Cabin Lights Out

[Ken DeLacy]

Please help, today the head and v-berth lights didn't turn on, next I turned on the salon light and it only lasted a couple minutes, the nav. station and q-berth lights still work though. Anyone ever run into this problem or can recommend fuse/breaker locations?Sincere thanks,Ken DeLacy79 h37c

 

[Jim Legere]

OH boy!

The cabin lights on a 37C all run on the same circuit, which has wiring run between the headliner and the hull - nearly impossible to get at! The wires (there are two or three sets of blue wires coming into the circuit breaker, if memory serves...) each supply several lights; e.g. the wire going to the port settee light continues on to the head vanity and on to the port v-berth, etc. Maybe one of these wires has broken or come adrift...hopefully at the switch panel, where you can do something about it. Try the link below for wiring diagrams that may provide clues. Good luck!

 

[Ed Schenck]

H37C Wiring.

Your symptoms are very perplexing Ken. There are two wires off of the "Cabin Lights" circuit breaker, one for port and one for starboard. The starboard wire goes to the nav light and then to the q-berth light. That wire separated on mine. So I had a nav light but no q-berth, no companion way, nothing on starboard(galley, salon, head, v-berth). I ran a new wire from the circuit breaker to the q-berth and all is well. But your post sounds like you lost it after the q-berth. When you say the salon light does not work I assume you mean the double one on the starboard side, and the starboard v-berth. If both v-berth lights are out I would not know how to explain that, they are on the same circuit breaker but different wires. As Jim pointed out, 90 percent of the wiring is inaccessible. Good luck.

 

[Ken DeLacy]

Testing

Thanks guys, I'll check all the sockets for voltage and update you.Ken

 

[Gene Gruender]

They are Daisy chained

The wiring, at least on mine, was daisy chained from light to light. It isn't one continuous wire, but seperate wires between each light. Each light has 4 wires, two hot and two ground. They connect to the light, one pair coming in and one pair going out to keep the chain going. Corrosion on any connection will kill the lights downstream.I would check the connection at the last light that works, then work my way on down.The bigger problem is that Hunter used normal, non-tinned wire. It's not going to last too long. In addition, even if you do get the connections going, you'll find that each has a lot of resistance. When you get the lights going again try this. Turn on the v-berth light. It's far down the chain. Have someone turn on a main cabin light while watching the v-berth light. I'll bet it dims a lot. Hard on the eyes, and a waste of electricity.My solution was to run a continuous pair of 12 gauge wires down each side of the boat. Good, marine tinned wire. Then, without cutting them, I skinned back the insulation at each point I wanted a light. Wrapping a wire to go to the light around the skinned main run, then soldering and insulating each, I got very good connections and no light coming on effects any other.Good luck.Gene GruenderRainbow Chaser

 

[r shelby]

Been there, Done that....

If you pop off that plastic cover, You'll probably see: 1) cheap innards 2)corroded contacts and wiring, 3) Very short remaining wiring to cut back. A liberal dose of sandpaper, T-9 or Boeshield, and patience will probably solve these problems. I've done this on all the interior light fixtures, and have been able to squeze out 2-3 more years of life. Several have already been replaced. Bottom line: Mother ocean and electrics were never meant to to cohabitate. Tis a never-ending battle... RS