One or two of your Running Lights not working?

[camperguynj]

Sent: 6/4/2007

Received this tip from a school bus mechanic - take it for what is worth - may help in trouble shooting

Some of my running lights weren't working and was told rather than replace the fixture, replace the mounting screw with a slightly larger one. Reason being - the screw works as the ground and its not the fixture that's bad but the contact the screw is making.

- Jim

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 6/10/2007

Great tip, Jim!

Every running light issue I've had, with both the Ark AND Excalibur (besides the obious burned out bulb) has been a bad ground from the mounting screws not making good contact.  Either sand them clean, or use a bigger screw!

Kev

[Slantsixness]

Sent: 2/7/2008

Another way to repair the grounds in an aluminum body is to pop rivet a ground wire to the body on each light (use an aluminum crimp terminal around the rivet, then install the rivet to the body. sand off any paint on the body by the hole. seal with a little silicone), and solder that ground wire to the terminal on the light. 99% of the time, this can be installed under the marker or any light fixture, so you wont ever see it.

The rivet is unlikely to ever come loose, where even a larger screw will eventually work its way loose. It's kind of a pain in the butt to add a ground wire to each light, but in the end, it is better.

Aluminum is a poor conductor, and the age of these old motorhomes complicates this from oxidation. You just gotta keep up with it.

Tom

[Oz]

Sent: 2/10/2008

What Tom said is indeed a good fix.  OEM marker lights are self-grounding and, over the years, oxidation creates a barrier between the mounting screw, which is placed through the copper negative connection in the light, and grounds at the thin, aluminum facia, blocking the negative ground connection.

By creating a separate ground wire, a better grounding method is created.  Simply cleaning the screw and terminal will always ensure you have a good ground.  It really doesn't take much to do this and it will stop the aggravation of having inoperative marker lights which, in some States, will fail safety inspection.

Another way to ground the marker lights is to add a common ground wire.  Merge the front ground wires, created as Tom described, to a single wire.  Create a single, common ground separately for the lights in the front and rear, respectively, and connect each to the steel chassis frame or another, existing common wiring ground point.  This will require more time and effort but, it's the best method for a long-lasting, minimal maintenance connection.

[denisondc]

Sent: 2/10/2008

I also smear some of the anti-oxidant paste onto the contact areas. Its the stuff that was supposed to be used with aluminum house wiring (but often wasnt). No-Alox is the brand name I have. . . . . . Along with cleaning the aluminum oxide away and using a larger screw.

[melyash]

Sent: 2/11/2008

Is that the same stuff as dielectric grease? I don't think so but on the subject of DE Grease, I normally throw some of that in the socket when I put in a new bulb, keeps corrosion from happening between the bulb and the socket, so I dont have to go up there with emery paper and clean out the notoriously leaky little buggers as often.

[JDxeper]

Sent: 2/11/2008

Dielectric grease, been trying for days to rember the name of that stuff to use on the horn switch!  txs Mat

JD

[denisondc]

Sent: 2/11/2008

I dont think dielectric grease is electrically conductive much. The uses I think of are where you want two things to be thermally 'in contact', like a heat sink for power transistors, but not necessarily in electrical contact. The anti-aluminum oxide stuff I used is to protect against corrosion of aluminum-in-contact-with-other-metals. I hope it conducts some electricity, but it didnt show much conductivity when I measured a lump of it.
The better product would be a conductive paste or 'aluminum compatible' conductive epoxy paint; if they werent so expensive. I used this and similar products when I was working in a lab while in college, since I didnt have to pay for it. I was allowed to have it after the expiration of its really short shelf life. It was & is priced -by the gram-!
If anyone sees conductive pastes and paints that are cheap - let me know.

[Oz]

Sent: 2/11/2008

when I was working in a lab while in college,..

Now, there's a scary thought!

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 2/12/2008

LOL!  FrankenWinnie!  I just see Dave now, sleeves rolled up, a wrench in either hand..."It's Alive!!!"

Kev

[Slantsixness]

Sent: 2/12/2008

Cheap electrically conductive paint?

Nickel Print. It's laquer based. Costs about $22 for 2 oz. And lacquer sticks to aluminum.

Now I know that doesn't sound cheap; but it's half the price of Silver Print, and 1/4 the cost of Gold Print, which are both similar lacquer based products too.

It works, too. but if you make the connection, on good cleaned aluminum, and seal it with even just silicone or epoxy, it will stop the corrosion and unlike metal reactions (take away air, and there is no reaction...)

Tom