# Star spirit ceiling light



## alonsos (Feb 14, 2014)

Hi
We are talking autocruise star spirit 2005 
We have 3 oval ceiling light fittings,the lounge & kitchen area are working ok but the one between hab door & bathroom is not working ?
I swapped the middle light tube over to the defective one and it's still no good so assumed the circuit board had got a fault.
Bought a new fitting (eBay perfect match) removed defective fitting,put my meter on wires to check it has 12v feed (No 12v feed to it)
Should have checked that 1st(dope)ha!
Checked 12v fuses all ok,looked for maybe another switch none,so ime stuck with no 12v feed ? And wiring is above the ceiling ( Stumped on this one) just going out to see if maybe a wire is off one of the other 2 lights that should be feeding the faulty one but clutching at straws here,there has to be a way to rectify this simple fault ???
Anyone got any ideas to save me a few days scratching my head & getting splinters 
Take Care you lot Alon


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

In 2004 the light near the door was switched from the door , is yours! Maybe they changed the switch by the door to operate the middle light


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

> alonsos said:- . . . to see if maybe a wire is off one of the other 2 lights that should be feeding the faulty one


That would have been my suggestion.

My friend has a Starspirit and he's very handy with a big 'ammer. I know he's unavailable today, but will ask if he has any ideas tomorrow, if you have not solved it by then.

Dave


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## alonsos (Feb 14, 2014)

Have tried that switch inside Hab door, it's a double one & one side does awning lite & the other does lite just inside door 3" above foot level
So still scratching my head 
Thanks for reply it's just that a fault like this tends to hold you up,only had van 4 days so far and lots of things to do
Take Care Alon


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Forgive me for suggesting the obvious, perhaps.
If you can investigate the dead light to see which direction the cables are going, that could be a starting point.
Where is the switch? Is it on the unit? In which case that may be the only switch and there could be a straight power take-off from another fitting.
If you can find access to any trunking, that too may help resolve your question. Trunking is not always obvious!
The Autocruise Owners Club or Swift Owners Club etc, may have better information specific to your van.

Alan


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## alonsos (Feb 14, 2014)

The wires come thro a tiny hole in ceiling so can't trace direction, 
Unit completely removed and put meter right on feed wires , no voltage,
Checked wiring from other 2 lights nothing adrift there, 
No trunking in vacinity, 
I will fix it I like a challenge 
Thanks for ideas very kind of you to take the trouble to reply
Take care Alon


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I used to have a Stardream, similar van. I seem to remember that the three lights were not controlled by just one switch, but by each light having it's own switch. the supply going from one to the next in line.
There are 49 Autocruise members on here, there should be a sensible answer within a couple of days.

cabby

How long have you had this van I meant to ask.Do you have any handbooks etc.


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## damar1 (Sep 29, 2012)

I had problems with ours all the switches on the left as you enter the van were a bit dodgy, pulled them all out cleaned with electrical spray cleaner no problem now.


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## papaken (Nov 21, 2010)

Good luck in solving your problem,
I have had two occasions when the light outside the toilet door and the toilet lights would not come on.
Just came back after bashing a few switches. 
As you say only a tiny hole through the ceiling and no play on any wires 
As I have just said in my hab check post I have a few dodgy switches up in the front top but as I only use this area for storage i'm not to bothered, they are not a priority.


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## alonsos (Feb 14, 2014)

Have checked every avenue mentioned EXCEPT the actual switch which is a possible I discounted it re left hand works awning light &
Right hand works little square light inner left side and they both actually work but perhaps a wire off the back maybe (will look see)
Take Care Alon


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Logic says that somewhere there has ti be a wire that has come adrift, wires rarely fail in mid-length but where they are joined.

Can you use a meter to trace where the two wires that you have at the light go back to by testing connectivity, the 12v positive feed must originate somewhere that can be tracked. The negative feed also could be the cause of the problem as it may go back to a common multi-wire junction and could be displaced just sufficiently to break the negative connection.......

Like you I am just grasping straws, such problems are annoying but are well worth thinking through....

