wiring for cabin lights

[tlochhaas]

Can anyone help me identify the wires for the interior cabin lights?
I've got a real rat's nest of wiring, some original, some changed by
previous owners, and I've gradually been cleaning up the mess with new
connections to new fuse strips. Yesterday all my lights went out at
once, which would seem to indicate that they are all on the same
circuit, hopefully with one pair of wires entering my mess of wires
under the bridgedeck. It's not a blown fuse--all of them there test
okay. But there's lots of corrosion at old connections and a few loose
ends of wire dangling, so I'd like to find the original wires (hopefully
both the positive line and the ground, assuming there's just one of each
for all 5 lights, and rewire them entirely to a new fuse block. Trial
and error seems to invite potential disasters. The writing circuit in
the Vega Handbook doesn't seem to help. So I'm hoping my lights wiring
is still original and that someone else who has found the wires can help
me identify them. Thanks! And while I'm at it, I'm also trying to
identify the ground for the running lights. In this case I can idnetify
the positive lead because it goes to a switch, but I'd like to make sure
the ground is wired safely too before it too causes me trokuble some day.

 

[wxt8981]

Hi Tom:
I would use a little circuit tester to find out the polarity of all
wires. Shouldn't be too
difficult. And when you know where the wires are going to, label them!
Wilhelm, V-257

Tom Lochhaas wrote:

 

[giani28582]

HiGround for running lights are blue, if yu look in xchain locker at underside of foredeck you should see the wires that come from bow pulpit.GianniSV/Puffin 1554

Tom Lochhaas toml@... wrote:Can anyone help me identify the wires for the interior cabin lights?
I've got a real rat's nest of wiring, some original, some changed by
previous owners, and I've gradually been cleaning up the mess with new
connections to new fuse strips. Yesterday all my lights went out at
once, which would seem to indicate that they are all on the same
circuit, hopefully with one pair of wires entering my mess of wires
under the bridgedeck. It's not a blown fuse--all of them there test
okay. But there's lots of corrosion at old connections and a few loose
ends of wire dangling, so I'd like to find the original wires (hopefully
both the positive line and the ground, assuming there's just one of each
for all 5 lights, and rewire them entirely to a new fuse block. Trial
and error seems to invite potential disasters. The writing circuit in
the Vega Handbook doesn't seem to help. So I'm hoping my lights wiring
is still original and that someone else who has found the wires can help
me identify them. Thanks! And while I'm at it, I'm also trying to
identify the ground for the running lights. In this case I can idnetify
the positive lead because it goes to a switch, but I'd like to make sure
the ground is wired safely too before it too causes me trokuble some day.Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
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[elrond8177]

Hi Tom,
You'll need a volt/ohm meter to trace out your
wiring. With the power off you can check from boat
ground to the contacts in the light sockets. Then do
the same for the power side. This will be easier if
your ohmmeter has a beeper setting to detect short
circuits. Do you have a rocker switch for the lights
located on the ceiling of the cabin just inside the
hatch? I have one there that went bad recently but I'm
not sure if it is original equipment.
Common color schemes for DC power are White and
black, red and black, red and yellow. The black or
yellow is usually ground.
I think that after this many years it would be hard
to find any Vegas with original wiring. I do
electronics and boat wiring professionally and the
'rats nest' syndrome is more the 'norm' than nice
clean wire runs. You can e-mail me direct if you would
like to get detailed on your problem.
Elrond8177@...
Good luck,
John & Carol
Southern Comfort Too
V2931

 

[stevebirch2002]

Hi John

I agree with you about the rats nest being the norm. As you stole my Vega name (joke) you can come over to the UK and wire up my brother's Vega!!! In teh middle of it and finally traced all the wires. WOuld like toc hange most but the lighting etc runs in between the laminate so not easy to replace. I have ended up putting some conduit on the starboard side under the trim beneath the window.

Hope Southern Comfort II is going well, SC1 has been launched but I forgot the sails!!!

Kind Regards

Steve BIrch

 

[tjelle1946]

When you re-wire-do yourself a favor--be neat as hell and run wires in their place and use enough straps and wire to make it look really pretty. I bought a power boat once and the mess came from the factory--very ugly. You can also buy stick on holders but I found them poor in the moisture of the boat. jorgen in Kelowna