Author Topic: blinking deck light on off switch  (Read 2879 times)

Sunharvester

  • First Mate
  • ***
  • Posts: 55
  • Karma: +0/-1
  • Boat Model: Vision 46
  • Boat Year: 2016
blinking deck light on off switch
« on: October 10 2022, 20:55 »

Does anyone know if this light blinking on the panel means the bulb is dead or a short somewhere?

I only want to go up there as few times as possible

tiger79

  • Old Salt
  • *****
  • Posts: 947
  • Karma: +10/-4
  • 2014 Cruiser 37
  • Boat Model: Cruiser 37
  • Boat Year: 2014
Re: blinking deck light on off switch
« Reply #1 on: October 10 2022, 20:58 »
I've had a blinking light on the fridge switch.  I swapped a relay from an unused feed, and the blinking stopped.

Krumelur

  • Old Salt
  • *****
  • Posts: 310
  • Karma: +2/-3
  • Boat Model: Bavaria 40
  • Boat Year: 2010
Re: blinking deck light on off switch
« Reply #2 on: October 11 2022, 06:24 »
Yes, blinking does mean the light doesn’t work. Should be easy to check, non? 😀

I heard (cannot confirm myself) that using LEDs instead of halogen bulbs may also cause the panel to blink due to lower currents.

paulemeier1

  • Able Seaman
  • ****
  • Posts: 125
  • Karma: +3/-0
  • Boat Model: Bavaria 37.2 Cruiser
  • Boat Year: 2006
Re: blinking deck light on off switch
« Reply #3 on: October 11 2022, 06:34 »
I have changed my deck light to led. Works fine. No blinking led at the panel

Petef

  • Second Mate
  • **
  • Posts: 40
  • Karma: +1/-0
  • Boat Model: Bavaria 34 Cruiser
  • Boat Year: 2007
Re: blinking deck light on off switch
« Reply #4 on: October 12 2022, 09:30 »
I changed my steaming light for an LED one and that makes my panel light blink. But the light definitely works.

For those that have changed deck light, what kind of LED did you use? When I went to the chandlery with my halagen deck light bulb the guy there said that he couldn't provide an LED to replace it and even suggested that the halogen one was better for the deck light.

Sunharvester

  • First Mate
  • ***
  • Posts: 55
  • Karma: +0/-1
  • Boat Model: Vision 46
  • Boat Year: 2016
Re: blinking deck light on off switch
« Reply #5 on: October 12 2022, 20:18 »
If no to low current causes light to blink then its either bulb or connection. This started since when mast was stepped this spring.

Yngmar

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 1593
  • Karma: +22/-2
  • Boat Model: 40 Ocean
  • Boat Year: 2001
Re: blinking deck light on off switch
« Reply #6 on: October 12 2022, 20:38 »
If it's the same as car headlights, you need to add a resistor parallel to the light so the detection works again.

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/blog/led-bulb-canbus-error-codes-how-to-fix-with-video/
(formerly) Sailing Songbird  ⛵️ Bavaria 40 Ocean (2001)

Sunharvester

  • First Mate
  • ***
  • Posts: 55
  • Karma: +0/-1
  • Boat Model: Vision 46
  • Boat Year: 2016
Re: blinking deck light on off switch
« Reply #7 on: October 28 2022, 19:27 »
Turns out there was some corrosion that led to a short in the fixture.

JEN-et-ROSS

  • Old Salt
  • *****
  • Posts: 326
  • Karma: +4/-0
  • Boat Model: Bavaria 38 Lagoon
  • Boat Year: 1990
Re: blinking deck light on off switch
« Reply #8 on: October 29 2022, 08:52 »
I heard (cannot confirm myself) that using LEDs instead of halogen bulbs may also cause the panel to blink due to lower currents.

That is indeed correct, the very low power consumption registers as a fault....We just got used to it and check the lights externally..........Bill.

Petef

  • Second Mate
  • **
  • Posts: 40
  • Karma: +1/-0
  • Boat Model: Bavaria 34 Cruiser
  • Boat Year: 2007
Re: blinking deck light on off switch
« Reply #9 on: November 01 2022, 09:07 »
Quote ["That is indeed correct, the very low power consumption registers as a fault....We just got used to it and check the lights externally"]

I'm the same, the fix according to the interweb is to use a resistor across the led (a bit of a faff but you can buy led with one already built in) , but that effectively increases the power so that the "can bus" used by Bavaria can register it as a working bulb. Making it pointless to fit an LED (which is to save power on a boat).

Wonder if there's a way to adjust something on the panel circuit to accept a lower power?

Fortunately it's easy to check that all's working by going to the bow and looking up during the day and it'll be obvious at night.