Stern light wiring

[JDK]

Ok any one who can help id appreciate it</p>

Two wires come from the base one is going nowhere other is hooked up to switch which turns on both stern and bow lights..Its a simple on off switch it doesnt turn on one or the other.. Cant get my stern light to work at all and tried hooking the loose wire from stern base to the battery, the switch. tried grounding it, and just cant get it to work.. light and base are both brand new just replaced both hoping one or the other was the problem but looks like it is this loose wire.. so who can tell me how to get this stupid thing working and what the loose wire does..
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[wrechin2]

May be a bad switch. The switch should be a toggle with a jumper bar going from the other terminal. Here is a wiring schematic. You need to follow the one I out lined in yellow. Later man!

 

[JDK]

What about the wire that is connected to nothing .. doesnt it need to be hooked up. This thing is drving me crazy was up til 130 last night trying to fix.. and didnt get anywhere.

 

[wrechin2]

Take a pic. There are only 2 wires on a base. 1 ground and 1 power.

 

[JDK]

wrechin2 - 3/17/2009 9:37 PM Take a pic. There are only 2 wires on a base. 1 ground and 1 power.

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Hmm I tried to ground the lose wire out maybe i didnt do it well enough..Would wrapping it around a bolt not ground it out?
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Yea i just have two wires and the other wire goes to the switch. I think i need to ground that wire out and maybe it will work!
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[tyler ware]

Josh ground that other wire to the negative terminal on the battery. unless your battery negative is connected to where you grounded the light will not come on. If you don't get it call me on Wednesday evening and I will shoot over to your place and get it working for you. Electrical I understand, its the catching fish part that gets me.

 

[wrechin2]

Tyler sounds like he can hook you up! That is pretty simple wiring. It has to complete a circuit (path) from positive to ground (actually from negative to positive). If your boat is fiberglass it will not conduct voltage and if a aluminum boat you would have to have a ground going to the hull in order for it to be a grounded. That is why the bolt is not a ground.

 

[JDK]

well *** i dont know Ill call you Tyler and run by your house sometime and see if you can figure it out the power wire is hooked up to the switch and the switch does turn the front light on fine.. I wrapped the ground wire around the negative terminal on my battery and nothing light still doesnt work.. Wrenchin yes boat is fiberglass so thats why the bolt didnt work.. I would go poor if i was an electrician lol

 

[wrechin2]

Don't rule out a blown bulb!!!! It may be a bad switch also. Put the bow light in the stern base and see if it works.

 

[coppertop808]

I agree, double check that bulb! Even it is brand new it could have been knocked around and filament broken. Not sure if you can, but try connecting the light directly to the battery + and - to make sure it works.

Also, this isn't some sort of LED bulb is it? emoScratch If so, it might have a polarity that will only allow it to be hooked up only 1 way. But it would surely have different color wires for +/-.

 

[wrechin2]

He is right about the LED and polarity. Easiest is to plug it into the base that works and see if it works.

 

[JDK]

no just a regular light ... but will try a new bulb but dont think that is it.. and wouldnt think the switch is bad since it works for other lights.. DOH didnt think about plugging it in up front to test the light.. good idea.. going mess with it tonight and see what happens for now got a cheap battery powered portable one that works but batteries are expensive

 

[JDK]

the light works tried it up front .. and boy does it look good hah..going to get a power tester tomorrow see if the power wire is hot.. maybe it has a nick somewhere i guess i can run a new power wire to the switch.. its not the hard can only be a few things.

 

[wrechin2]

Could be a switch! Start at the source first. IF not coming out there it won't be at the base!