Probably a stupid question but... need help, Illusion tower anchor light

[Stuey11]

Hey guys..

I bought a new VTX from a dealer that was going out of business at the end of last year. The only little thing wrong with it was the tower anchor light wasn't working. I could see the plastic cap was cracked and I thought that wasn't allowing a full circuit to make the bulb work - not to mention the bulb had burned out anyways. I bought a new light assembly from Bakes and tried to get it to work - no dice. I used the bulb out of the nav light at the front as it seemed to be the same bulb. Needless to say, it still doesn't work.

I'm getting power at the tower light, if I put a volt meter in between the light base and the side connection (where the wire that curves down the cap goes to).

Could it possibly not be the correct bulb ? If so, does anyone have the right bulb part number that I could get at an auto parts store?

What's strange is even if I use a piece of wire to jump the connection from the side of the housing to the top of the bulb I can't even get it to work. It doesn't make any sense! I'm pretty mechanically and electrically inclined but its just baffling me... so turning to you guys!

Thanks..

[Stuey11]

BTW its an 08 VTX with an Illusion X tower, pop up tower anchor light

[BIG JAY]

You can buy the light at any auto parts store. there really is no part number. one other problem i have found to help on the boats i work on is on the anchor light cap the is a small tab that goes to the wire running to the top of the cap and bulb. bend the tab down just a bit. sometimes i get some that just dont make contact.

[Malibuswany]

Mine went out also after only using it less than a few hours. Don't know why but the dealer is fixing it with a host of other warranty issues.

[Capt-Rum]

On mine, the wires were pulled too tight and when I pulled the light up it actually pulled the connectors together (below the black base)and would always short the light. It took me 3 bulbs to find this out. I had to pull more slack from the gunwale or tower mount location and feet it up the tower. Then I had to clean the carbon track and bend the connectors back.

[Stuey11]

Ok I spent some time on it last night... went over everything. Here's what I figured out.

On the black box for the mux switches under the dash, I checkd the outputs on the various switches. When I turn the nav lights on, that particular pin gets 12v and turns the light on. When I hit the mux switch again to turn the anchor light on, the anchor light pin gets somewhere between 15.5 and 16v. I don't know everything about voltage but for whatever reason a 15.5v power will not light the bulb.

I jumped the nav light pin to the anchor light pin and everything works fine. there is no issue with the connection at the light.

So from what I've concluded the pin on the black box under the dash should be getting 12v, not 15.5-16. Is that correct? If anyone is fiddling with their boat this weekend and puts a voltmeter on that pin, let me know what you get.

Should I just get some sort of resistor to bring it down toe 12v and call it a day?

THanks.

[dalt1]

Double check your 15.5 - 16 volt readings to make sure it isn't millivolts instead. If it is you still have no power there.

[REW]

Ok I spent some time on it last night... went over everything. Here's what I figured out.

On the black box for the mux switches under the dash, I checkd the outputs on the various switches. When I turn the nav lights on, that particular pin gets 12v and turns the light on. When I hit the mux switch again to turn the anchor light on, the anchor light pin gets somewhere between 15.5 and 16v. I don't know everything about voltage but for whatever reason a 15.5v power will not light the bulb.

I jumped the nav light pin to the anchor light pin and everything works fine. there is no issue with the connection at the light.

So from what I've concluded the pin on the black box under the dash should be getting 12v, not 15.5-16. Is that correct? If anyone is fiddling with their boat this weekend and puts a voltmeter on that pin, let me know what you get.

Should I just get some sort of resistor to bring it down toe 12v and call it a day?

THanks.

The pin should be reading system voltage, 12vdc with the batteries or 14vdc on the altenater (sp). The 15.5 to 16 looks like you have an automatic volt meter and your are getting millie or micro volts.

If you are reading from the back of the switch you have possably excluded the wire from the sw to the light, However it would still be a good idea to check this for a short to ground with the light up and an open curcuit. Also disconect the wires from the sw and check it again, again you should be reading system voltage +or- about half a volt or so.

Good luck chasing those 'trons. I hate it when mine get away.

REW

[Stuey11]

The pin should be reading system voltage, 12vdc with the batteries or 14vdc on the altenater (sp). The 15.5 to 16 looks like you have an automatic volt meter and your are getting millie or micro volts.

