Some Coach Lights Not Working

[dgwirth]

Hi fellow RVers!

I have a 2009 Damon Challenger, Class A, and am having trouble with the 12V coach lights. It's the ceiling lights up forward in the middle. Those on the left and right work and so do the ones in the back. I have ruled out blown fuses. I checked every one in coach, including the chassis and the engine compartment. There is a fuse in back marked "Ceiling" but the fuse is good, I even changed it with a known good one in case there was a slight break that I couldn't see. No difference. The fuse box has red LEDs next to each fuse that light when the corresponding fuse blows or is pulled. The fuse marked "Ceiling" does not light up when I pull that fuse but all the others do. I'm now wondering if it could be an issue with the circuit but I'm not sure how to check that. Any ideas?

Thanks, in advance!

[dgwirth]

Thanks, guys. I tried all of these suggestions in order and found Johno02's to be the solution: a wall switch I didn't know I had. Four fixtures hanging from the ceiling by their wires; no power; frustrated owner.... "What's this switch?" I need a beer!

I guess the good news is that I didn't pay someone $120 an hour to show me how to flip a switch!

[DrewE]

The red light only glows when the fuse is removed (or blown) if there is a load on the circuit. If the ceiling light is off or not working due to a broken connection, and nothing else is on that circuit, the LED will not light up. It relies on the circuit downstream for a current return. The circuit is quite simple: just an LED and a suitable dropping resistor in parallel with the fuse holder.

If all the switches are on (including those on the lamp), it sure sounds like an open connection somewhere. I'd start by looking at the light fixture connections and the switch connections, and testing the switch itself (by e.g. temporarily shorting it out).

[Johno02]

Have you checked to see if there are switches on the fixtures themselves, in addition to the wall switch?? Many do, and the lights will not work if those are turned off. Many folks do turn them off, as they may not want all the lights coming on with the wall switch. Let us know what you find.

[enblethen]

You need to test the fuse socket for power. It could be that the printed circuit board in the back of the distribution panel has a loose connection.

[Artum_Snowbird]

My solution might be a little different. With the lights in the rest of the coach on take a positive and negative wire from a good source, remove a bulb from one of the bad ones, and first try connecting the negative to the socket side. Alligator jumper leads help.

If the lights light with the negative connected, you have a return negative problem. If nothing happens, remove the negative wire, and try the positive wire to the socket bottom. If that makes them work, you have a positive wire problem.

Start with figuring out whether you have power there, and no negative return, or no power, but the negative return is still good. Knowing that, you now have only half a problem, and the closest dead light to where the good ones are is likely the failure point, or it could be at the last good light too.

[donn0128]

Most connections are,either push on or wire nuts. Start at the last working one, take it apart and check for loose wires. Kove to the next one and do the same. These things are generally daisy chained so a loose connection will kill things downmstream instantly.