LED nav. light dim

[Rustygaff]

The other night I stopped by my dock and decided to check my nav. lights since I almost never run after dark. When I switched on the lights, I noticed that the port side bow light was substantially dimmer than the starboard side which appeared to be lit to normal intensity. I activated the switch on and off several times and the port light eventually came on to full intensity. Any others have this issue? Thanks.

 

[DennisG01]

Dirty/corroded electrical connections. The issue will be between where the wiring T's off and goes to the port side and the port light, itself. This "T" could be at the switch, or it could be further down the line. Pull up an electrical schematic for your boat (in your manual), if you're unsure of how to check. Most likely, splits after the switch - probably under the deck by the lights. Possibility, though, that's still the switch since the stbd light would be first inline (switch itself or connections on backside). Remove connections, inspect, clean, reattach and protect.

 

[seasick]

Thee most likely cause are bad connections at lamp socket or even the bulb contacts themselves assuming there is a removable bulb. Open the fixture, pull the bulb and clean the contacts. Fine grit wet/dry sandpaper works well but in a pinch an eraser or even a crisp dollar bill can help. Also check the spring tension of the socket tabs while you have the fixture open. If that doesn't help, you will need to trace wires as Dennis stated. Remove the fixture from the deck and see if you can pull out enough wiring to get to the splices. If you don't see the spot where the wires are teed off, you will need to remove the other fixture and pull out the wiring to check the splices. The problem is not at the breaker or switch.

 

[Rustygaff]

Thanks for the responses. My best guess is that the line splits somewhere in the console behind the panel since the SB light is only a couple of feet away from the switch itself. All of my manuals are on the boat so I did not have the chance to look at the printed versions of the wiring schematic. I do have the manual downloaded onto my computer and the schematic was very basic outline of the wiring system. It did not show individual component connection points. If I have to get at the port side light, that may prove to be a bit tricky. It is mounted outside of the head and I am not sure how to access it. I will obviously look at the switch contacts first and work backwards and hopefully locate the "tee".

 

[seasick]

Thanks for the responses. My best guess is that the line splits somewhere in the console behind the panel since the SB light is only a couple of feet away from the switch itself. All of my manuals are on the boat so I did not have the chance to look at the printed versions of the wiring schematic. I do have the manual downloaded onto my computer and the schematic was very basic outline of the wiring system. It did not show individual component connection points. If I have to get at the port side light, that may prove to be a bit tricky. It is mounted outside of the head and I am not sure how to access it. I will obviously look at the switch contacts first and work backwards and hopefully locate the "tee".

The fixture should be removable from the outside. Remove the lens cover and look for mounting screws in the base.
If the sb lamp is close to the switch panel, I would suspect that the tee is off of the sb fixture feed (at the fixture itself) and runs across to the port side.

If it is easy to get to the switch, you will see one side of the switch connected to a breaker or fuse. That is the line or feed side. The other contacts are the load side and there are two positions generally on the switch, nav and anchor. Even if you see two sires spliced to that terminal, that doesn't mean that one is the port nav feed. The switch also be the anchor light feed. (there are three wires to the anchor light, ground of course and two lamp feeds, nav and nav/anchor. A multi-meter of a test lamp will help identify what is what

 

[ROBERTH]

I had one of my LED nav lights do the same thing, very dim, then shortly went out. Had it replaced under warranty from Attwood. Pulled the light off and tested voltage to the wires and had full voltage, so knew it was the led.

 

[Rustygaff]

The light appears to be an Attwood product. No screws to remove the lens but 2 slots at the base which would appear to be a place to insert a tool. I checked it today and it would not illuminate. Need to pop off the cap to see if water is getting in. Will look further tomorrow. I did look at the switch and found that the ROW wire goes down into a bundle and then to a plug connection. This could become an involved project

 

[Rustygaff]

Thanks for the responses. My best guess is that the line splits somewhere in the console behind the panel since the SB light is only a couple of feet away from the switch itself. All of my manuals are on the boat so I did not have the chance to look at the printed versions of the wiring schematic. I do have the manual downloaded onto my computer and the schematic was very basic outline of the wiring system. It did not show individual component connection points. If I have to get at the port side light, that may prove to be a bit tricky. It is mounted outside of the head and I am not sure how to access it. I will obviously look at the switch contacts first and work backwards and hopefully locate the "tee".

The fixture should be removable from the outside. Remove the lens cover and look for mounting screws in the base.
If the sb lamp is close to the switch panel, I would suspect that the tee is off of the sb fixture feed (at the fixture itself) and runs across to the port side.

If it is easy to get to the switch, you will see one side of the switch connected to a breaker or fuse. That is the line or feed side. The other contacts are the load side and there are two positions generally on the switch, nav and anchor. Even if you see two sires spliced to that terminal, that doesn't mean that one is the port nav feed. The switch also be the anchor light feed. (there are three wires to the anchor light, ground of course and two lamp feeds, nav and nav/anchor. A multi-meter of a test lamp will help identify what is what

Yes, the switch panel is inside the console compartment and easy to see. The wires are tagged. The ROW wire was grey and traveled down into a bundle and then into a large nylon plug. I did not go any further since I was limited for time.

 

[Rustygaff]

I dug into it today and found the problem. I removed the fixture and found that there was power to the plug which led me to the fixture itself. The LED bulb is sealed inside a plastic cube which is simply pressed into the fixture base. I popped out the cube because I could see a bit of condensation inside. The side of the plastic cube was cracked which allowed in the moisture. I dried out the cube and re-installed it and the light now works (until it gets wet again). No one in my area had the Attwood 3570-7 on hand so I will have to order online where I can price shop.

 

[seasick]

I dug into it today and found the problem. I removed the fixture and found that there was power to the plug which led me to the fixture itself. The LED bulb is sealed inside a plastic cube which is simply pressed into the fixture base. I popped out the cube because I could see a bit of condensation inside. The side of the plastic cube was cracked which allowed in the moisture. I dried out the cube and re-installed it and the light now works (until it gets wet again). No one in my area had the Attwood 3570-7 on hand so I will have to order online where I can price shop.

Nice work!

 

[ROBERTH]

That was same issue I had too. Easy to replace.

 

[DennisG01]

I dug into it today and found the problem. I removed the fixture and found that there was power to the plug which led me to the fixture itself. The LED bulb is sealed inside a plastic cube which is simply pressed into the fixture base. I popped out the cube because I could see a bit of condensation inside. The side of the plastic cube was cracked which allowed in the moisture. I dried out the cube and re-installed it and the light now works (until it gets wet again). No one in my area had the Attwood 3570-7 on hand so I will have to order online where I can price shop.

I've never seen one of these... but could you use some sealant, or even thin super glue to seal the crack? Is the crack in a spot where the sealant/glue would affect the light transmission?

 

[ROBERTH]

They are not that expensive to replace but once moisture gets in there the diode usually is burned out . It is best to replace it. I do think this is very rare for these sealed modules to fail.