If you are reading from the back of the switch you have possably excluded the wire from the sw to the light, However it would still be a good idea to check this for a short to ground with the light up and an open curcuit. Also disconect the wires from the sw and check it again, again you should be reading system voltage +or- about half a volt or so.

Good luck chasing those 'trons. I hate it when mine get away.

REW

Welll I finally got a chance to check it out again. It is defintely 'voltage' that I'm getting a reading on, not microvolts. I played with the settings on my voltmeter to be sure and compared to readings I get on the battery and the inputs to the 'mux black box' under the dash.

When I hit the nav lights switch, that particular pin gets 12v when on and 0 when off

WHen I hit the anchor light switch, that particular pin gets 16v when on and 0 when off

So... I thought more voltage would turn the bulb on (and possibly fry it?) but it doesn't even turn on. I've ruled out the bulb, wire, connection, etc - if I jump power to it it works no problem. This is the weirdest thing I have ever encountered.

Would a resistor to bring it down to 12v work in this case? ANy other suggestions?

[REW]

Welll I finally got a chance to check it out again. It is defintely 'voltage' that I'm getting a reading on, not microvolts. I played with the settings on my voltmeter to be sure and compared to readings I get on the battery and the inputs to the 'mux black box' under the dash.

When I hit the nav lights switch, that particular pin gets 12v when on and 0 when off

WHen I hit the anchor light switch, that particular pin gets 16v when on and 0 when off

So... I thought more voltage would turn the bulb on (and possibly fry it?) but it doesn't even turn on. I've ruled out the bulb, wire, connection, etc - if I jump power to it it works no problem. This is the weirdest thing I have ever encountered.

Would a resistor to bring it down to 12v work in this case? ANy other suggestions?

Don't know how you are getting a 4vdc jump in system voltage with the ancher sw. As for a resister bringing down the voltage that is pretty much the job of a resister.

Where are you jumping the power to? You have rulled out the wire to the ancher light but if you jump it, it works? Check continuity from the pin on the mux box to the point of where you jump the power to and also from that point to the light. Also read out the switch it self. Make sure off is off and there is good continunity from the supply side to the switched side when on no more than about 0.5vdc drop. Also chech and clean all connections, just a little corrosion will reek havic with electronics.

REW

[Stuey11]

Don't know how you are getting a 4vdc jump in system voltage with the ancher sw. As for a resister bringing down the voltage that is pretty much the job of a resister.

Where are you jumping the power to? You have rulled out the wire to the ancher light but if you jump it, it works? Check continuity from the pin on the mux box to the point of where you jump the power to and also from that point to the light. Also read out the switch it self. Make sure off is off and there is good continunity from the supply side to the switched side when on no more than about 0.5vdc drop. Also chech and clean all connections, just a little corrosion will reek havic with electronics.

REW

I jumped power by unplugging the anchor wire from the mux switch black box under the dash, then used a small piece of wire to go from the end of the anchor wire to the connection for the nav light is. That way when I turn the nav light on, the anchor light also turned on.

Its hard to read out of the switch as these are the electronic mux switches - so the readout should be on that pin directly. The boat is essentially brand new still, put about 45 hours on it in a month last september when I got it new.

[Rechromed2]

Not sure if its along the same lines but ours was also not working when we got the boat new. Dealer fixed it and said the wire was not connected at the base of the tower in the gunwale. Not sure how the schematics trace out as you have gotten it to light up by jumping it. Maybe there is mulitple wire looms going to this light?

[REW]

I jumped power by unplugging the anchor wire from the mux switch black box under the dash, then used a small piece of wire to go from the end of the anchor wire to the connection for the nav light is. That way when I turn the nav light on, the anchor light also turned on.

Its hard to read out of the switch as these are the electronic mux switches - so the readout should be on that pin directly. The boat is essentially brand new still, put about 45 hours on it in a month last september when I got it new.

Based on what you have described I am leaning towards the sw being the problem.

[Stuey11]

Well thx for the help REW and everyone else... I guess if the resistor doesn't work then I'll just have to rig up a way to jump it in the meantime. I'm sure its covered under warranty if I can't fix it, but not going to take my boat in for something this small.