12V problem-Now I'm really getting mad!

[Coolbreeze]

You saw my other post about the GFCI short now I turned on the 12V lights in the main room and they have a problem now also. Guess it is time for a thread on this problem. I have one switch for the 12 V in the rear near the frig and the other switch takes the 2 front lights. If I turn on the front lights the rear one glows, Same with switch over counter. Turn it on and the rear light glows and then same for the outside light. So the score is Gulfstream (-4) and me (0). 4 pretty crappy issues, de-lam ,the stupid water heater and now 2 electrical problems and not one fixed.

So the question of the night becomes can anybody tell me why the DC lights have 3 wires going to them? OK second question is how do you take these DC wall switchs apart. I would hope they are not glued but them must have some type of way to get them off the wall.

[by8s]

Wow! Talk about one thing after another! It seems, in my limited knowledge of electricity, you may have a ground problem, or lack there of. This could also be tied to your water heater problem. I hope I'm dead wrong. As hot headed as I can be, at this point, I think I would be looking into my state's lemon laws.
Good Luck!

[Coolbreeze]

I can look at the light outlets easy enough myself but I think it is in the switches which I can't figure out how to get off the wall without screwing up the wall paper. I have 4 switches side by side. All except one interact somehow. In other words only one switch works properly but when I press on one switch current bleeds through the other lights and makes them glow a dim orange color. Kitchen light also does the same thing. That and why are their 3 wires. I would think that the switches are wired in series as that is how it works.

[GStream40]

Perhaps if you can post a picture of the switches, maybe someone can describe how to disassemble them.

Ron

[Larry Moore]

If they are like mine the cover has pins on it that snap into a hole in the base. They just pop off.
Larry

[Timothy]

I had problems with a wire harness that passed too close to the slide out mechanism, I had posted some pictures awhile back on it but the whole bundle of wires was damaged when it caught in the rotating tube of the slide out. With the amount of wiring problems your having, it might be worth a look. You or yor dealer will have to remove the underbelly panel to check it out.

[Coolbreeze]

Larry,

I carefully pulled on them, uncarefully pulled on them and all I was able to do was pull the screw out of the wall. The switches are little rocker switches. Couldn't anybody think of anything better then this? They are so difficult to work on and I still didn't get it apart.

Timothy,

That is a good thought and I had that thought before. Problem is there are no DC lights in the slide. Only the AC outlets and the AC lights over th couch and dinette. My patience on this trailer is frazzled. I have had it with this thing for sure. I don't have infinite amounts of time to work on it and my dealer as far as electrical issues is horrible.

[RJ82much]

I've tried & tried to find any information (schematics, part no's, installation info) on your Mako,,, without sucess. Sorry.

Possibly, the manufacturer of the box is Wesco, DeWald, B&R Mfg, or American Tech. That is of no help to you, I realize, in determining how it is fastened to the wall.

The standard for wiring MAY be red/yellow for 12v supply. Green wire, purple, orange (and others are used for 12V wiring to lights & outlets.

I'm wondering if there is a poor ground that is causing your strange dim-light behavior?

You might contact GS (good luck!) and ask for the PDF schematics that they are now supplying to owners

[Larry Moore]

COOLBREEZE
I am currently sitting under the awning in the rain drinking coffee.
When I get the ambition to get off my dead butt I will take a picture and post it of my switches. It may be that the way they have run the screws just into the paneling they will pull out easier than the cover will come off.
Larry

[Larry Moore]

COOLBREEZE
Here is the link
http://family.webshots.com/album/560163136UqHzNE?vhost=family

[darbyjudy]

Have you tested to see if you are getting 12 volts at the lights. It appears to me that you have low voltage. Check at the swith and see if you have 12 volts, if it is OK there then check at the light fixture. Although I can't see how several would be affected unless they all are controlled by one switch. another place to check would be the 12 volt fuse panel. If it is just on the slide out it could be a bad ground also.

[RJ82much]

A picture is worth a thousand words! (Thank-you Larry)

Mike, I'm assuming you currently have the cover off the switch box? (You said the screw came out of the wall)? If not, from the pictures it seems that the cover snaps onto the base that mounts the switches. There should be a small place between the 2 parts to place a flat-blade screwdriver or knife to twist a bit & snap off the cover by separating the 4 posts on the base from the holes in the cover. From there, remove the 4 screws (now only 3 because 1 already pulled loose) using a square-head screwdriver.

The wiring should all be on the back of the bottom box. Since it is 12V wiring, there isn't a code requirement for the connections to be enclosed in a box. There should be enough slack to extend the switch assy out from the wall.

I'm still suspicious of the grounds, as Darby has stated as well.

Just a note about measuring the 12V at the switch... You probably won't be able to because I doubt ground has been brought into the area of the switches. You will need to run a long wire from the frame somewhere & that might just bypass the problem a give misleading "good" results.

Your voltage measurement has to be done at the light or outlet that is not working correctly. You most likely will NOT measure 12V across the lamp. You will most likely have a lot of voltage between the ground-side of the lamp to a real ground point on the trailer frame or battery. You will need a long piece of wire to do this.

Please make sure you have the ground-side before you start playing... Your batteries pack a wallup if you get things backwards. DC circuits use a different wire color scheme than AC. Red (with maybe a yellow stripe) is generally used for battery or supply. The rainbow of colors are used for connections between switch & "device" according to the schematic (ooops, my bad - we don't have nor need schematics per GS).

Keep us posted on your progress.

[Coolbreeze]

Larry,

Thanks for the pictures. I have posted thanks before but now noticed that it never took.

Mike C