Bad Light Switch?

[ryananddavina]

This is our first rv so trying to figure out the 12V and 110 thing - Have a weird thing going on - We have accent lights or bead lights around the bed and two lights on the floor that are controlled by a switch in the hallway and also can be turned on in the bedroom. These lights are no longer working. I also have 3 lights in the ceiling that have stopped working from a single switch as well. I have not checked voltage yet will be doing that tonight but thought I would pose the question can these rocker switches go bad? Already checked the bulbs and they are good. Everything else and other lights are working as expected.

[RayChez1]

Yes a rocker switch can go bad. I had one replaced a couple of years back. I got the switch at an RV dealership.

The two lights near the floor probably are night lights. I have one small round shape in the hallway and one just below the lavatory. The little bulbs do go bad every so often. The rocker switches for those two night lights are, one in the bedroom next to the button for the slide and the other switch is in the hallway next to the thermostat. Also there is another rocker switch there that controls the two florescent lights in the living room ceiling.


OK! I just read on another post you wrote that you have the Friendship coach.

The fancy lighting I have them in the living room around a eight foot mirror on the ceiling, I also have them on the back of the valance board on the big slide and on every step coming into the coach. I had some of the light bulbs that were not working on the step lights so I called Gulf Stream and they told me where to get them If I wanted them replaced. I order new replacements from a company called Wesco. There phone number is 15472061517. The rest are holding up good. I also have about eight halogen lights about two inches in diameter around that big mirror on the living room. They are mostly for when ever you are entertaining.

[ryananddavina]

We have the exact same setup. What is weird is that the light switch in the hall for the bar lights and then the switch for the bead lights around the bed and the 2 floor lights will not come on. I replaced the switch for both and nothing. I think next step is to ch co for power at the switches . I have checked all the fuses in the compartment under the driver side and all the fuses are good. Any other thought? I also replaced and checked the bulbs as well they are good.

[GStream40]

I would check the ground wires that are located in the outside refrig vent. Remove the frig vent on the side wall and in the opening. There should be several white wires that are fastened to a grounding bar. Check for loose wire(s). If you find any loose, then loosen the screw anchor make sure the wires are in the connector and retighten the anchor screw.

I had a problem with lights not working and range hood lights and fan not working after a trip to Florida. On one connector the screw had came loose and some wires had slipped from under the connector. Inserted the wires and tightened, no more problem.

There are a lot of ground wires in that block, not sure what they are for. I can't find them on any of the blueprints I have.

Ron

[ryananddavina]

I looked behind the fridge after taking the vent cover off and I dont see a grounding bar. I would think it would be on the other side of the coach since these switches face the refrigerator and are located above the driver side furnace and beside the hot water heater switch.

[ryananddavina]

Anybody had any issues like this? All the fuses are good none are blown and I cannot find the grounding block as mentioned in the earlier post anywhere near the refrigerator.

[RayChez1]

Ryan, are you sure you checked all the fuses? On the fuse compartment there are two boxes about six inches long. There are a bunch of fuses in those two boxes. I never wanted to open those boxes because one of them is right under a big wire harness that takes some pressure to pull it away from the top of the box and pull the cover off, but I was having problems finding the fuse for the rear taillights and rear clearance lights. I had looked everywhere and could not find it. Finally I decided to take the cover off those two boxes even if it was hard to do. And there it was with a schematic of the fuses on the inside of the cover. So maybe your fuse that you might have missed could be in there.

[ryananddavina]

Ray - yes I have checked those as well. It seems that I am not getting power to those switches for some reason. We had a an inner seal replaced in the driver side slideout by the dealer and ever since we got it back that is when I noticed that those lights were not working. They obviously insist they had nothng to do with it. Everything including lights and switches in the rest of the coach work just fine.

I am trying to trace the wires but they just go down into the bay below and merge with a larger bundle. this is driving me crazy :)

[RayChez1]

The lights on the ceiling are they DC or AC? Remember that DC use fuses, AC uses circuit breakers. Circuit breakers are usually by the bed box or somewhere in the bedroom. Fuses on a diesel pusher have their own compartment, usually first compartment driver side.

