All my interior lights are working just fine but tried using my running and mast lights for the first time and none of them work. VHF works, bilge, am/fm etc. Too tired to deal with it now, where would you start?
No running or mast lights 25.5
- Thread starter Submarine
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Also the lens and bulb assembly is missing from the interior light in the aft berth, where can we get those? Base and switch is there.
If you have a deck socket into which the wires from the mast plug, see if you have voltage at that plug when the switches are on. If not, check fuses. If you do, check bulbs and voltage at the top of the mast. If your mast is down and you can't plug the mast wires into the deck socket, use a 12v battery or find a power brick for some device that outputs 12v DC and use that attached to the mast base wires. You may have to cut the plug from the end of the brick wires or make some sort of adapter to wires with alligator clips. I made one of these so I can test the anchor bulb before I step the mast on my 23.
Thanks. Are these systems set up where if one thing doesn't work everything doesn't work? Odd that all the lights are out. It's kind of weird too because I have two electrical panels and both work. One looks original, the other is West Marine. Aye carumba
No, they are not.
I would start at the switch panel for the running lights. Normal running lights are bow and stern lights. These are on the same switch.
Normal mast lights are Steaming and Anchor. These should be on their own switches. You may have one breaker/fuse for several switches or separate breaker/fuses for the switches for these lights.
So start at the switch panel and check the breakers/fuses.
@Ward H mafe a wise suggestion and as a former dealer, that is what I do first. Then go to bow and stern lights checking bulbs and voltage. Then for mast lights, generally the large Prong was for negative and other two for hot. Not sure what light you have after all these years on top of the mast
Since both are out I would suspect a bad ground as that is most likely shared between the two.
Les
Les
Mast and running lights (bow and stern
Lights) are separate positive. At the ground side are either on a board or bundled together. Suspect either fuses, bulbs , poor connections or corrosion.
Lights) are separate positive. At the ground side are either on a board or bundled together. Suspect either fuses, bulbs , poor connections or corrosion.
Check corrosion where the mast plug connects. Take a piece of sand paper and scratch off the patina on the plug prongs. Also scratch out the female end of the socket. After checking the fuses and bulbs, check for corrosion at the sockets. Twice I did major rewiring that did not solve my problem to later discover it was a simple corrosion issue that could have been fixed in 10 seconds. Also check for corrosion where the wires are bolted at the switch panel.
Thanks for all the good suggestions. I think my mast plug is a major issue as it has butt connectors right up against it and is just a mess. I was looking as EzACDC but they don't have just connectors. It's a four prong and looks like two grounds are in one assuming those are the black wires. Seems like a Deutsch connector or MSD type would be a better option that what they used.
Good point about the trailer connector. I've built weathertight connectors from MSD for powersports applications and might go that way to eliminate the extra splice. A rewire will probably be in order at some point. I'm not quite sure where the fuse box is. Pretty sure the plug is my weak link. This being an Arizona/New Mexico boat it spent most of it's time in arid high desert so the interior is pretty pristine for being 33 years old.
Do you have a socket mounted on the deck, or just wires that penetrate it? Looks like the latter. One plug looks like for an antenna - the coax. You may be able to disassemble the power connector and resurrect it, or just put in a new one. That may be best option particularly if you don't have a socket in the deck.