Couple weeks ago my front nav light went on the blink while night fishing. On the way home it just started working again. Looked at the two pins in the hole and bent them out a little. Didn’t have any trouble until this last weekend. It died and using the back nav light in the front holder quickly told me I didn’t have power up there. I notice my tach wasn’t working on the way back in either. <sigh>
So yesterday afternoon I started checking voltage with the VOM. Nothing at the light. Nothing at the 2 contacts to the pole. Nothing at the 2 connectors below the nav light holder. So much for a quick fix. For some reason I check for voltage and used the hull for the ground…12.7v! Perfect! Easy fix. Just find the grounding connector and check it for corrosion…right?
The two wires for the nav power where strapped under a gunnel and lead back to the console. I remove the compartment there and start looking for the ground wire. I commented to myself about all the wire there, but by looking a little closer, found some of that mess to be a mouse nest. <crap>
After I clean the mess out I’m laying on my belly looking for any chewed through wires. Problem: Small opening, big head.
Of course the carpeting was still wet from Fridays rain.
Turns out I’m going to need to take the top of the side counsel out to find the ground and hopefully it will be just one wire that I can find quickly.
I think it’s odd that I’ve never had a mouse in my boat over the years and this year I haven’t had a mouse in my camper…yet.
One block of DeCon mouse killer will be added to the counsel before I put her back together.
