BigAL0213
Member
My spot light did not turn on nor did it light up. I changed a fuse and now it turns but doesn't light up. I changed the bulb and still didn't work. Is there more than one fuse? Any other trouble shooting?
Spot light not working
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sbw1
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- Oct 10, 2006
- 8,185
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Would help to know what light you have. A couple of things come to mind if you have an ACR.
sbw1
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- Oct 10, 2006
- 8,185
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Some possibilities come to mind. There is some continuity between the controller at the helm or the fixture would not rotate. This does not mean there is continuity on the portion of the circuit that powers the bulb. That would require testing the helm controller for functionality as well as any peripheral controller between the helm controller and the bulb. Then there is the bulb itself. He replaced the old one with a new one. I've had the experience of replacing a bad bulb with another bad bulb brand new out of the box. So that is something to check. Another possibility is a damaged power line between the helm and light due to frayed insulation or damage cause by previous work performed on the boat.The most likely issue is a bad connection somewhere in the circuit due to a faulty helm switch, a breech in the power cord to the device that effects only the bulb power, the light fixture, or a faulty control board near the light if this particular brand of light uses one. The location of circuit boards for spot lights in damp areas such as chain lockers is not ideal, but some builders do place them there for ease of construction. The humidity will eventually do them in and cause the kinds of problems mentioned in the OP. To be complete, there is also a possible issue with the bulb socket wiring due to corrosion inside the light fixture. A visual inspection of each component is required starting with the easiest ones to access.
Last edited:
BigAL0213
Member
It's a Guest 22040A 5" Spotlight
sbw1
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- Oct 10, 2006
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OK....Couple of other things to consider. You need to have enough DC power to run the light bulb and the relay in the fixture. If other accessories are powered by the same battery are they getting you below the power requirement to the fixture? Your manual will spec what is needed to open and close the relay in the fixture and light the bulb. The most common problem is corrosion at a connection. Look at both ends of your wiring cable and make sure the male and female connections are clean and dry. Helm controller, same thing. These are most likely places to find a problem. If those are good and you have enough power, there could be an issue with the fixture. The design is not particularly robust when mounted at the front of the boat and running in heavy head seas. I've broken two of them in Lake Michigan's famous "chop". They do better when mounted on a hardtop away from the water spray and jarring. The ACR is the only brand that I've owned that has lasted 14 years positioned up front in our local operating conditions. It is quite robust.
rcknecht
Well-Known Member
I have two fuses on mine... on the dash... BTW mine only work in the high setting... Where did you get your bulb?
QT1
Active Member
- Oct 20, 2016
- 648
- Boat Info
- 1990 350 Sundancer, "Quality Time II".
- Engines
- 454 Mercruisers, performance parts modified by PO.
Once I finish my bow pulpit/windlass project, a new LED spotlight replacement is in order.
