ceiling light problem

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Maxnbarb

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Joined
Jul 8, 2018
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Hey guys!
New owner of an older Fleetwood Prowler 26ft trailer.
I have a light over my table that has 12 volts on the yellow wire and when I use my test light from there to the white wire it appears to be fine. Turn on the light, nothing.
Volt meter says 12 volts on Yellow, 0 volts on white. Now, if I turn on the porch light I get 12 volts on the white wire at the ceiling light. if I ground it out it doesn't spark.
If I use a different ground wire to the light it works fine. 
Do I need to run a new ground wire, and if so, whats the best way without tearing the ceiling out?

Max :eek:
 
Sounds more like the white wire isn't making contact inside the fixture, or perhaps the bulb is not contacting the fixture properly.  A typical 12v automotive type bulb (bayonet base) has its +12v on the pin at the bottom of the base so that it contacts a matching "bump" (terminal) in the fixture. The ground contact is the metal shell of the bulb base and mates to the surround via the pins that stick out the side of the bulb  base and contact the socket sides.  You should be able to measure 12v between the terminal and the surround in the fixture.

If its a tube type bulb (aka "festoon") rather than bayonet base, just measure voltage across the two end of the bulb holder (without the bulb in place). Should find 12-14v there.
 
From your description the WHITE wire is a ground wire shared with the porch light.

When you turn on the porch light (By the way does it work) the 12 volts is "Back fed" on teh ground wire thus showing 12 volt there. But with the porch light on there is not enough load (Being it's now an open circuit) to turn on the ceiling light that way.

You need to fix the white wire's ground end or add a new ground in parallel with it.
 
That's kinda where I was heading.  The porch light works fine.  If I turn on the light in question, the porch light glows.  I know it's not the light itself because the light works fine if I ground it another way.
My next dilemma is how do I go about running a new ground wire for this light?

Thanks
Max
 
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