Which Is Red, Which Is Black ?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by night0wl

All other pumps, valves and light fixtures seem to work. Whats strange is that the old fixture broke and the BRAND NEW one I got from Beneteau doesn't seem to work either. Just too much coincidence. I have to be doing something wrong

The odds of two fixtures being bad are just too rare.

Any other way to test???

Get a couple of short pieces of wire and connect the fixture directly to a charged boat battery. Voila, it works or it's broke. You bypass wiring, fixture, switches, etc. and test only the fixture.

So now you know for certain if the fixture is good or bad. If good, then the wiring or switch is bad. If the fixture is bad, get another one.

[four winds]

well, it looked like new LED fixture to me.

2-4 ohms on an incandescent filament is about right.
It will check good to the battery.

Does the "bad" fixture show an open on the meter?

Since you checked the wires with a volt meter and had 13v (at that moment) it sounds like you may have an intermittent open condition in that circuit. Just the kind of thing that drives a trouble shooter crazy.

Having old wires loose for the first time in years is a condition that can trigger a fault. Try hooking up the volt meter on the wires and move them around to see if the voltage will drop out. It could be when installed the fixture wires are open, and when pulled out to check with the meter the fault temporarily corrects itself.

Have a good look at the wires on the boat physically, tracing back into the boat as far a reasonable.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by night0wl

All other pumps, valves and light fixtures seem to work. Whats strange is that the old fixture broke and the BRAND NEW one I got from Beneteau doesn't seem to work either. Just too much coincidence. I have to be doing something wrong

The odds of two fixtures being bad are just too rare.

Any other way to test???

Sorry, I think I confused you.

Look at the light fixture as a garden hose with a valve on it. An ohm meter measure the flow the resistance to flow of electrical current. If you have infinite resistance, it is like the valve to the garden hose being shut ... no flow.

Since all things electrical have a bit of resistance, it is like throttling down the valve to the hose, you'll still get some flow. In your case the ohm meter is trying to send current though your bulb, since is is only seeing a small bit of resistance (i.e. the valve is open), you have electrical flow through the bulb, hence, the bulb is probably good.

[night0wl]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Get a couple of short pieces of wire and connect the fixture directly to a charged boat battery. Voila, it works or it's broke. You bypass wiring, fixture, switches, etc. and test only the fixture.

So now you know for certain if the fixture is good or bad. If good, then the wiring or switch is bad. If the fixture is bad, get another one.

Ok, so I just tested all the bulbs in another fixture...the bulbs are all good. I also tested this fixture by putting it across my battery which is fully charged. I cannot get it to light up.

I guess the fixture is bad...but I'm just blown away that 2 fixtures of the exact time can be bad like this. The odds are pretty tiny I'm sure, especially when everything else works just fine (I have at least 6 more of these fixtures on the boat right now)

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by night0wl

Ok, so I just tested all the bulbs in another fixture...the bulbs are all good. I also tested this fixture by putting it across my battery which is fully charged. I cannot get it to light up.

I guess the fixture is bad...but I'm just blown away that 2 fixtures of the exact time can be bad like this. The odds are pretty tiny I'm sure, especially when everything else works just fine (I have at least 6 more of these fixtures on the boat right now)

I know this may be a stupid suggestion but I only offer because I have done it personally. Is there a switch on the fixture? Have you checked the switch? What about the connectors on the ends of the wire? Are they good and tight?

When you checked the ohms of the bulbs was it through the ends of the wire or did you connect directly to the bulb?

If there is a switch test it with the ohm meter. Hook the meter up to the wires and flip the switch (make sure the bulb is in and tight). You should go from infinite or really, really high resistance back to about 2-3 ohms. If not, bad switch.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by night0wl

Ok, so I just tested all the bulbs in another fixture...the bulbs are all good. I also tested this fixture by putting it across my battery which is fully charged. I cannot get it to light up.

I guess the fixture is bad...but I'm just blown away that 2 fixtures of the exact time can be bad like this. The odds are pretty tiny I'm sure, especially when everything else works just fine (I have at least 6 more of these fixtures on the boat right now)

You can also try your ohm meter across one wire to the base of the bulb socket, if an infinite reading is recieved, then try the other conductor on the fixture. If both do not show some resistance, then the fixture is bad, If one shows a reading, repeat with the second wire. You should get continuity from one wire to one conductor in the fixture, AND continuity through the other wire to the other conductor inside the fixture.

[four winds]

Odds are a new fixture would have been the least likely cause. I was holding out on that option as a result.

Glad you got it figured out.

[nv5l]

Also, make sure you clean the terminals inside the socket. A little sandpaper or a green pad works well. If you can open up the fixture, make sure their aren't any breaks in the wire and all the connections are clean. You can use coke or vinegar to clean them.

[night0wl]

Fellas - I just tested with a spare halogen spotlight (just found it) on the same wire...it works just fine. So the bulbs are good, another fixture is good....I think there is something wrong with these switches and thats beyond me to fix (too tiny). I'm going to bug beneteau to send me a proper replacement now.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by night0wl

Fellas - I just tested with a spare halogen spotlight (just found it) on the same wire...it works just fine. So the bulbs are good, another fixture is good....I think there is something wrong with these switches and thats beyond me to fix (too tiny). I'm going to bug beneteau to send me a proper replacement now.

Well, do you now feel like a 12V detective?

[bill good]

It still sounds like the crimped connections.

[US1Fountain]

Odd that it came with those type of end connectors (unprotected) already crimped on. Most I've ever seen just have the ends stripped back, if even that.

Possibly the crimps were installed incorrectly and then the fixture returned as defective? Might cut them off and start with just the wires stripped back and retest.

[night0wl]

Originally Posted by US1Fountain

Odd that it came with those type of end connectors (unprotected) already crimped on. Most I've ever seen just have the ends stripped back, if even that.

Possibly the crimps were installed incorrectly and then the fixture returned as defective? Might cut them off and start with just the wires stripped back and retest.

I'll try that...but i was getting voltage at the ends of the crimp where the wires attach. I'm thinking something is blown in the toggle switch...these things are really flimsy.

[btrayfors]

All you need to test incandescent bulbs is a continuity reading.

Set your multimeter to the buzzer. Touch the leads together to be sure the buzzer is working.

Now, touch the leads to the base of the bulb. If you hear the buzzer, the bulb is good. If not, it's bad. The resistance reading (ohms) is irrelevant with incandescent bulbs.

If the bulb tests good and you're still not getting it to work, check and clean the contacts and leads INSIDE the light fixture.

Bill

[captainwireman]

When taking a shot at possibly frying anything by hooking it up wrong, I would absolutely have an in line fuse on one of the wires. A small fuse, holder, and a couple alligator clips are cheaper than even that light and a very easy thing to make up. You can use it for anything you are not certain of.