electrical issues

[Bait O' Eggs]

When I wired the boat back in November it all seemed simple enough.

I mounted and wired the red/green clearance lights.

Yesterday the green light didnt work so I tore it apart.

The red light looked like this with the cover off today and works fine

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/red.jpg

The green light looks like this :sick:

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/green.jpg

I found a hole in the side of the bulb
The end of the bulb is eaten off
The electrical post the light mounts on is eaten away
The screw to tighten down the wire is almost gone
The aluminum boat under the light is all pitted and gross

What created this problem??

the hole in the bulb?
A loose wire?
Other????

There is no way to ground the base it is all plastic so I am confused?

[jet]

Looks like some nasty termites,

Or water has been in the lense housing since you installed it??

Jet~~~

[Okie]

It's corrision, similar to what you would have at your battery terminal. It is wise to coat all of your bulbs with vaseline, grease or some similiar protection. The coating should only be at the contact points not on the bulb. Very thin light coating is enough.

LED bulbs, lights don't seem to have this trouble.

[Keta]

De-Ox works better.

[Gundog]

BOE,
If you want some (no Ox) I have a small can the type the utility companies use it is about 10 of my lifetimes worth (amount left in the can) and I could part with at least enough for your lifetime if you want some. I used this on all of my electrical connections on my old boat and when I sold it I took off a few things that had been conected for about 9 years and they still looked like the day I hooked them up and I lived on the coasts for 7 years of that time.
Mike

[Okie]

It's interesting that no ox is considered the best, but in actual practice all of the above works very good. No ox is good but not neccesarly better just another way of protecting it from corrusion. almost everyone would have some grease around the garage but not neccesarly no ox. so use which ever you have available. They will work very good.
Vaseline is my choice if available.
Good Luck

[NorthRiverRick]

It appears you had a leak or some moisture inside the light cover to compliment the short (from bulb or ???) which created all of the destruction on metal parts.

[Sensei-san]

Aqua Signal lights are nice but do suffer from water leakage. Looks like there was standing water inside the lens. Sorry... As this is on an aluminum boat, you might consider reinstalling the light with some silicon sealant to minimize the electrolysis that you observed behind the light.

[Bait O' Eggs]

Problem has been repaired. I even siliconed up the whole light, inside and outside of the gasket, I hope I dont need to get it back off for a while.

Went to Fishermans Marine @ Oregon City and looked for a replacement light, they only had the red one, not the green one in stock.

Decided to drive up to West Marine, remembered I needed a couple other fishing things and swung into the Fishermans Marine at Delta Park since I only wanted to stop once. Found the red light again and no green one. I was informed by the worker they only stock the red one, and not the green running light. :shrug: :shrug:

It was suggested I put a red one on both sides :hoboy: :hoboy:

Now who would outfit their boat with running lights and buy at a store that only stocks one color when 2 colors are required?

Went over to West Marine and found the green one for $7 more than Fishermans Marine, but in the correct color, but I was tired of burning gas at that time and figured it was a bargain.

Found some green stuff on my battery switch last night, tearing it apart tonight to see what is going on there. It gets a lot more spray than I anticipated, might need some of that protective coating stuff on it.

[Keta]

Silicone is not a good thing :depressed: use 4000.

[1pump]

It was suggested I put a red one on both sides




:laugh: :laugh:

That's a classic. Not only illegal, but just plain stupid. :rolleyes:
I used to see a lot of that in the parts business. People relying too much on what their computers tell them rather than actually looking at their inventory.

I agree with Keta about the silicone. I don't care much for the stuff in most cases, especially around thin metal.

[Tacklebuster]

Problem has been repaired. I even siliconed up the whole light, inside and outside of the gasket, I hope I dont need to get it back off for a while.



Sounds like the Edwing and the Seahawk do have something in common after all :grin:

[Slugranch]

Lanacote,,,,comes in plastic tub like cold cream. Don't use it on your hide tho,,,,I think the main ingredient is raw lanolin. Sure smells like a sheepherder I met once as a kid. The important thing is the stuff works on all marine electrical and mechanical fittings to prevent corrosion and to stop galling and siezing of bolts and nuts. It won't stop galvanic corrosion, but it'll darn sure slow it down,,,,,,,,,got mine at Englunds

[Snapshot]

Hey Roy, if you put a red light on both sides, no one can pass you on the river and that should allow you to be first to the hole.

I also agree that the cause was a combination of water leakage, electical fitting and salt water electrolysis. I try to unplub my lights everytime I back into a ramp. Something about warm bulbs and going under water, even in the submersible lampsm they fail.

*Fish only bite wet hooks*