Hello
I have an Abbey Archway Royale (also says swift somewhere) and having some issues with the lighting (and the oven ignition switch).
I have 2 round ceiling lights ( front living, middle over the fixed bed and rear bathroom) and 4 spot lights. They all have the little 12v 2 pin led bulbs. The middle round light turns on. None of the others work, except for a small flash on each one as I turn on the main fuse after turning it off.
It happened twice and resolved when I disconnected and reconnected the ehu. Then it happened a 3rd time and hasn't resolved since. The bulbs all appear fine. Ive changed the hookup cable and the hookup location and the issue persists. The clicker on the oven is also not working.
I have swapped bulbs about but it remains that only the one light above the bed works. The others do not flicker if I use their switches. Its only when I flip the main fuse switch on their MCB.
Any ideas? I can't see any reason why one of the ceiling lights would be on a different circuit but it's the only one working. Distance from the fuse board it is the closest but I have no idea if it is wired there first and not sure how to get the electrics diagram.
Its a 2005 abbey archway royal elegance but also has swift written on it somewhere too? Not really sure what that all means.
Hi Larneigh, and welcome to the forum.
There’s a lot in your post, so here goes. Your Abbey was made by Swift (1992-2008), so their electrics more than likely provided by Sargent. It would have been fitted with G4 halogen bulbs, so if they are now LEDs then they have been changed since. They should work still.
Firstly the symptoms you describe point to a problem with the 12v system - plugging/unplugging the mains lead is a slight red herring, but is interesting, and might point to an issue with the battery charger. Most likely, however, is the battery itself, if it’s a bit old. They don’t last forever.
Equip yourself with a small digital multimeter, about a tenner from all decent hardware shops or your favourite online supplier. Test the voltage on your battery, with it both connected and unplugged. You should get readings in the region of 12.5v and 13.5v respectively. If it’s a lot different, then it should point to a problem.
Let us know how you get on.
Firstly, a 2005 caravan would not normally have LED lights so the previous owner must have changed them. That is not a problem unless, of course, he has changed the wiring too for some reason.
I would expect a'normal' caravan to have two lights in the lounge area operated off the 230 volt system and the rest throughout off the 12 volt circuits.
So, the flickering when hooked up is more likely to indicate a fault in the battery charger. You do have a battery fitted don't you??
As above you need to check the voltage at the battery terminals before anything else.
DaveS1
LED lights are great, both for their low power consumption and brilliance and quality of light, BUT they can have a drawback! - and it may be your problem!
Incandescent lights draw a decent current with a surge of demand at switch on, this keeps connections and switch contacts clean and in good working order, BUT LEDs don't, they draw so little current and have no discernible surge demand at switch on, electrical contacts become 'dirty' and dysfunctional, this can lead to effective light 'failure'.
The solution is simple in principle, but often a chore in practice, break and remake connectors to 'wipe' the surfaces clean. Switch switches on and off repeatedly to 'abrade' the contacts clean, remove and replace bulbs in their holders. Finding the errant connector is the challenge, they are often in obscure hidden places!
Despite my van having LED lights throughout from manufacture rather than as an upgrade, countless times I've had to hunt down 'dodgy' connections to get a non-functional light working, or stop an annoying flicker, and I must have 20 lights throughout my van!
Only on one occasion did that method fail me, and it turned out to be a rather rare but not impossible LED failure in one of the spot lamps. Thankfully my background in electronics/electrical engineering allowed me to fault find and replace a ('non-replaceable'!) LED bulb costing 50p rather than have to fit a new £30 spotlight!
Image to admit you're all right on the hallogen bulb front. Silly tired mummy brain. :)
On doing some further research it looks that it could be the nc143 fuse box. I did some rapid on and off with the main fuse and now all the lights that were off are on and the one that was on is off. Its bizarre but I'm not wanting to mess about anymore now I have most of my 12v system working.
Incidentally I don't have a battery onboard and never have. I've always just used the ehu supply and not worried about having a battery. Does it matter?
Battery, yes or no? You'll get half responses for each choice!
Personally, I think a battery is essential. Firstly it smooths out any power surges and secondly you still have lights, water and a working toilet when the site power fails.
DaveS1
Dave will it affect the battery if the battery charger light is always on? Will it overcharge etc or is the system able to detect the cells are full? I'm considering buying a battery now but want to protect it if I do.
Thanks
I too would recommend having a battery in place, especially as a back-up in case of mains failure. We always go on sites with EHU and our charger is always switched on to keep the battery fully charged. Not had a problem with overcharging yet and we've had the caravan and the battery 6 years.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Abbey/swift: Some lights not working
via mobile 16/7/2023 at 1:13pm