I can not see where changing the rubber seal on the slide would have anything to do with the wiring either. The slide was not removed all the way out to replace the rubber seal. I had one installed on mine in Wildwood, Florida. They just extended the slide out and replaced it.

The ceiling lights, are they fluorescent lights? Reason why I ask is because we also have two fluorescent lights in the living room and I do have to change those bulbs every so often. It seems like it is best to change both bulbs at the same time. Sometimes they look like they are good, but they are not. All of these bulbs you can purchase at Home Depot, even the halogen light bulbs which are expensive are there.

The circuit for lights are usually pretty simple to trace.. Check the white ground wires in the fuse compartment and make sure that they are crimped and not lose. I had one that looked like it was crimped good, but when I touched it, it pulled right out. What it was doing by not making a good connection, my air conditioner fan for the dash would work of and on. So a club member told me to check the ground wires and problem was solved. There is a small circuit breaker in the fuse compartment on the right side which might have tripped. It is a little square looking thing about two by two inches, and when it is tripped a little handle will be sticking out. If it is push back into the box and reset.

I believe you have a lose connection somewhere.

[ryananddavina]

So one switch controls three small halogen bulbs in the ceiling above the wine glass rack/bar area. The switch beside that one controls the bead lights around the bed and two floor lights - this switch also has a switch in the bedroom to turn those lights off/on as well. All lights are 12v and I think come from the same power source or circuit - finding it is the problem. All circuit breakers/fuses are good to go so like you said I think I may have a loose ground somewhere on that circuit - but where oh where is that? I am going to try and trace each wire tonight and tomorrow to track it down hopefully

[ryananddavina]

So I checked volts at the switch - nothing - nada. I checked another switch in the bedroom that controls a ceiling light 12v good to go. That circuit is not getting power but all the fuses I have pulled and none are blown.

[Dennis4809]

If you've got 12vdc at one of the switches, sounds like the feed line is good. Most wiring would bring in one hot line then jumper to each switch. Fix should be simple jumper or connecting a loose jumper to the hot side of the offending switch.

FYI, would help with answers if you include yr, model etc in your signature block.

Good luck,

[ryananddavina]

I have updated my sig block - thanks for the headsup. It is a 2003 Gulfstream Friendship 8408 quatro.

I am hoping that I can figure it out before running jumper wires - I am just not sure how the power source is not getting to that line - as the switch right next to it that controls a separate ceiling light works. its crazy.

[RayChez1]

How about the big switch at the door entrance that controls all the DC power in the coach. Maybe a wire might have come lose in the back of that switch.

Check the white wires to the connectors inside the fuse compartment.

Check the big red wire coming from the batteries in the fuse box to see if you have power up to the compartment and into the fuses. You will have to track it down step by step.

[ryananddavina]

Gonna check all that tonight all other 12v stuff works so I am at a loss

[Dennis4809]

I have updated my sig block - thanks for the headsup. It is a 2003 Gulfstream Friendship 8408 quatro.

I am hoping that I can figure it out before running jumper wires - I am just not sure how the power source is not getting to that line - as the switch right next to it that controls a separate ceiling light works. its crazy.

Ours is an 8408 also. I have three switches side by side like yours. I haven't pulled them out to check but my guess is that there is only one hot line that feeds these three switches. The hot will go to one, then jumper to the second, then on to the third. That's the standard method in AC house wiring and don't see why it would be different here. Hot would go to one side of the switch with the other side going to the device being controlled. On house wiring, a second wire of the hot side goes to the next switch. Other method is to bring the hot into the box then wire nut the hot to the three short wires that feed each switch.

Jumpers are not a bad thing, they're common wiring practice.

Good luck,

[Dennis4809]

Any luck on getting your lighting working? If so what was the answer?

[RayHarkness]

Little tip from the world of law enforcement. Switches (on two way radios, and other devices) can get dirty. I know Raychez replaced one. But what I do routinely, is exersise the switches...make them work. My compartment lights don't come on sometime, but I exercise the switch, and they come to life. This is not unusual. I have been lucky to not replace one. anytime I go to the coach when its stored, I will just exercise the rocker switches.

It has worked for me. That means switching them on and off numerous times. It also helps if power is ON to them, so voltage is to them, and it could resolve a lot of problems. Worth the try..Ok..I will shut up now!