I have not removed the old switch yet and it is numbered with 4 wires numbered 1 through 4 and an unmarked black wire in the middle.

I found I needed a 5 wire switch and could only find a 5-8 Harbour Breeze switch at Lowe's.

My problem is the switch has 8 plugs on it (4 stacked on top of 4) and is marked with L having 2 plugs under it, 1 with 2 plugs under it, 2 with 2 plugs under it, and 3 with 2 plugs under it.

I know from what I have read, the unmarked black goes in L, the wire marked 1 goes in 1, the wire marked 2 goes in 2, and the wire 3 goes in 3; all on the top ring, but where does 4 goe into?

The instructions for the switch are unclear.

I attached a pic of switch, but if it did not work, a pic can be found at http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u321/1weird1/PICT0012.jpg
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u321/1weird1/PICT0012.jpg

Thank you for your time...

Can you give a model for the fan? You will have to figure out what the wires control in the fan. Sounds like L is to the light so a on wire is a feed and one wire is going to the light heads. 1,2,3 are your fan speeds I would assume and unmarked black is probably the power feeding the switch. You would need to know where the existing numbered wires are going to which the original fan instructions could probably clarify. Gimme a model number and ill see if I can help you.

All right, gimme a little bit. It is an older fan, & I will have to look around the fan.

I could not find a model number on he fan. It is after all, an old fan.

I took a pic of the existing switch which is marked with 1-2-3-4-C

The black wire is in the C
Red wire in 1
Brown wire in 2
Grey wire in 3
Yellow wire in 4

And all wires go into the fan, not to the light.
Below is a couple pics with one being marked with the wires.
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u321/1weird1/PICT0027.jpg
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u321/1weird1/PICT0027.jpg
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u321/1weird1/PICT0027b.jpg
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u321/1weird1/PICT0027b.jpg
I hope you can help

I am having the same issue. Did you ever figure it out?

Did you guys read this article on ceiling fan wiring (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-wiring.php)?