You said you have only had the MH 4 days so is there any way you can seek advice from the person that you got it from? If it was a dealer then would they sort it out? If privately supplied, can the previous owner throw any light on when it stopped working?

Dave


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## alonsos (Feb 14, 2014)

*Damp ugh*

Never rains but it pours forgot the light prob 4 a while , pulled out cushions to clean behind and near side rear has black mould on lift up frames , could be previous owner, as there was a hose reel of water left in the white wet box ime hoping that's the problem anyway
Take care Alon
[/quote]


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I would check the sealant around all of those lounge windows, I seem to remember they did not squeeze an awful lot around them when put together.

cabby


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## damar1 (Sep 29, 2012)

3 weeks ago we were away in our star spirit and were parked up uneven and all the water was running down the back window on the near side, when we went to make the bed up the cushions and the triangle corner piece and the bottom of the curtains were soaking wet. 

When we got home and inspected the window to find out what the trouble was along the top of the window frame is translucent sealer in one place it has appeared to shrink leaving a gap of about half an inch, I run another seal all the way along, and the next day run the hose on it for an hour and all sees ok, I looked at the other windows and 2 others were the same. So worth a look at.


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## alonsos (Feb 14, 2014)

That's what I now suspect (the window)although still hoping the cause is previous owner leaving a long hose full of water in the sunken white plastic box thing,(what year is your Star Spirit by the way ?)
Take Care Alon


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

Autocruise windows were not sealed correctly at all. The sealant should be between the inside of the frame and its rubber seal NOT around the outside which is usually a sign that someone has tried to bodge it later. I took the sliding window out of my Starspirit to refit it and that is what I found.

Sealant should go here


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## alonsos (Feb 14, 2014)

Can't quite make out what ime looking at prob make more sense if and when I remove the window


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

That it the inside face of the outside frame that goes into the aperture from the outside. The ribbed seal goes against the van outer skin.

There should be enough pictures here for anyone to understand how Seitz windows work 
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopict-137068-.html


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## alonsos (Feb 14, 2014)

Got it now makes sense looking @ all the pics


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## alonsos (Feb 14, 2014)

*Window*

Ps what is average time to remove a window reseal and refit ?


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

A couple of hours each on yours, the time consuming bit is cleaning off old sealant.


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## alonsos (Feb 14, 2014)

Sorry to go on but use mastic / silicone /silkoset what's best , won't tackle job until sure it's the problem
Take care Alon


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## damar1 (Sep 29, 2012)

alonsos said:


> That's what I now suspect (the window)although still hoping the cause is previous owner leaving a long hose full of water in the sunken white plastic box thing,(what year is your Star Spirit by the way ?)
> Take Care Alon


Mine is 2004, we have had it for 3 years now, never had any real trouble with it but the previous owners had it standing more than using it so it was silly things that were wrong with it, one being the light switches inside the door and on the ceiling. We put cruse control on and a few other things but all in all its not a bad van. One thing that happened is the step that comes up when you turn on the ignition on one occasion it didn't and ended up imbedded in the grass bank when I had to get over to let a lorry get through so always check that now.


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## papaken (Nov 21, 2010)

I have the same problem with my step not closing from the ignition switched on.  
I believe it is the switch inside the motor housing that is operated when the steps slide in and pushes the small white plastic piece ( a bit like the plastic top off a saxa salt tub) on the side but have not yet managed to get the motor housing opened I think the whole unit will have to come off.


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

alonsos said:


> Sorry to go on but use mastic / silicone /silkoset what's best , won't tackle job until sure it's the problem
> Take care Alon


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221161014444?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT


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## damar1 (Sep 29, 2012)

papaken said:


> I have the same problem with my step not closing from the ignition switched on.
> I believe it is the switch inside the motor housing that is operated when the steps slide in and pushes the small white plastic piece ( a bit like the plastic top off a saxa salt tub) on the side but have not yet managed to get the motor housing opened I think the whole unit will have to come off.


It only ever happened once, and that was 2 years ago ever since its been ok, but always look in the mirror now before starting off.


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)




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