# Stargazer shower room light switch problem



## joeirish (Feb 5, 2008)

The string on the pull switch for our Stargazer shower room light switch broke. It looks like a section of the ceiling needs to be removed to replace/repair the switch. Has anybody had to do this and can they advise.

thanks.


----------



## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

Yes I had to replace mine in the Starspirit. I had to remove the inner of the roof vent, the chrome corner quadrant on the mirrors and a screw from each corner of the ceiling panel. Got a new switch off ebay and bought a spare too.


----------



## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

HERE YA GO buddy


----------



## joeirish (Feb 5, 2008)

Thanks for the reply. I've ordered the switch. 

My ceiling is perhaps different to yours in that I also have a swing out panel for the sink unit. It would mean probably removing this also unless the plastic can be bent down in the corner where the light switch it. Do you have any ideas or do any other owners with similar swing walls have a solution? Swift cannot help me on this.

Thanks


----------



## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

No do not try to bend it 8O it will break


----------



## joeirish (Feb 5, 2008)

Thanks again TEchno100. So does this mean I have to remove the swing wall unit? As I live in Ireland it is not possible to get this done in the UK (until such time as I bring the van over on a holiday, not sure when that will be). And it would be very expensive just for the ferry. I'm quite handy with repairs but would appreciate any advice anybody can give on how to go about this job.

Thanks.


----------



## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

Sorry I don't know without seeing it in the flesh.

Presumably this swing wall just pivots on one end? have you tried lifting it out of whatever socket its pin sits in?


----------



## tomnjune (May 1, 2005)

hi joe
just been out to look at mine, its a 08 starspirit with a swingwall. 
its just a conventional pull string switch , unscrewed cover looks like simple job to replace ???. sorry cant help.

tom


----------



## joeirish (Feb 5, 2008)

Hello Tom

Thanks for the reply. I've now bought a new switch on eBay but the body of the switch is bigger than the hole through which the pull chord part protrudes. It would seem my only options are to remove the ceiling (and that looks like removing the swing wall first - anybody ever done this?) to get access to the old switch. Or cut a larger hole and remove the old switch by pulling it through the enlarged hole, connect new switch, insert back through hole and then find some way of filling in the gap.

Anybody like to suggest which I should do?

Thanks


----------



## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

Take photographs of the whole caboodle so we can see everything concerned.
If you cant host photos you can send me them to post
[email protected]


----------



## joeirish (Feb 5, 2008)

Hi Techno

There are a couple of photos here
http://www.practicalmotorhome.com/f...entre/autocruise-stargazer-[no-trim]/00021768

and there are some more here
http://www.lowdhams.com/used-motorh...-40408.13/Used-AUTOCRUISE-STARGAZER-2008 - 58

The waste water from the wash basin appears to flow through the 'pipe' that is also part of the swivel mechanism.

But what the photos don't show is that there is a small cupboard in the corner above the loo. This cupboard has been installed and fixed in place with silicone after the ceiling panel was installed. So this would also have to be removed if the ceiling panel was not flexible enough to bend down by five or six inches. Looks like my only option is to enlarge the hole through which the light switch protrudes and extract it that way.

Anyway I'll wait a few days until the new switch arrives before I do anything. Perhaps I might get some more information from somebody who has done this already in the meantime.

thanks for all the help in the meantime.

Joe


----------



## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

As it happens I'd already found those pictures but not particularly helpful.
A risky alternative is to remove the locknut, push the switch into the void and carefully drill a 25mm hole without catching the wiring and then fit a standard surface mounted pull switch over the hole.

If I was doing it I'd drill to one side of the existing hole as it is bigger than the 6mm pilot of a Starret cutter and once the pilot is through and the cutter is most of the way through STOP take the cutter out of the drill and finish by turning the cutter hand held. GRP is quite soft so will be quite easy.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-WHITE-6-A...ittings_MJ&hash=item58862e2776#ht_2251wt_1135


----------



## joeirish (Feb 5, 2008)

*Problem solved*

I solved the problem, once daylight came again  Essentially I was able to gently bend the ceiling panel down far enough to access the old switch. I can now replace this when the new one arrives. This is what I did in case others need to also change the switch.

I removed the fixing screw in the corner near the door. I removed the nearest two downlights to the door from the ceiling panel (gently prise off the silver collar and expose the fixing screws for the lights, unscrew these and the lights just drop down). I found a fixing screw for the ceiling panel above each downlight. I removed these. Then I had to remove the corner cabinet (just the front section). This involved unscrewing two fixings at the top and three at the bottom on the inside. Easy to do, but having a small mirror helps with seeing what you are unscrewing. Finally a sharp knife was used to cut through the mastic around the front section and presto, out it came.

I then used a bent coat hanger to draw down the ceiling panel (I had to open the door into the wardrobe to stop it catching). The panel was flexible enough at this point to bend below the top of the door entrance to the washroom and allow me to withdraw the old switch. All in all it took about 15 minutes to do this and a further five to replace the lights and fixing screws when I had finished.

Thanks to all for the help. Another topic coming up


----------

