Can't get my front boat lights to work

[LostAnotherOne]

Went out to Bay of Quinte a few weeks ago and my front and back lights were not working on my 14 footer. Managed to get the back ones going when I got home, but got no success getting the front ones to turn on. I'm pretty sure its not the battery. I followed the connection from the front lights to the battery and still can't figure it out. Going to bring it in to the marine next week, but if anyone could give me any tips that would be great. Thanks

[ccmtcanada]

I'm sure you tried this already, but did you change the bulbs? Do you have an electrical tester to see if current is making it there? You can take the bulb out and put the leads into the socket to see if power is getting there.

[kickingfrog]

Check the fuse?

[LostAnotherOne]

Will pull out my multi reader tomorrow and test it out. Thanks

[John Bacon]

Do you have removeable light posts? If so, the post and base may be the issue.

[Tom McCutcheon]

Corrosion on the wire connectors either at the battery end, switch connection or fixture connection.

Just like on a trailer connection. No lights or intermittent lights is usually corrosion or a bad ground.

[BillM]

Bad ground.

[muddler]

All the above are very good suggestion and I would try them all. Years ago I picked up a continuity tester at a yard sale for 10 cents. The led was fried. Replaced it with a 3v Green Led and it works great. It has a probe on one end and a 2ft wire with an alligator clip on the other. Any complete circuit will cause the LED to light up (runs on 2 AAA batteries). Although my multi-meters have an audible circuit tester I like this one because of it's simplicity and I see the connection when the LED lights up. Best 10 cents I ever spent. I repair a lot of trailers for my buddies and that is all I use to check the lights and wiring. I got about 20 ft of lamp cord that I use to extend the testing for trailers and boats. I just crimped an alligator clip on one end so that I can extend the testers clip the length of a boat or trailer to test a wire.

 

Check everything. Make sure all connections are clean and make good contact.

 

First disconnect the wires from the battery supplying the power to this circuit.

 

1. Test the bulbs for burn out (replace if necessary). Take them out of the holder to test as a complete circuit could occur if there is a short somewhere else.

2. Test Each wire , end to end. , +v end (disconnect fro battery)to switch connection, Switch to bulb socket connection. Return (GRND) wire (socket to return (-V) battery connection).

3. fuse (replace if necessary)

4. Test each wire to the hull (find a bare unpainted spot - or an exposed screw head will work) connection (may be touching metal causing a short- coating worn off or mice ate it -don't laugh) from each end of the wire one at a time.

5. Switch connections. (clean connections or replace switch and/or connectors) make sure the switch is working properly.

 

Any open circuit (NO continuity - either sound or light) means that the circuit is incomplete. The wire, connector, fuse, bulb or switch is faulty and replacing them is usually required.

 

Lastly, if everything checks out ok, take the bulb out - the one that is not working. Reconnect the wires to the battery. Measure the voltage across the two connections in the bulb holder using your volt-meter to make sure that power is going to the bulb. You should get 12v (or close to it) on a 12V system. It may be the bulb holder itself.

 

A little overkill here but there is no easy way to find the problem except eliminate all the parts that work. If it looks corroded, replace it. use liquid tape, shrink tubing and standard tape as much as I can to prevent corrosion as much as possible.

 

Once you find the problem, recheck-test the connections before before powering up

 

Good luck.........muddler

Edited May 24, 2016 by muddler

[LostAnotherOne]

Thanks for all the info boys. Got home from work and started eliminating possible issues. Got the voltage reader out and started getting current. So the next step is to head to CT and grab a lightbulb lol. Just how could it be cause the bulb isn't used a whole lot, but then again not sure how much the previous owner used it. If its not the issue then I tried what I could. Thanks again

[Terry]

vibration and pounding kills more lights then burning them out on boats

[NANUK]

Replace the bulb with LED