Anchor Light - intermittently working - solution?

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Author Topic:   Anchor Light - intermittently working - solution?

Buckda posted 05-27-2003 02:01 PM ET (US)
Hi guys-
I discovered a little annoyance this weekend that I hope someone here has an easy fix for.
I have an '89 15' GLS. The anchor light is on top of a long (perhaps 3 1/2 foot) staff that is NOT permanently mounted. Because of the nature of this staff, and the location where I store it, I cannot leave it "up" all the time.
There is a little black connection for the wiring, which is where I believe the problem is. The trouble is that you really have to get that connection extremely tight for the light to work...the front navigation lights work fine, but the anchor light will either not come on, or will "blink" when you come across any kind of chop (even at slow, night-time navigation speed).
I checked the fuse connections and cleaned all of the terminals, and I sprayed some WD-40 into the connector, and used some light-grit sandpaper to clean the male ends...but the problem persists, This weekend, I resorted to using a plastic pull-tie to keep the connection tight enough for my evening cruise, but would like to come up with a better solution.
Has anyone come across this problem? How did you resolve it?
Thanks.
Dave
hooter posted 05-27-2003 02:19 PM ET (US)
Sounds like loose, or more likely corroded t'pieces, wires inside one or both male and female connector ends. Pull apart, cut some new clean ends to the wires, solder an "end" onto each exposed wire for better connection and reassemble. Once ever'thin' woiks, coat all the metal with a li'l Vaseline.
Jerry Townsend posted 05-27-2003 02:28 PM ET (US)
Dave - your problem is a bad connection caused by a loose connection or corrosion. Remember, a burnt wire or bulb will not fix itself. Remove the bulb, clean the two contacts on the bottom of the bulb. Protect those contacts and all contacts against (vasoline, WD-40, or a spray corrision preventative from Radio Shack et.al). --- Jerry/Idaho
triblet posted 05-27-2003 04:52 PM ET (US)
It's not an uncommon problem at all.
If the connector is the same as my 97ish Montauk,
it's a standard Perko part. I replaced it
twice in four years, and had to tweak around
with it before any trip needing lights. I
finally replaced the whole wire from bulb socket
to the switch in the console with a single
piece of Ancor boat cable (18 or 16 guage) and
a little slack so I can take the staff down
and stow it in its rubber clips. NO problems
since.
Better than Vaseline (which will flow on hot
days) is a good stiff Silicone grease like
Dow-Corning 111.

Chuck
prj posted 05-27-2003 05:45 PM ET (US)
Dave: I regularly pull the female end off of the staff on my 15' Striper when removing the light from the twin mounting rings. Recommend that you pull that bugger off, verify that the wires entering it on back side and clamped within via simple screws, are intact, non-corroded and fully stranded, not 3 remaining stragglers. Isolate the connex first, then move to the concealed wires.
Buckda posted 05-27-2003 07:00 PM ET (US)
Excellent advice...will work on it this weekend.
question: Vaseline conducts electricity?
I did clean off the ends of the bulb at the top and coated with WD-40...but I think it's the connector, as you suggested, I'll pull that apart and strip some fresh wire and re-connect to see if that solves the problem.
Thanks guys.
Dave
andygere posted 05-27-2003 10:04 PM ET (US)
The two prong flat trailer light connectors seem to hold up better than the stock Perko or CH round style, which rely on a small screw to hold the stripped end of the wire to the plug contact. That said, I think Chuck's idea is the best.
triblet posted 05-27-2003 10:20 PM ET (US)
Vaseline doesn't conduct electricity, neither
does silicone grease. And neither does
corroded copper. The grease keeps the copper
from getting corroded, and gets squeezed
out of the way, allowing a good copper to
copper contact.
If you are going to keep the connectors,
when you strip back the wire, tin the tip
with solder. If the solder won't stick, the
copper is corroded. Also, you need to clean
up the contacts on the plugs. Use fine
emery paper == roll up a small piece and use
that to clean the inside of the female
connector.
Chuck
jimh posted 05-27-2003 11:21 PM ET (US)
Nice information but how about reposting this to the Repairs and Modifications forum where it belongs?
There must be an epidemic in the works--everyone is posting to the GENERAL forum when there are much better places for these topics.
Buckda posted 05-28-2003 10:13 AM ET (US)
JimH -
In my defense, I did consider that forum when originally posting this question.
I may have been mistaken, but I guess my reasoning went along the lines that a repair was more of a gel coat, engine trouble, major repair type of question....and a modification would be more of a question about changing the configuration of the boat / engine from original specs.
I viewed it as a "general question"...so it went to the "general" forum.
That said...I'll let this thread die and repost to the repairs/modifications section so it can be pulled up for future reference.
Dave

