Requesting Assistance with a Lighting Electrical Problem

[taylor.coyote]

dj- I'm an electrical zero, a couple of questions: when jumping wires, the toggle at the pantry has two wires and the toggle at door has 3 wires.  easy to jump the two wires at the pantry. how to you deal with jumping the three wire toggle?  is the center a ground?  do you unplug the two outer wires and jump them ignoring the center wire?  or what? 

Edited 17 hours ago by taylor.coyote

[jd1923]

You're welcome, @taylor.coyote. Everybody should have 1-2 of these in the Oliver toolbox.

Once in a Class C, I could not get it to go into Drive from Park after starting the engine! I soon realized the brake light switch was not working. I made this jumper wire then to bypass the switch. It kept me until the next day, when I replaced the brake light switch in the Napa parking lot in Cortez Colorado! 😎

[taylor.coyote]

jd, good tip. I think I have the parts to make a jumper cable

[jd1923]

39 minutes ago, taylor.coyote said:

dj- I'm an electrical zero, a couple of questions: when jumping wires, the toggle at the pantry has two wires and the toggle at door has 3 wires.  easy to jump the two wires at the pantry. how to you deal with jumping the three wire toggle?  is the center a ground?  do you unplug the two outer wires and jump them ignoring the center wire?  or what? 

Taylor, I'll go out and look at mine...

In the meantime the real expert here, he who turned his water pump 3-way switches into 4-ways to add another switch for the outdoor shower is our friend Geoff! Maybe @Snackchaser is online?!

Edited 16 hours ago by jd1923

[taylor.coyote]

 I have done some research on-line and have learned each three way toggle switch will have three wires attached.  The toggle switch for the inside courtesy lights located under the Pantery has only two wires attached. Seems the middle wire is floating between the fiberglass wall below the Pantery and behind the battery compartment. I don't have a scope. Does anyone have experience fishing a wire from between the walls of this compartment? any coaching will be appreciated.

 

 

[taylor.coyote]

Geoff is a wizard. In fact Geoff's home is about a 1/2 hour from mine.  In this case, my neighbor has offer me the use of his scope. I should be able to fish the center wire from inside the hull.     

thanks for your help

[jd1923]

OK, so forget the jumper and I'm hoping you have a multimeter. If not, get one ASAP!

On the main switch, the one at the entrance, the center RED wire is 12V+. The two gray wires will carry 12V+ based on the position of this 3-way switch. When down as pictured the red is connected to the upper gray wire which carries power to the bedside switch. This allows the secondary switch to turn ON when activated.  

When the switch is turned ON, the center red wire is connected to the bottom gray wire which will turn the Courtesy Lights ON.

Set the multimeter to the Continuity setting, which looks like a ground symbol. In this position, you can touch the two leads together and it will make a sound like an alarm. The main switch should show continuity between the middle 12V+ lead and the top lead when OFF, and show continuity between the middle lead and bottom lead when ON! RE the bedside switch you could just use a jumper or you could test for continuity in the up/ON position.

I understand this is a lot and I can get on the phone with you tomorrow if you like. BTW, as you can see in this picture, not a spec of fiberglass dust and these spade terminals were so tight I had trouble pulling them back just a 1/16" to get the multimeter leads to connect to metal. If this is above your head, start looking in the basement for wires disconnected at the lights. Best wishes, my friend! JD

[jd1923]

4 minutes ago, taylor.coyote said:

Geoff is a wizard. In fact Geoff's home is about a 1/2 hour from mine.  In this case, my neighbor has offer me the use of his scope. I should be able to fish the center wire from inside the hull.     

thanks for your help

Oh Man, Geoff has the knowledge and the tools, and since I did the prework, he will understand my post! 😎

Edited 15 hours ago by jd1923

[taylor.coyote]

jd, thanks for the pic,,..yep my center red wire is missing / not connected to the toggle switch and floating  somewhere in the wall.....  I have the use of my neighbor's scope, hopefully I can find the center red wire. Should be  / could be a quick fix ...maybe?   

Few would take the time to pull the toggle switch and send me the pic

You are the best !!!

 

 

[jd1923]

1 hour ago, taylor.coyote said:

yep my center red wire is missing / not connected to the toggle switch and floating  somewhere in the wall.....  I have the use of my neighbor's scope, hopefully I can find the center red wire. Should be  / could be a quick fix ...

Cool, easy fix! Empty the kitchen cabinet and remove the access panel. You should find it easily but be careful not to disturb the other wires too much! 😎

[taylor.coyote]

jd...Shiver my timbers and no kidding an access panel in the bottom of the Pantery? I would have never known. 

Thanks, another great tip.

 

[jd1923]

10 hours ago, taylor.coyote said:

jd...Shiver my timbers and no kidding an access panel in the bottom of the Pantery? I would have never known. 

Thanks, another great tip.

Top kitchen cabinet above the microwave just behind the light switch panel. I reposted this picture taken by @Ronbrink when Ron installed his fridge vent fan. Lots of wires in there but not too many RED ones!

Edited 52 minutes ago by jd1923