ACR spot light not coming on

Jul 9, 2013
61
Rome, Georgia
Boat Info
2004 Sundancer 460
Engines
Cummings 480CE
Good morning. Last night out ACR spotlight wouldn’t come on. The remote lit up, I could move the housing remotely and when I hit the on/off button it beeped but no illumination. Any ideas where I should start. Thanks for any help. Have a great Sunday
 
There are two likely issues. Burned out bulb is one. Then there is a black box about the size of a deck of cards although it is a bit thinner and a bit wider in each direction. Some controller boxes are installed in an area that can become wet such as an anchor locker. The black box will fail from corrosion over time if it gets wet. Certain things will still work when the controller is on its last legs. For example it might rotate and tilt but not light. Or, the light will not turn off. The company does refurbs and this might be a better fix than throwing parts at it.
 
There are two likely issues. Burned out bulb is one. Then there is a black box about the size of a deck of cards although it is a bit thinner and a bit wider in each direction. Some controller boxes are installed in an area that can become wet such as an anchor locker. The black box will fail from corrosion over time if it gets wet. Certain things will still work when the controller is on its last legs. For example it might rotate and tilt but not light. Or, the light will not turn off. The company does refurbs and this might be a better fix than throwing parts at it.
Thanks so much, The first thought were the bulbs but the chance of both going out at once was slim. I will check the controller box as well. I have had the boat washed weekely since I got it three weeks ago. The light worked when it got here so I wonder if its gotten wet. I will check, Have a great day
 
Just went through this. I found a bad ground. Confirm it with a short jumper wire. Cheap easy fix if that is what it is.
 
Just went through this. I found a bad ground. Confirm it with a short jumper wire. Cheap easy fix if that is what it is.

Having the same problem with mine.
Motors will rotate and tilt the head from the control panel at the helm but bulbs won’t illuminate. Took it apart and cleaned the slip ring and contact brushes but the bulbs still don’t turn on. Bulbs are new.
Was about to order a new master controller but saw your post about the bad ground.
Where was the ground that you found to be bad on yours?
 
Having the same problem with mine.
Motors will rotate and tilt the head from the control panel at the helm but bulbs won’t illuminate. Took it apart and cleaned the slip ring and contact brushes but the bulbs still don’t turn on. Bulbs are new.
Was about to order a new master controller but saw your post about the bad ground.
Where was the ground that you found to be bad on yours?
If you took it apart to clean the slip ring, put a multimeter on the ring to see if the light rings are getting power. If not, then you can track those two wires (yellow and green) back to the issue. If the ring is getting power, the brush that picks up the power from the ring may be bad.
 
If you took it apart to clean the slip ring, put a multimeter on the ring to see if the light rings are getting power. If not, then you can track those two wires (yellow and green) back to the issue. If the ring is getting power, the brush that picks up the power from the ring may be bad.

Thanks! I put it all back together after cleaning the slip ring and brushes. Spoke with ACR this morning and they determined that it is the Master Controller, but before I order it I’m going to bring my jump pack down to the boat and put power and ground directly to the yellow and green wires just outside the controller to see if the bulbs light. If they do, then I’ll know for sure that it’s the controller. If not, then I’ll keep going from there.
The other symptom that the system has is that once I turn the dashboard rocker switch on the power light on the point pad comes on and I can’t turn that power off. Pressing that button does nothing.
The tech I spoke to told me that is also typical of a bad controller.
 
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Make sure you order the correct black box if that is the issue. There may be two or three to chose from, and they are not interchangeable if memory serves. The date of the box is marked on the part so make sure the new one meets the spec of the failed part. These pix show what they look like inside including how the date is marked. Good luck with it.
 
View attachment 73528 View attachment 73527 View attachment 73526 View attachment 73525 Make sure you order the correct black box if that is the issue. There may be two or three to chose from, and they are not interchangeable if memory serves. The date of the box is marked on the part so make sure the new one meets the spec of the failed part. These pix show what they look like inside including how the date is marked. Good luck with it.

Hmmmm. I’ll bet a decent electronics guy could test and fix one of those things pretty easily.
Yes, the info about replacement compatibility in their manual was a bit confusing. They no longer make the URC 101 Controller that I have now. It’s replacement is the URC 102 but that one will only work with certain point pads.
Naturally, there is no model number on my point pad, but the ACR guy was very helpful and had me text him a picture of it. He identified it as a URP 101 point pad and verified that it will work with their URC 102 Master Controller.
I forgot to bring my jump pack to the boat when I was checking everything out yesterday, but all the wiring looks to be good and although I cleaned the slip ring and brushes while I had the head off, they really weren’t bad.
Now that I’ve been in there, gone through the manual and spoke to the ACR tech I think they’re pretty simple systems to troubleshoot.
I’ll remember my jump pack when I get back to the boat later this week and test the light via the yellow and green wires before I order the new controller, but I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s going to come down to.
The kicker is that I almost never use the stupid spotlight and I can easily get by with a reliable handheld, but it would drive me nuts knowing that it’s there and not working properly. I hate when something on the boat doesn’t work, or do exactly what it’s supposed to do.
My wife keeps telling me they have medication for people like me.
 

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