Bathroom fluorescent light
Moderator: bfadmin
Bathroom fluorescent light
We bought this unit back in March. The bathroom light has never worked. The fuses are good. Replaced the bulbs then finally replaced the fixture. All other lights work fine. Any ideas?
Yes, both that light switch below the bathroom sink and the switch on the light fixture itself must both be on for the light to work!
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
Jim,
Well if you have replaced the fluorescent lamps and then also the complete fixture including the built in ballast and both switches are ON and it still will not work, I would recommend the following. Drop the fixture back down and using a DC voltmeter, check across the two leads feeding the fixture to see if 12 vdc is across those two leads with the switches on. If not, then you have lost the 12 vdc power to the fixture somewhere in the wiring of the coach.
Next, using an ohmmeter, check each of the two leads for continuity to coach chassis ground. One good place to hookup to chassis ground would be to drop the lid down on the top half of your Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter. The metal frame inside the lid is a good ground connection. One of the two leads should be the ground lead and should show a low resistance connection to ground. If not, that lead has lost its ground connection and will have to be traced out and repaired. If you find one of the leads has a low resistance connection to ground then that lead is OK. Then you most likely will find the other lead (the hot lead) to be open circuit. That means that this hot lead's connection to the proper fuse in the DC fuse pc board in the Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter has been lost and will need to be traced out and repaired.
The photo below shows what the DC fuse pc board looks like with the lid down. Check to see if a wire lead for the fuse controlling the bathroom fixture is disconnected from the associated screw terminal.
Tracing out a disconnected lead will probably not be an easy task and you may want to have this problem handled by a professional and experienced RV technician.
Well if you have replaced the fluorescent lamps and then also the complete fixture including the built in ballast and both switches are ON and it still will not work, I would recommend the following. Drop the fixture back down and using a DC voltmeter, check across the two leads feeding the fixture to see if 12 vdc is across those two leads with the switches on. If not, then you have lost the 12 vdc power to the fixture somewhere in the wiring of the coach.
Next, using an ohmmeter, check each of the two leads for continuity to coach chassis ground. One good place to hookup to chassis ground would be to drop the lid down on the top half of your Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter. The metal frame inside the lid is a good ground connection. One of the two leads should be the ground lead and should show a low resistance connection to ground. If not, that lead has lost its ground connection and will have to be traced out and repaired. If you find one of the leads has a low resistance connection to ground then that lead is OK. Then you most likely will find the other lead (the hot lead) to be open circuit. That means that this hot lead's connection to the proper fuse in the DC fuse pc board in the Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter has been lost and will need to be traced out and repaired.
The photo below shows what the DC fuse pc board looks like with the lid down. Check to see if a wire lead for the fuse controlling the bathroom fixture is disconnected from the associated screw terminal.
Tracing out a disconnected lead will probably not be an easy task and you may want to have this problem handled by a professional and experienced RV technician.
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Last edited by whemme on Sat Nov 19, 2011 11:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
Hey you guys, you are making me feel self-conscious and embarrassed.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
- Mike Jean Bandfield
- Posts: 513
- Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:43 pm
OBTW, I've now had 3 fluorescent fixtures fail due to poor internal wire nut connections in the 6 years we've had the BF. One failed outright and 2 were intermittent. The intermittent ones would temporarily start working or flash occasionally when you beat on them. (My finely tuned diagnostic skills. )
Take them apart, remove the wire-nuts, twist the wires back together, using pliers to get a strong mechanical as well as electrical connection, and then replace the wire nuts. I finally did this to all these fixtures while I had the tools out - figured it would save a lot of hassles later. I've had no problems since.
Also, in all our years of RV'ing I've never had a bulb or ballast fail in one of these little 12V fluorescent fixtures - never! IMO, they're very reliable except for the internal connections and you can probably blame the road vibrations for the majority of those failures.
Mike
Take them apart, remove the wire-nuts, twist the wires back together, using pliers to get a strong mechanical as well as electrical connection, and then replace the wire nuts. I finally did this to all these fixtures while I had the tools out - figured it would save a lot of hassles later. I've had no problems since.
Also, in all our years of RV'ing I've never had a bulb or ballast fail in one of these little 12V fluorescent fixtures - never! IMO, they're very reliable except for the internal connections and you can probably blame the road vibrations for the majority of those failures.
Mike
Mike & Jean
2005 26' RSS Diesel
2005 26' RSS Diesel
Bathroom fluorescent light
Jim, had the identical problem. Removed the light switch under the vanity and found it only had ONE wire on it. The unoccupied blade on the switch was also slightly bent. Straightened the blade, retrieved the wire with the aid of a flashlight and a pair of long nose pliers. The push on connector was loose when I installed it. A GENTLE squeeze made it tighter and the light now works.
Hope this helps.
Geoff Arkley
Palm Desert, CA
Hope this helps.
Geoff Arkley
Palm Desert, CA