Cougar bathroom light

Michael Watkins · 04-03-2014, 12:42 PM

Hello; We have a 2012 Cougar 323MKS for 2 years now. Love it. One issue I am having trouble figuring out. In the bathroom there is a wall switch that turns on both the medicine cabinet lights and the ceiling light (12V). Is that a 3way switch? The celiling light also has a switch so only the MC light can be used if desired. There are no other switches. Seems the ceiling light no longer works, I have changed the 921 bulbs still no worky. Any way any pointers appreciated. Thank you

PARAPTOR · 04-03-2014, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Watkins

Hello; We have a 2012 Cougar 323MKS for 2 years now. Love it. One issue I am having trouble figuring out. In the bathroom there is a wall switch that turns on both the medicine cabinet lights and the ceiling light (12V). Is that a 3way switch? The celiling light also has a switch so only the MC light can be used if desired. There are no other switches. Seems the ceiling light no longer works, I have changed the 921 bulbs still no worky. Any way any pointers appreciated. Thank you

Sounds like what you have is a ceiling light that has it own local switch, however in your case that same light has been wired to another switch on the wall controlling power to the ceiling light and medicine cabinet. In this configuration that ceiling light switch will only turn the ceiling light on, if off, when the medicine light is on.

If your medicine cabinet light is off the local switch in the ceiling light will not turn in on. Wall switch must be on

No that is not a 3 way switch. in general 3 way switches are used in situations where say you want to control a light from two different locations. Example in a hallway with one light and switches on each end.

Okay my 2 cents

Michael Watkins · 04-03-2014, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PARAPTOR

Sounds like what you have is a ceiling light that has it own local switch, however in your case that same light has been wired to another switch on the wall controlling power to the ceiling light and medicine cabinet. In this configuration that ceiling light switch will only turn the ceiling light on, if off, when the medicine light is on.

If your medicine cabinet light is off the local switch in the ceiling light will not turn in on. Wall switch must be on

No that is not a 3 way switch. in general 3 way switches are used in situations where say you want to control a light from two different locations. Example in a hallway with one light and switches on each end.

Okay my 2 cents

Thanks for the quick response. I was aware that the wall switch had to be on to allow the ceiling light switch to work. It just does not. I guess next step is to remove the fixture and verify is is still getting power when the wall switch is on? May need new fixture but was hoping for an easier fix. Again thanks so much.

**JRTJH** · 04-03-2014, 01:25 PM

Chances are that if the fixture is getting power then the switch on the light fixture is bad. It may be difficult to get fixtures that match exactly as they tend to change shape or lens diffuser pattern from time to time. If the switch is all that's wrong with it, look around your RV, you may have other fixtures that are the same with switches on them. If so, possibly you can wire the bad fixture to the on position and replace it with another fixture that is also on a wall switch where you're not using the fixture mounted switch....If you can find one, possibly you can just swap the two fixtures and not have to go searching for one that looks the same.

Now that I've completely confused you...... LOL

Michael Watkins · 04-03-2014, 01:28 PM

You were great! Thank you so much. pleasure meeting you

therink · 04-03-2014, 02:19 PM

Have you pulled the switch from the wall and verified with a voltage meter that 12v power is getting to the switch and past the switch when in the on position. I would do that before switching light fixtures.

Michael Watkins · 04-03-2014, 02:25 PM

I just pulled the fixture and it works if I bypass the switch. so the fixture switch is bad as you suspected. If I do not find a replacement switch I probably will just bypass the switch permenantly and let the fixture come on every time with the wall switch. We have 12 of those fixtures in the RV. For the bathroom it is ok hope the rest don't start failing though.

Again thanks so much for your help

PARAPTOR · 04-03-2014, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Watkins

Thanks for the quick response. I was aware that the wall switch had to be on to allow the ceiling light switch to work. It just does not. I guess next step is to remove the fixture and verify is is still getting power when the wall switch is on? May need new fixture but was hoping for an easier fix. Again thanks so much.

Sorry to leave you hanging, I usually try and suggest the simplest things to check first then wait for a response. Most if not all lights that have a local switch, the actual two wires from the switch and the two wires from the light are connected in the base along with the power feeding it. In your case you may have another two wires feeding over to the medicine cabinet.

Now as John stated most obvious is if the actual switch is bad to switch that light in the bathroom with another exact one where you do not need the local switch. Wire this duplicate one into bathroom and you are done

Now to use the bathroom light in the other location, when you wire it up remember to not use the switch wires, basically two wires from light to two power wires being controlled from a switch on the wall.

Now if you do not have an exact duplicate to switch, I would try and see if the actual switch can be remove from the bathroom light fixture. May get lucky and may have one attached by a small nut, which when removed the switch assembly will come out. You can try and get a replacement.

To get you up and working when you remove that switch there will be only two wires left going to the light. Like I said the two wires going to the cabinet light may be connected up there also. One switch on wall powers the ceiling light and cabinet light. Then again cabinet light could be spliced at the switch. Much easier if I were there, had pictures, or had an identical unit like yours. YA and a lot of other things I wish I had

To complete the wiring in the ceiling light, regardless if you have 4 wires or 6 its all blacks wrapped together and capped then all whites together and capped. Now that wall switch is going to control the two lights either both on or both off until you get a replacement switch. Without a picture no idea type of switch.

Sorry I know like my history classes BLAH BLAH... BLAH

Hope this helps

Hope this helps

PARAPTOR · 04-03-2014, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Watkins

I just pulled the fixture and it works if I bypass the switch. so the fixture switch is bad as you suspected. If I do not find a replacement switch I probably will just bypass the switch permenantly and let the fixture come on every time with the wall switch. We have 12 of those fixtures in the RV. For the bathroom it is ok hope the rest don't start failing though.

Again thanks so much for your help

Guess as I was typing very slowly you got it. Sorry I took so long

Great

Michael Watkins · 04-03-2014, 05:21 PM

Sorry we were meeting some friends for dinner. Please do not applogize. You were great and very helpful. it is a R13 on/off. As we both said I might just leave it as bypassed if cannot find the switch. No worries I have direction thanks to you. Thank you

terrythetech · 02-10-2019, 10:20 AM

Not sure if you ever fixed your light problem, but I have a cougar that is set up the same as you. I am suspecting a bad switch on the ceiling light. If it is it would be a simple check to jumper across the switch with the power on. If the light lights the switch is bad. If not I suspect a loose connection where the light connects to the wires that come from the wall switch going to the medicine cabinet lamps.

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