Electrical Night time running lights

[Andrewm02]

Hi everyone,

Hope you are having a great long weekend. We are at koala shores at Lemon tree Passage.

On the way up on Tuesday night, I noticed that three of the night time running lights on the top corners of my van weren't working.

Does anyone know where I should begin looking to work this one out? I have checked the 12pin plug and it looks good.

 

[cruza driver]

Have you popped the light out to see power behind it?

At a guess there isn't, the wiring must run up the wall somewhere?

 

[Andrewm02]

@cruza driver I was trying to get one of the lights out earlier without success. I was trying not to break the housing. Is there a trick to getting them out?

 

[cruza driver]

The tags on the sides of lense hold the light in.

I'd look elsewhere 1st as it is 3 not working and if your not keen on removing the lights.

 

[Bmhdg76]

I would start at all the cable joins under the van. Where the cable comes from the a-frame. More than likely something has come apart there.

BJ.

 

[Drover]

If it is the upper rear clearance lights, remove the right hand stop and/or turn lights to gain access into the cavity bvehind where you will find a conglomeration of cables one of which could possibly have a loose connection, from memory I think you are mainly looking for a brown with white cable.(do not pull on any wire and that goes for any cable that runs into the van, if you pop a connector you may never be able to reconnect and will have to try and run a new one.)
I very much doubt it would be the lights themselves and with a couple of them going dark it points to a connection, to remove the led lights you must pop the side tabs, if your van is more than a couple of years old have silastic handy as the clips will break.

 

[Andrewm02]

Thanks @Bmhdg76 and @Drover. I will check it out tomorrow and let you know how I go. I agree it is prob a loose connection seeing as one light is still working. Just wasn't sure where to start looking

 

[Drover]

On mine the cable runs into that rear cavity from underneath then heads into the van via the bottom cupboard for the lower side lights and up the inside wall to the upper lights.

 

[Meanderthals]

Just had aproblem with one of mine (upper front) that failed completely, plus a side one that I damaged (don't ask). My experience is that with the silicone they use under the light to ensure water proofing it also ensures that you can't remove the light with out effectively destroying it. Not enough slack to lift the sealed lens out enough to then cut away the silicone to release the wires. The front clearance light wasn't just one LED not working, all 3 had failed. Be careful when getting replacements as it seems that the only way to confirm what colour one you're buying is a small coloured sticker on the back of the sealed lens.

 

[Drover]

I have used a piece of stainless locking wire made into a garrot and used like a cheese cutter to seperate items from silastic.

 

[Meanderthals]

Both type of lights came with about a 200+mm pair of wires ending in spade terminals. In the case of the side light I was able to trim off or gouge out enough silicone to drag out the internal wires and plug in the new light and all was fixed. With the clearance light enough silicone was sqeezed inside the cavity that it was likely that tugging the wires any harder would have resulted in breaking off the wires somewhere inside the walling. I had to just cut them off and join with minimal spare length and try to stuff them inside the small cavity left. Someone needs to design lights that just plug in to a fixed base.

 

[Drover]

Your not wrong there @PhilD, I was digging out the silastic and ended up popping the connector and couldn't get the ends back, spent ages trying to force some S/S wire down the cavity so I could tie the cable on it and drag it back up, once there I nade sure the join was just inside the cut out. When those lights get a few years on them the clips on the ends just snap off if you try to remove them, just silasticed the light on then.

 

[Andrewm02]

So I have pulled out my rear clearance light. Is there a trick to checking if the light itself is buggered. Is it as simple as putting + and - on car battery to check or is there another trick because they are LED?

 

[Meanderthals]

In trying to remove mine I ripped the wires out of the housing so no chance of alternate testing. Wiring in new one had it working, so original was definitely faulty. Had the new one not worked as well I would not have been happy.

 

[Andrewm02]

Ok, so I have worked out that the problem is the lights not the wiring. I have replaced the light on the rear and it works fine.
I have starting pulling the fronts apart but have lost the cable that the light connects to in the cavity. It was so full of silastic that it would hardly move. Any sparkies out there got any tricks or know of a tool that I can use to find it?? I have tried a bit of coat hanger with a hook on it but can't find anything.

Thanks Andrew

 

[mfexpanda]

Fishing lure

 

[Roadkill]

A pick up tool from any auto shop are always handy. Something like http://m.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/SCA-Pick-Up-Tool-Claw-Spring-LED/293797

 

[Andrewm02]

A pick up tool from any auto shop are always handy. Something like http://m.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/SCA-Pick-Up-Tool-Claw-Spring-LED/293797

Thanks @Roadkill, that looks like it might be the go.

 

[jvp]

I've been an auto elec for quite a few years now & when LED lighting first appeared on caravans all I could see was trouble. They look pretty when new but with no consideration that someday they might need replacement. eg Cables too short & silicon everywhere making it difficult to fit new lamps & test existing lamps. I've got globes on mine. All globes are led in existing lights. All good. I won't change any time soon.
jvp

 

[Meanderthals]

I've been an auto elec for quite a few years now & when LED lighting first appeared on caravans all I could see was trouble. They look pretty when new but with no consideration that someday they might need replacement. eg Cables too short & silicon everywhere making it difficult to fit new lamps & test existing lamps. I've got globes on mine. All globes are led in existing lights. All good. I won't change any time soon.
jvp

For the lights in question I'm starting to see sense in that.