Dome Light -272 Sailfish

SilverLining

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Lost power to the courtesy/spreader dome light under the hardtop. Can find no fuses/breakers listed for the system(the manual does indicate a breaker(???) at the "accessory panel" for the spreader lights) and no fuses at the fuse block.

Any thoughts or knowledge concerning a fuse/breaker set-up for these lights??
 

SilverLining

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Thanks GW248.... As I wrote in the OP the manual has no reference to the light system...need experienced help here.......
 

ROBERTH

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In my 252, in the overhead radio box is a fuse for this light. It was a snap in fuse that had lots of age/corrosion. I was having intermittent issues with radio's and lights over time. So this year, I have replaced the fuse panel with the Blue Seas systems to remedy this issue.
My guess is you have the same setup.
The power feed to the radio box is direct from battery switches and not controlled by the helm switches and fuse breakers.

So question is do you have a power distribution and fuse block in your overhead radio box? Mine was hard to see so had to climb up and look behind the radios. Each case is different, so just thinking outloud here.

If so, check connections and fuses. If still no luck, then pull lens cover off fixture and expose wires so you can test to see if they have power and if not, then trace back or maybe the switch is bad on the light as well.
 

CKJR

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Mine stopped working because the push button switch was bad. had to press a few times for it to go on.
 

DennisG01

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If there are no fuses at the fuse block, then wouldn't EVERYTHING not be working?

I don't know if this will help, but you could try downloading a newer model year for your boat to see if the newer manual has more information in it.

Otherwise, you can do it the old fashioned way - first, check for power on the backside of the switch at the power wire. If you have power there, the problem is between the switch and the light. If no power there, follow the power wire from the backside of the switch until you find the fuse block that it stems off. Now, if this is not original, and a previous owner has installed this, then all bets are off. Heck they might have even wired it direct to the battery! Bad idea, but I've seen it done.
 

bayrat

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SilverLining said:
Lost power to the courtesy/spreader dome light under the hardtop. Can find no fuses/breakers listed for the system(the manual does indicate a breaker(???) at the "accessory panel" for the spreader lights) and no fuses at the fuse block.

Any thoughts or knowledge concerning a fuse/breaker set-up for these lights??

The spreader lights don't work either? If so, there are 2 separate switches if I remember correctly, so doubtful that both went bad at the same time, (same with the bulbs)but anything is possible. I would do what Roberth suggests in that order. I had to replace the dome switch at one point and there was some moisture under that lens as well.
 

SilverLining

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RobertH is right on. There is a fuse block in the forward, s/b corner of the radio box. Has two 10amp and two 15amp fuses. Have taken out the radios and the excess radar cable and can now see it clearly.....about 1.3 arm lengths into the back of the box. Radios and radar have power. Spreaders and dome lights work well on aux 12v source I carried to the boat. Will work on the fuse block issue tomorrow.

RobertH....do you remember how the power is obtained at the battery switches, i.e. is it fused?? I am familiar with the two fuse locations for the bilge pump float switches at the battery switches but don't remember seeing another fuse.

All...thanks for the helpful suggestions.....
 

ROBERTH

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The 40amp breaker near the battery switches is the power feed from the switch to the helm.
If you have any power forward, it would not be the breaker.
There is a power wire that feeds through the hardtop pipes up to the underside of the hardtop, then comes into the back side of the fuse block in the radio box.
Also check the grouND is connected.
Basically, you would need to use a multitester to find where you are losing the power.
Hope this all makes sense.I'M trying to type on cell phone so a little slow to type this all up.
 

1998sailfish

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Ditto on the bad switch. It was the same when I owned my 98' Sailfish 272. The replacement switch is available from Grady White. I did not read thru the rest of the replies but I can assume that you have already popped the benzel and removed the entire light assembly from the electronics box to access the switch from the back of the light assembly ? It is most likely this than a wire issue near the lights as Grady made their splices at the lights to be hidden within the hard top tubes thus eliminating possible corrosion at the splice.