dim or brighten the interior dash lighting

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Does that mean I have to use the same ground as the dimmer circuit?

nope just a good ground

On an 01 yes? Is the fog light switch just an LED? If so I doubt it dims. Are the conturas designed to be illuminated like this? I thought most only illuminated when switched to on position.

On #2, are you using a relay for the off-road lights? Though it doesn't make sense, perhaps the relay is being held up by some feed-through from the master switch.

Note that there are a number of switch configurations in Carling switches. Some of them have independent grounds and circuits for the illumination and controls; others have common grounds. We might also be feeding through the illumination circuit.

David Bricker / SYR

I have similar switches for my panel, version V's I think. I just wired them up to the stereo wiring, power and illumination. The switches have dependent and independent lights on mine. The independent lights the lower led for the switch name all the time whenever the ignition is on. The dependent lights the upper led for the switch symbol when the switch is flipped on.

Are yours wired to power with ignition, but illuminate with the cluster lights? Are they single led or dual led models?

David_Bricker said:

On #2, are you using a relay for the off-road lights? Though it doesn't make sense, perhaps the relay is being held up by some feed-through from the master switch.

Note that there are a number of switch configurations in Carling switches. Some of them have independent grounds and circuits for the illumination and controls; others have common grounds. We might also be feeding through the illumination circuit.

David Bricker / SYR

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Yes, using a relay to activate the lights.

I'll post the wiring diagrams for the switches I have when I get home from work

at05gt said:

I have similar switches for my panel, version V's I think. I just wired them up to the stereo wiring, power and illumination. The switches have dependent and independent lights on mine. The independent lights the lower led for the switch name all the time whenever the ignition is on. The dependent lights the upper led for the switch symbol when the switch is flipped on.

Are yours wired to power with ignition, but illuminate with the cluster lights? Are they single led or dual led models?

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Same setup/style as yours if I'm reading it right. Wiring diagram said to hook the hot lead for the upper to 12v fused, and to connect lower to dash illumination. Grounds are chained together for both

Could be the Illumination wire is not enough power to light the switch, dimmer circuits are funky sometimes. I would try pulling power for the illumination circuit directly from the headlight switch instead.

I have a diagram I used to wire the panel, can't find the damn thing. Found It

I have mine wired for continuous illumination, power and ground come in from the stereo wiring. Power and ground go to separate junction blocks mounted under the switches. From the junction blocks each switch gets 1 power and 1 ground lead. Power goes to terminal 2, then jumpers to terminal 6. Terminal 3 goes to your relay. Ground goes to terminal 8 and jumpers to 7.

at05gt said:

Could be the Illumination wire is not enough power to light the switch, dimmer circuits are funky sometimes. I would try pulling power for the illumination circuit directly from the headlight switch instead.

I have a diagram I used to wire the panel, can't find the damn thing. Found It

I have mine wired for continuous illumination, power and ground come in from the stereo wiring. Power and ground go to separate junction blocks mounted under the switches. From the junction blocks each switch gets 1 power and 1 ground lead. Power goes to terminal 2, then jumpers to terminal 6. Terminal 3 goes to your relay. Ground goes to terminal 8 and jumpers to 7.

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What size fuse are you running on your hot wire?

IslanderOffRoad said:

What size fuse are you running on your hot wire?

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Its pulling off the stereo wiring, whatever fuse that is in the oem fuse panel. Didn't feel the need to fuse it twice, all of my relays are individually fused anyways.

I run the independent light off the stock illumination with no issues but I tapped one of the hot wires to the shifter bezel lights for the source. Dims just fine with the rest of the interior lights, so I know it's possible. It's been mentioned but make sure you don't have the interior lights all the way dim... IIRC the Carling lights are more sensitive to dimming than the rest of the factory lights.

I don't know if the orange wire you tapped for the dimmer is ok or not since I didn't use it, but here's how my switches are wired:

7, 8 - GND
2 - +12V from battery
3 - Output to relay (+12V)
6 - +12V from bezel light

Since you're using a single master switch, 2 on all the other switches should be connected to 3 on the master, with 2 on the master actually coming from the battery.

I'd double check your grounds since it sounds like you probably have the connections correct on the back of the switch.

donthelegend said:

I run the independent light off the stock illumination with no issues but I tapped one of the hot wires to the shifter bezel lights for the source. Dims just fine with the rest of the interior lights, so I know it's possible. It's been mentioned but make sure you don't have the interior lights all the way dim... IIRC the Carling lights are more sensitive to dimming than the rest of the factory lights.

I don't know if the orange wire you tapped for the dimmer is ok or not since I didn't use it, but here's how my switches are wired:

7, 8 - GND
2 - +12V from battery
3 - Output to relay (+12V)
6 - +12V from bezel light

Since you're using a single master switch, 2 on all the other switches should be connected to 3 on the master, with 2 on the master actually coming from the battery.

I'd double check your grounds since it sounds like you probably have the connections correct on the back of the switch.

Click to expand...

This wiring setup sounds exactly like what he is looking for, illumination with running lights and all switches powered by a single master. The only caveat I can see is that the illumination will light up all switches with the gauges independent of whether the master is on or not. Sort of like:

Master Off - Lights Off - No Power - No Illumination
Master On - Lights Off - Power - No Illumination
Master Off - Lights On - No Power - Illumination
Master On - Lights On - Power - Illumination

Remove the gimicky features, and re-wire it. Theyre offroad lights, not missile's.