posted 05-16-2007 08:52 AM ET (US)        

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I am having intermitent problems with the bow lights on my 170 Montauk, they sometimes light up and sometimes don't. Since the boat was new, I have made a habit of periodically taking apart the fixture, cleaning the contacts, and applying dielectric grease to contacts and the bulb. To rule out any possible corrosion, I have tested the fixture with a multimeter and get no voltage at all irregardless of the light switch position. I suspect the problem may be in the three-position console light switch itself, perhaps it has corroded.

My question is, are these console switches serviceable at all? Meaning, can the (internal) electrical contact portions of the switches be accessed to clean them and spray contact cleaning and lubricant? Are the switches a press fit in their respective holes in the console? What is the proper way to remove them without damaging?

Thank you.

posted 05-16-2007 09:29 AM ET (US)            

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Ah, the old Newtauk bow light problem. It's common. I had it. I had the dealer "fix" it under warranty. Guess what, it came back as soon as I had the boat in the yard. I read many a post here on the wave and tried all the said solutions with no luck. It sounds like you have done all the thinks I tried with little or no effect as well.

UPDATE:
My bow light DOES work all the time now and this was the one thing I did that seemed to make all the difference. I applied a healthy dose of marine type clear gel/sealant around the lame paper like gasket they install between the bottom of the lamp housing and the top of the base. My gasket is actually so weak it looks torn in places. I can't recall the brand of sealant I used but it has the consistency of Vaseline but dries like rubber cement. Even after a winter of storage outside it is still working fine. I'm pretty sure the issue is all the darn moisture that gets in the lamp housing. I can still see it on the inside of the lens every morning. I still have moisture in the lens but since putting the sealant in place it's been working like a champ! It may have been a combination of all the things you and I tried with the addition of the sealant but all I can say is after the sealant was in place...problem solved!

posted 05-16-2007 09:39 AM ET (US)            

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Here is the link to my post about the same issue.
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/002687.html

What's funny is I see you were the hero at the time for the perceived fix. I even wondered after I got mine to work with the sealant if I had an entirely different problem then the rest of the people that claimed putting a piece of rubber under the lamp housing was the solution. That is the reason I never posted my solution on that thread since everyone was happy with your solution (I figured I was a one off and didn't want to confuse the issue further). Are you now saying that your solution was not a 100% fix and the issue is back?

-Seth

posted 05-16-2007 09:48 AM ET (US)            

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Have you tested the voltage at the switch? Sorry to rant about the sealant. You are obviously asking about a voltage issue. When my dealer "fixed" the issue they told be it was a short at the lamp housing. Again, they did not solve my issue and I was able to resove it by using sealant at the lamp housing. My assumption is an intermittent short is caused by moisture at the bow. Since you say the lamp sometimes works and sometimes doesn't I'm leaning toward an intermittent short at the lamp housing.

-Seth

posted 05-16-2007 05:37 PM ET (US)            

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Seth,

Thanks for your input. Voltage + continuity + a good bulb equals a light which lights up when the switch is thrown so I'm fairly confident the problem is at the switch. There is no voltage getting up there to the light fixture. I just hate the prospect of paying big bucks for a puny little switch when hopefully, it can be cleaned and lubricated. My fingers are crossed.

posted 05-16-2007 06:28 PM ET (US)            

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Keep us posted. I know your boat is a little older than mine so perhpas this is something I should be expecting as well in a few years.
It's hard to believe a 22-26 thousand dollar boat can't get the bow lamp to work on a consistant basis.

-Seth

posted 05-16-2007 06:30 PM ET (US)            

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In my case it was the excessive moisture that took the "continuity" out of the equation.

-Seth

posted 05-16-2007 11:20 PM ET (US)            

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It's easy enough to hot wire around the switch. If you can't
puzzle out the circuit, you shouldn't be messing around back
there. If your switch is like the one 170 Montauk I've
dealt with, the wires attach to the switch with 1/4" QD
connections. Make yourself up a 2" piece of wire with mail
QDs on each end, and hot wire the bow light to it. See if
you still have problems.

These switches aren't terribly expensive (West has an
equivalent) though maybe not all that available in the middle
of the Pacific. AFAIK, the switch isn't serviceable.

Chuck

posted 05-16-2007 11:22 PM ET (US)            

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One more thing, I'd suspect the QD connections
before the switch. There's a good reason they
are called quick DISconnnect rather than quick
CONNECT. They like to come undone. All in all,
they suck.

Chuck

posted 05-22-2007 06:39 PM ET (US)            

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Anyone have a crow I can eat? My bow light stopped working...again! I recall Chuck's post about the QD connections. Sure enough, one was loose, and not very at that. I pushed it in fully and the bow light is back in action.

Thanks Chuck!

-Seth

posted 05-22-2007 09:20 PM ET (US)            

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bigjohn: do the lights come on if you hold the switch in
positiion?

Anyway, that fact that you have to hold it in position makes
it likely you need to replace it. But I'd take it apart one
more time to see if there's anything obvious.

Chuck