Amanda Knapp
If the helm lights on your boat aren't working, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the problem. It's important to check the power supply and the lights themselves, as this is usually the cause of the issue. You can use a 12-volt test light to carefully check the two little male plugs inside the housing. If that doesn't work, you can remove the stern light housing and check the connectors for corrosion. You should also check the switches and fuses, and make sure the circuit breaker is on. If you have a DC bulb, remember that these can blow out, so check the bulb itself.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Troubleshooting method | Use a 12-volt test light to check the lights |
| Check the switches and remote switches | |
| Check the circuit breaker panel and control switch | |
| Check the power supply | |
| Check the bulb | |
| Check the fuses and breaker switches |
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What You'll Learn
Check the power supply to the lights
If the helm lights on your boat are not working, it is likely that the power supply to the lights is faulty. To check the power supply, you can use a 12-volt test light with a clip and a sharp point. Touch the tester to the two little male plugs inside the housing. If this does not work, remove the stern light housing and check the connectors for corrosion.
You should also check the breaker switches and fuses on the boat, especially those on the circuit breaker and control switch panels. Ensure that the switches are in the "on" position. If the electrical circuit is protected by a fuse, check that the fuse is not blown. A blown fuse will have a broken and melted metal piece. Replace the fuse if necessary and see if the light starts working.
If your boat has a DC bulb, remember that these bulbs can blow out like AC lamps. Check that the light is switched on by checking the switches and remote switches. Ensure that the bulb is switched on from the circuit breaker panel and control switch. Many people forget to switch on bulbs from the circuit.
Finally, if you are working with navigation lights, be careful not to drop anything when disassembling the light.
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Check the switches are in the 'on' position
If your helm lights are not working, it is likely that there is an issue with the power supply to the lights. Ninety per cent of the time, these issues are easy to fix and don't cost much.
One of the first things to do is to check the switches are in the 'on' position. If your boat has a DC bulb, remember that these bulbs can blow out as AC lamps do. Check the light is switched on by checking the switches, or check the remote switches. The bulb must also be switched on from the circuit breaker panel and control switch. Many people simply forget to switch on bulbs from the circuit.
Check the breaker switches and fuses on the boat, particularly the ones on the circuit breaker and control switch panels. Ensure that the switches are put in the 'on' position. If the electrical circuit is protected by a fuse, check that the fuse is not blown. If it is, the metal piece will be broken and melted. Replace the fuse and see if the light starts working. If the circle breaker toggles back, switch it to the 'on' position again and see if the light comes on.
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Check the remote switches
If your helm lights are not working, it's likely to be an issue with the power supply. You can check this by using a 12-volt test light with a clip and a sharp point. Touch the tester to the two little male plugs inside the housing. If this doesn't work, remove the stern light housing and check the connectors for corrosion.
If the power supply is working, the next step is to check the remote switches. First, make sure the light is switched on by checking the switches. Then, check the breaker switches and fuses, particularly the ones on the circuit breaker and control switch panels. Ensure that the switches are in the 'on' position. If the electrical circuit is protected by a fuse, check that it is not blown. If it is, replace the fuse and see if the light starts working. If the light still isn't working, switch the circle breaker toggles back to the 'on' position and see if the light comes on.
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Check the circuit breaker panel and control switch
If the helm lights on your boat are not working, it is likely that the power supply to the lights is the issue. Before you focus on the lights themselves, you should check the power supply.
To do this, check the circuit breaker panel and control switch. First, ensure that the switches are in the 'on' position. If the electrical circuit is protected by a fuse, check that the fuse is not blown. If the metal piece is broken and melted, the fuse is blown and you will need to replace it. If the fuse is not blown, switch the circuit breaker toggles to the 'on' position and see if the light comes on.
If the circuit breaker and control switch are working, the issue may be with the bulb.
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Check the bulb
If your boat lights are not working, it is mostly the power supply to the lights and into the lights themselves that are behind this issue. So, instead of focusing on the lights only, you need to check the power supply as well.
If your boat has a DC bulb, remember that these bulbs can blow out as AC lamps. First, ensure that the light is switched on by checking the switches or the remote switches. The bulb must also be switched on from the circuit breaker panel and control switch because many people simply forget to switch on bulbs from the circuit. Check the breaker switches and fuses on the boat, particularly the ones on the circuit breaker and control switch panels. Ensure that the switches are put in the “on” position. When the electrical circuit is protected with the help of a fuse, you must ensure that the fuse is not blown. If the fuse is blown, the metal piece will be broken and melted. So, in such cases, replace the fuse and see if the light starts working. On the other hand, if you see the circle breaker toggles back, switch it in the “on” position again and see if the light shows up.
If you are working with the navigation lights, make sure you don’t end up dropping something when you are disassembling it.
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Frequently asked questions
First, check that the light is switched on by checking the switches, including the remote switches. Then, check that the bulb is switched on from the circuit breaker panel and control switch panel.
Check the power supply to the lights. Ninety per cent of the time, these issues are easy to fix and don't cost much. However, in ten per cent of cases, you will need to replace a piece of hardware or get help from a local technician.
You can use a 12-volt test light, touching the tester to the two little male plugs inside the housing. If that doesn't work, remove the stern light housing and check the connectors for corrosion.