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Author	Topic: Anchor Light - intermittently working - solution?
Buckda	posted 05-27-2003 02:01 PM ET (US) Hi guys- I discovered a little annoyance this weekend that I hope someone here has an easy fix for. I have an '89 15' GLS. The anchor light is on top of a long (perhaps 3 1/2 foot) staff that is NOT permanently mounted. Because of the nature of this staff, and the location where I store it, I cannot leave it "up" all the time. There is a little black connection for the wiring, which is where I believe the problem is. The trouble is that you really have to get that connection extremely tight for the light to work...the front navigation lights work fine, but the anchor light will either not come on, or will "blink" when you come across any kind of chop (even at slow, night-time navigation speed). I checked the fuse connections and cleaned all of the terminals, and I sprayed some WD-40 into the connector, and used some light-grit sandpaper to clean the male ends...but the problem persists, This weekend, I resorted to using a plastic pull-tie to keep the connection tight enough for my evening cruise, but would like to come up with a better solution. Has anyone come across this problem? How did you resolve it? Thanks. Dave
hooter	posted 05-27-2003 02:19 PM ET (US) Sounds like loose, or more likely corroded t'pieces, wires inside one or both male and female connector ends. Pull apart, cut some new clean ends to the wires, solder an "end" onto each exposed wire for better connection and reassemble. Once ever'thin' woiks, coat all the metal with a li'l Vaseline.
Jerry Townsend	posted 05-27-2003 02:28 PM ET (US) Dave - your problem is a bad connection caused by a loose connection or corrosion. Remember, a burnt wire or bulb will not fix itself. Remove the bulb, clean the two contacts on the bottom of the bulb. Protect those contacts and all contacts against (vasoline, WD-40, or a spray corrision preventative from Radio Shack et.al). --- Jerry/Idaho
triblet	posted 05-27-2003 04:52 PM ET (US) It's not an uncommon problem at all. If the connector is the same as my 97ish Montauk, it's a standard Perko part. I replaced it twice in four years, and had to tweak around with it before any trip needing lights. I finally replaced the whole wire from bulb socket to the switch in the console with a single piece of Ancor boat cable (18 or 16 guage) and a little slack so I can take the staff down and stow it in its rubber clips. NO problems since. Better than Vaseline (which will flow on hot days) is a good stiff Silicone grease like Dow-Corning 111. Chuck
prj	posted 05-27-2003 05:45 PM ET (US) Dave: I regularly pull the female end off of the staff on my 15' Striper when removing the light from the twin mounting rings. Recommend that you pull that bugger off, verify that the wires entering it on back side and clamped within via simple screws, are intact, non-corroded and fully stranded, not 3 remaining stragglers. Isolate the connex first, then move to the concealed wires.
Buckda	posted 05-27-2003 07:00 PM ET (US) Excellent advice...will work on it this weekend. question: Vaseline conducts electricity? I did clean off the ends of the bulb at the top and coated with WD-40...but I think it's the connector, as you suggested, I'll pull that apart and strip some fresh wire and re-connect to see if that solves the problem. Thanks guys. Dave
andygere	posted 05-27-2003 10:04 PM ET (US) The two prong flat trailer light connectors seem to hold up better than the stock Perko or CH round style, which rely on a small screw to hold the stripped end of the wire to the plug contact. That said, I think Chuck's idea is the best.
triblet	posted 05-27-2003 10:20 PM ET (US) Vaseline doesn't conduct electricity, neither does silicone grease. And neither does corroded copper. The grease keeps the copper from getting corroded, and gets squeezed out of the way, allowing a good copper to copper contact. If you are going to keep the connectors, when you strip back the wire, tin the tip with solder. If the solder won't stick, the copper is corroded. Also, you need to clean up the contacts on the plugs. Use fine emery paper == roll up a small piece and use that to clean the inside of the female connector. Chuck
jimh	posted 05-27-2003 11:21 PM ET (US) Nice information but how about reposting this to the Repairs and Modifications forum where it belongs? There must be an epidemic in the works--everyone is posting to the GENERAL forum when there are much better places for these topics.
Buckda	posted 05-28-2003 10:13 AM ET (US) JimH - In my defense, I did consider that forum when originally posting this question. I may have been mistaken, but I guess my reasoning went along the lines that a repair was more of a gel coat, engine trouble, major repair type of question....and a modification would be more of a question about changing the configuration of the boat / engine from original specs. I viewed it as a "general question"...so it went to the "general" forum. That said...I'll let this thread die and repost to the repairs/modifications section so it can be pulled up for future reference. Dave