driver side maker had no power '74 Sovereign

[texasbound]

So for the life of me I can't get this single light going. Any ideas? I've tried two different fixtures, different screws etc cetera...

Any ideas?

[Lance M]

Do you have 12V at the wire? If so, it isn't getting a good ground. Clean the corrosion from where the screws go into the light housing. Check for conductivity with a volt/ohm meter or DVM.

[Phoenix]

1. Turn switch for this light to ON position.

2. Use voltmeter and connect red/positive test lead to black wire coming out of fixture. Connect black/negative/ground test lead to bare metal on fixture housing. It looks corroded, so you may have to probe around a little to get a good connection. Meter should read +12 volts.

3. If meter does not measure any voltage, leave red test lead connected to black wire; and try connecting black test lead to any hard grounding point on the Airstream skin (e.g., a rivet or screw head), bare metal on the frame, etc.

4. If meter still does not measure any voltage, the black wire is probably a negative/ground wire and the red/positive wire fell or was pulled back inside the fixture mounting hole. OR, the black wire is the positive lead; and the wire is cut or broken somewhere between the switch and the end protruding from the fixture in the photo above.

Note: It seems a little unusual to use a black wire to carry +12 volts, but it's possible older Airstreams didn't follow standard wiring codes.

If the black wire in the photo is dead (0 volts) and you can't find a red or other colored wire dangling loose behind the fixture, you will probably have to run a new wire to this fixture. Depending on where other fixtures are located, you may be able to tap into the +12 wire in a license plate or tail light, or other fixture that is ON at the same time this fixture should be ON.

If the black wire is hot (i.e., has +12 volts on it), you may have an open ground. Clean up the fixture so where the mounting screws go through the fixture to the skin or rib, the metal is clean and shiny. You might want to use an internal or external star washer under the screw head so that you have a good electrical connection from the fixture through the star washer to the screw head, through the screw into the metal skin or rib.

You may also want to run a short jumper from the lamp receptacle's negative/ground connector or wire to a crimped ring or lug terminal that should go under the mounting screw head to provide a good connection to chassis ground.

By the way, is this a side marker light?

[texasbound]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

1. Turn switch for this light to ON position.

2. Use voltmeter and connect red/positive test lead to black wire coming out of fixture. Connect black/negative/ground test lead to bare metal on fixture housing. It looks corroded, so you may have to probe around a little to get a good connection. Meter should read +12 volts.

3. If meter does not measure any voltage, leave red test lead connected to black wire; and try connecting black test lead to any hard grounding point on the Airstream skin (e.g., a rivet or screw head), bare metal on the frame, etc.

4. If meter still does not measure any voltage, the black wire is probably a negative/ground wire and the red/positive wire fell or was pulled back inside the fixture mounting hole. OR, the black wire is the positive lead; and the wire is cut or broken somewhere between the switch and the end protruding from the fixture in the photo above.

Note: It seems a little unusual to use a black wire to carry +12 volts, but it's possible older Airstreams didn't follow standard wiring codes.

If the black wire in the photo is dead (0 volts) and you can't find a red or other colored wire dangling loose behind the fixture, you will probably have to run a new wire to this fixture. Depending on where other fixtures are located, you may be able to tap into the +12 wire in a license plate or tail light, or other fixture that is ON at the same time this fixture should be ON.

If the black wire is hot (i.e., has +12 volts on it), you may have an open ground. Clean up the fixture so where the mounting screws go through the fixture to the skin or rib, the metal is clean and shiny. You might want to use an internal or external star washer under the screw head so that you have a good electrical connection from the fixture through the star washer to the screw head, through the screw into the metal skin or rib.

You may also want to run a short jumper from the lamp receptacle's negative/ground connector or wire to a crimped ring or lug terminal that should go under the mounting screw head to provide a good connection to chassis ground.

By the way, is this a side marker light?

Yup. .. driver side marker light. Have tested with two fixtures, need to dig out volt meter! Wiring would be a nightmare. ..

[texasbound]

Okay, so I have voltage... right around 11. The black wire is the hot and the only wire. Various grounding efforts have not worked... no light!

One note.. I've switched all my running and brake light bulbs to LED. do you think there is and issue from that?

Thanks!

[Splitrock]

Jumper light works . . . right?

[texasbound]

Originally Posted by Splitrock

Jumper light works . . . right?

Nope.... just gets voltage on the meter... but no lights power.

[TG Twinkie]

I would check the light fixture with a battery charger. 11 volts is a bit low but you should still see light.