12 volt lights

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rsilvestrone

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Feb 8, 2014
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Hi, have a 2006 Alfa See Ya, the 12 volt lite ceiling by BR has been out, can it be the balast?? Checked 12 volt fuses, all good, switched out light bulbs with bedroom light & they are good, wiggled bulbs, cant seem to figure it out, its the only light out, any suggestion would be greatly appreciated, Thank You, Robert S.
 
Are they fluorescents? If so, yes it could be the ballast, which is fairly complex in a 12v system. Test for 12v to the fixture If power reaches it and the bulbs are known to be good, the fixture/ballast is all that is left.

A good choice for replacement is an LED tube that clips into the existing fixture. The ballast is bypassed because the tube uses direct 12v power. Not cheap, but they last forever.  I replaced all of my fluorescents that way.  Forum members get a 10% discount at:  http://www.rvledbulbs.com/category-s/45.htm
 
I have had a Folrsecent "ballast" fail on a 12 volt light.. I took the oppertounity to replace 16 watts of Florcesent with about 4 watts of LED... More light, I like the color better (my choice) and no ballast to mess up my radios. (They were quality leds so they do NOT mess up my radios.. Some do).

All in all very happy and I'll likely never replace those leds.
 
You may have to drop the fixture and check the wiring. The light fixture itself is connected using wire nuts in behind and one may have come loose. On the other hand the quality of the fixtures used in my Alfa leaves a lot to be desired, especially the switches and sockets found in wall/ceiling fixtures. I have replaced a number of switches.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
Are they fluorescents? If so, yes it could be the ballast, which is fairly complex in a 12v system. Test for 12v to the fixture If power reaches it and the bulbs are known to be good, the fixture/ballast is all that is left.

A good choice for replacement is an LED tube that clips into the existing fixture. The ballast is bypassed because the tube uses direct 12v power. Not cheap, but they last forever.  I replaced all of my fluorescents that way.  Forum members get a 10% discount at:  http://www.rvledbulbs.com/category-s/45.htm
Click to expand...

I used these tubes for my first fluorescent to LED conversion, but for the rest I have used adhesive-backed LED strips rather than the tubes.  You can buy half meter (~19") strips of high output LED strips with connecting wires (no soldering needed) for ~$12/strip.  These fit the standard 12V fluorescent fixture perfectly and you can have your choice of color temperature.

I'm not trying to undercut Gary or a forum advertiser which is why I haven't posted any links, but I like being able to convert my fixtures for ~$25 each rather than more than twice that cost.  Any who has questions or wants buying information can PM me.

FWIW these particular strips were not purchased on eBay because, at that time, I wasn't sure of the quality of LEDs that could be purchased there.  I have to admit that since then I have bought ~25 LEDs for my halogen "puck lights".  Those still go for ~$8-20 on "domestic US" websites.  I paid ~$1.20 each on a direct from China purchase and all of them worked, none have failed and the light output and color were exactly as advertised!  The LED market is evolving very rapidly; if you haven't bought LEDs recently you should do your research carefully to avoid overspending.

Joel (AKA docj)
 
I'm not trying to undercut Gary or a forum advertiser which is why I haven't posted any links, but I like being able to convert my fixtures for ~$25 each rather than more than twice that cost.
Click to expand...

No problem, at least not on my end. Those who have the skills can do that (I've done some like that myself, elsewhere). The ones I suggested from our advertiser are simple to do with very basic skills (hook up two wires and plug in the bulb) and are high quality units that put out a lot of light (lumens), but they certainly aren't cheap.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
No problem, at least not on my end. Those who have the skills can do that (I've done some like that myself, elsewhere). The ones I suggested from our advertiser are simple to do with very basic skills (hook up two wires and plug in the bulb) and are high quality units that put out a lot of light (lumens), but they certainly aren't cheap.
Click to expand...

Gary:

The ones I installed were no more difficult that using the tubes.  The connecting wires were already attached; I didn't want to have to solder or put contacts on the strips.  Installation consisted of removing the entirety of what is inside the fixture--the ballast, all the wires and the sockets at the end.  You can get away with leaving the ballast in place and just cutting the wires but I like the neat look of taking it all out.  Once you have a nice empty fixture, just remove the adhesive and put one LED strip on each side of the center.  Connect two red and two black wires to the incoming supply and ground and you're all done.  The 19.7" (half meter) strips will fit perfectly and will cover the main surface of the fixture with just enough to bend up and cover the side edges.

If anyone is interested in buying here's the link: https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/flexible-strips-and-bars/led-light-strips-led-tape-light-with-18-smdsft-3-chip-smd-led-5050-with-lc2-connector/1465/

Joel

 
Hey Gary, thank you for advice, there is switch by the door, light won't come on, i have checked the fluroscent bulbs, there good, are u saying i can get the LED bulbs & they could possibly work bypassing the balast? My electrical experience is limited... Thanks, Robert.
 
LEDs don't use a ballast - that is strictly a fluorescent thing. So yes, if you replace the fluorescent tube with Leds, you don't need to fix the ballast. They wire direct to the 12v power in the fixture.  The led "tube" I described is expensive, though. If you are handy, you can make your own conversion with multiple strips if leds glued into the fixture. You probably won't get as much light (lumens), but it may well be enough.

I've converted all my fluorescents (7 fixtures) to Led tubes. The larger fixtures have two fluorescent bulbs, but I put only one Led tube in each and still get lots of light.
 
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