planedriver
Cleveland, Ohio
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The master toggle switch located on the wall as you walk into the motorhome broke. I replaced the switch with another lighted switch. However, none of the cargo compartments lights work nor does the light in the switch illuminate. I checked the fuse in the DC panel above the fridge with an ohmmeter and it is not blown. All of my other DC lights in the motorhome work. Can anyone please tell me how to run down this circuit? Thanks
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Jim@HiTek
Gresham, OR, USA
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How many poles did the original switch have? How many does the replacement switch have? How many terminals?
A lighted switch has a dedicated pole for the light. One side is hot (12V). The center post is either missing or unused. The 3rd post goes to ground. When the switch is thrown, the movable contact shorts one side of the light to 12V.
If you have a meter, check for 12V right at the switch. Your old switch might have had an internal connection between two poles and your replacement switch might not. Cure would be to run a jumper from the 12V supply to the other pole.
 Jim@HiTek
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Fleetwood Bounder, '94
Cummins Diesel, 190HP, 36.5' with 50HP LP boost.
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RLS7201
Some Where
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Brian, Look in the Battery Control Center (BCC) under the hood.
Richard
95 Bounder.
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planedriver
Cleveland, Ohio
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Hi Guys,
The original switch had 3 terminal connections and so does this switch. The only thing visually different between the new and old switch is the new one is colored red whereas the old one was amber.
What has me puzzled is when testing the circuit at the DC fuse board above the refrigerator, I didn't get any DC volt reading across the fuse terminals. So I pulled the fuse to the bedroom light and tried it with no DC volt reading either. I then turned the switch on in the bedroom and then got a good reading across the fuse terminals. So I turned the new switch on and the basement light switches (in the cargo compartments) on but still got no DC volt reading at the fuse. I did try getting a reading at the master switch first and did not get a reading which lead me to the fuse panel. I will look in the battery fuse box as suggested. It seems to me that there is some kind of control that only allows power in the circuit when power is called for, but I could be totally wrong. I'll let you know what I find in the battery box. Thanks for the info!
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planedriver
Cleveland, Ohio
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I forgot to mention that the new switch is a single pole/single throw switch. Could it be that the old switch is a double pole switch? How would I know?
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planedriver
Cleveland, Ohio
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I looked in both fuse boxes under the hood and nothing indicated basement lighting or anything associated. I also looked at the owner's manual for the fusebox under the dashboard. This was all stuff like turn signals, wipers, etc. Still nothing.
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Jim@HiTek
Gresham, OR, USA
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planedriver wrote:I forgot to mention that the new switch is a single pole/single throw switch. Could it be that the old switch is a double pole switch? How would I know?
You can tell if your old switch was multi-pole just by looking at it. If there are 4 contacts, it's a DPST. If there are 6 contacts, it's a DPDT. 2 contacts is a SPST. 3 contacts is a SPDT. Most switches in RVs these contacts are blades you connect your wiring to with push on connectors.
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planedriver
Cleveland, Ohio
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My switch definately has 3 terminals on the back so I'm pretty confident that it's the correct switch. I just don't have any power and have looked everywhere I know of to trace it down. Thanks so much for taking the time to help with your advice.
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RV Jim
Palmyra, Pa.
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Do you have a switch to power the coach's 12 volt,
I have a switch on my dash I must throw to get 12 volt power to the coach
Second, test all your fuse connections for 12V, they may not be labeled correctly
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planedriver
Cleveland, Ohio
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Thanks for the advice. All of the other switches on that particular panel work and the rest of my coach lights (interior) work. I will look at all of the fuses on the panel because, as you say, something may not be labeled correctly. I'll let you know!
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