Troubleshooting dome light in a 2014 320-CS Clamshell

JP2558
JP2558 Member Posts: 237
in Battery/Electrical & Solar
A friend thinks the factory dome light installed in their clamshell possibly has a short, or other malfunction. First question is what is the procedure for removing the light itself? It doesn't appear to be held in place by screws or another mechanism. Second question would be how to troubleshoot this light? They just bought a new battery two months ago, and this past weekend they found out it was dead, so it appears there is a drain on something somewhere...

Thanks, Jerry 
 
2019 Honda Pilot AWD and 2018 T@B 320-CS hanging out on the left edge of Lake Erie.
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Comments

  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    Do you mean the light on the galley hatch?  Or the inside overhead light?  
    How did they decide that the galley light was the issue?  Flickering, doesn't light?
    I would start by identifying which circuit/fuse it shares with any other appliance.
    Any other problems with any other 12v light/appliance?

    Do they have a battery switch?  
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • JP2558
    JP2558 Member Posts: 237
    Yes, the round light in the galley/kitchen hatch. My friend said it was flickering about a month ago. They do have a battery switch, and they haven't mentioned  any other 12v appliance problems.

    Thanks, Jerry 
     
    2019 Honda Pilot AWD and 2018 T@B 320-CS hanging out on the left edge of Lake Erie.
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  • Marceline
    Marceline Member Posts: 1,748
    The light cover can be removed by rotating it to the left. 

    Did your friends cut the power from the battery to the trailer before they left it for a couple of months? If not, there are some parasitic drains (Jensen, TV, CO detector) that will gradually draw down the battery. 
    San Francisco Bay Area
    2013 CS-S us@gi
    2015 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner Double Cab
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  • JP2558
    JP2558 Member Posts: 237
    I believe he does cut the power when it's sitting idle. They don't have a Jensen or a television, and I'm not sure about a Co2 detector since they don't have an Alde either. (And the kitchen is outdoors.)

    Thanks, Jerry 
     
    2019 Honda Pilot AWD and 2018 T@B 320-CS hanging out on the left edge of Lake Erie.
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  • Marceline
    Marceline Member Posts: 1,748
    edited September 2020
    JP2558 said:
    I believe he does cut the power when it's sitting idle. They don't have a Jensen or a television, and I'm not sure about a Co2 detector since they don't have an Alde either. (And the kitchen is outdoors.)
    The CO detector is standard equipment and I'm pretty sure that it's required by law. It doesn't have anything to do with the Alde (I have a 2013 clamshell with a propane furnace). If they are disconnecting the battery when they store the trailer I don't see how a short in the clamshell light could possibly be draining the battery. The battery is either feeding power to the trailer or it's not. AFAIK the 2014 models did not come with a battery switch. Did they install their own switch? Or did a previous owner install one? It certainly wouldn't hurt anything to check the clamshell light but I strongly suspect that it's not the source of the battery drain problem. 
    San Francisco Bay Area
    2013 CS-S us@gi
    2015 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner Double Cab
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  • JP2558
    JP2558 Member Posts: 237
    Thanks for the input. Their battery switch is a factory install, and we are camping again this weekend, so hopefully he will have his battery issue resolved. Once his battery is usable we can continue to troubleshoot the problem.

    Thanks, Jerry 
     
    2019 Honda Pilot AWD and 2018 T@B 320-CS hanging out on the left edge of Lake Erie.
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  • Verna
    Verna Member Posts: 6,876
    @JP2558, have your friend look at the power wires that are going from the hatch to the galley. I saw a photo today of one bundle that had been accidentally been cut or it had just worn through the insulation of the wires.

    If their license plate is on the outside of the hatch, it probably doesn’t work either. If it does, then the license plate wire is not cut. 
    Verna, Columbus, IN
    2021 T@B 320S  Boondock “The T@B”
    Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
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