nancur373 Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Trying to hook up the bow navigation lights. Got power to the wires but can only get the green light to come on. Do I need to hook both wires on the light to the live and then ground the negative? Or what? Please help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forrest Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 (edited) It sounds like your right, but, guessing with electrical usually turns out to be a headache. Mine came pre-wired. Wires are always colour coded. A picture says a thousand words. Edited July 24, 2008 by forrest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Check the bulbs. It,s only a one wire set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancur373 Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Check the bulbs.It,s only a one wire set up. No it has 2 wires comming out of the case. A blue and a black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forrest Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 (edited) Hi Nancur, I wish I knew the answer for sure. Usually I would take out a DMM and check the codes. Here is a site with the color codes, it might help. http://newboatbuilders.com/pages/elect5.html The chart says something about blue being a switch for lights. forrest Edited July 24, 2008 by forrest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpguy29 Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 From your pic it looks like ya got 2 bulbs. If only 2 wires one has to be positive and one negative. If one lite working you can switch the bulbs around to see if both bulbs are good. If both bulbs lite up in the currently working socket maybe you got some corrsion in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forrest Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 No it has 2 wires comming out of the case. A blue and a black. If there are 2 wires only and you hooked up Blue to hot and black to ground.....check the bulbs and internal connections to the red light. forrest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancur373 Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 From your pic it looks like ya got 2 bulbs. If only 2 wires one has to be positive and one negative. If one lite working you can switch the bulbs around to see if both bulbs are good. If both bulbs lite up in the currently working socket maybe you got some corrsion in there. No I bought new one. a combined unit as the one on her had a busted lens and bulb. This one I bought has two wires comming out. But the old ones were joined together and hooked to the live and the negative was grounded to the boat. I think it may be a switch problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 I was stating one wire comes out of the light,but there is two wires, a power /ground. Black will be yer neg ,the blue power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Im a better hands on, kind of guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forrest Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 (edited) No I bought new one. a combined unit as the one on her had a busted lens and bulb. This one I bought has two wires comming out. But the old ones were joined together and hooked to the live and the negative was grounded to the boat. I think it may be a switch problem. Where is the pic? I am pretty sure that stuff is not supposed to be grounded to the boat. Get it fixed up right pronto. one hot, one ground: If you get power to one bulb the only reason that the other bulb is not lighting up is due to a defective unit or an unseated bulb. Take it back and exchange it. forrest Edited July 24, 2008 by forrest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancur373 Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Where is the pic? I am pretty sure that stuff is not supposed to be grounded to the boat. Get it fixed up right pronto. one hot, one ground: If you get power to one bulb the only reason that the other bulb is not lighting up is due to a defective unit or an unseated bulb. Take it back and exchange it. forrest If I hook each end to a battery post only the green comes on. Even if I switch wires. Maybe bad bulb?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forrest Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 If I hook each end to a battery post only the green comes on. Even if I switch wires. Maybe bad bulb?? Everyone is right on this one. -bad bulb -corrosion -bad wire -loose connection Since it is a new unit all are likely suspects. Further hands on inspection is required. forrest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 You just answered yer own question bud. Like forest said,check the bulb and the connection of the bulb.If one works,then they should both work. They Make these things these days so simple to hook up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancur373 Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 I'm an idiot...the red lens isn't red its black plastic. It was a vertical mount. Guess that's what you get for buying out of the five dollar bin. Thanks tho guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Wish I lived close to ya. I would give ya such a slap upside the head.LOL J/K Head to CTC or Wally World and get the right one. Cheap investment to redo. Now lets work on that added live well you,ll be asking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancur373 Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Wish I lived close to ya. I would give ya such a slap upside the head.LOL J/K Head to CTC or Wally World and get the right one. Cheap investment to redo. Now lets work on that added live well you,ll be asking about. got the right one now. Out of the 10 dollar bin...lol. And as for the livewell....well that'll be a little later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwl Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 (edited) well, glad you got that figured out...most electrical for boat accessories is pretty easy...all the negatives(blacks) all go together to the battery...all the possitives(reds) all go together to the battery...anything with an on and off switch should generally have a fuse...you can get a little fuse panel kit from marina..or put all inline fuses..most stuff only requires a 15amp fuse. Edited July 24, 2008 by jwl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 And as for the livewell....well that'll be a little later. I got what you need ,as I built mine in a simuliar boat. So have others. This Im sure it,will be a an easier solve.LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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