Dirty Secret about LEDs

Wandering Sagebrush

Wandering Sagebrush

Free Range Human
I started having trouble with a led trailer light after leaving lake Powell. It was intermittent, then failed. At first I suspected the wiring harness on the trailer, but when I pulled the light off to get at the wiring, I noticed a three prong connector that goes into the light itself. It had completely pulled out. Works fine once plugged in.

This was on one of the new series lights that EZ Loader is selling.
 
Wandering Sagebrush":2hxqoyug said:
I started having trouble with a led trailer light after leaving lake Powell. It was intermittent, then failed. At first I suspected the wiring harness on the trailer, but when I pulled the light off to get at the wiring, I noticed a three prong connector that goes into the light itself. It had completely pulled out. Works fine once plugged in.

This was on one of the new series lights that EZ Loader is selling.
Click to expand...

I've never seen one of these.

Sounds like a nice feature for ease of lamp replacement, but I wonder if this plug connection would be a source of corrosion and failure, particularly if exposed to salt water, which would depend on the overall lamp enclosure design. This is the same, in that respect, as a typical bulb socket, more or less, etc. Your comments?

Thanks!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
The ones I used recently are completely sealed units without any connection at the light unit. The weak link is the butt connector for connecting the wires from the light units to the wiring harness which get submerged on my trailer when launching/retrieving. I sealed mine with heat shrink and self sealing tape.

Chris
 
Chris,

For all my connections on a trailer, I use heat shrink butt connectors from Fisheries Supply. They're made by Ancor and work great, completely waterproof!
aa_butt_con.jpg
 
Dreamer":3c8g56n1 said:
Chris,

For all my connections on a trailer, I use heat shrink butt connectors from Fisheries Supply. They're made by Ancor and work great, completely waterproof!
aa_butt_con.jpg
Click to expand...

Roger - I've used those in the past ('75 fiberglass Boler camper). They work great - but are expensive. The clear heat shrink in bulk is cheap as is the self sealing tape. For some reason I always end up redoing my wiring projects :oops: so it quickly adds up.

Chris
 
Wrap the splice with Teflon Tape, slide the heat shrink over it and then use a heatgun until the teflon melts and starts to ooze out of the ends of the shrink. FAA aproved and cheap to do. :wink
 
I also use the heat shrink connectors but first fill them with silicone dielectric grease. Then crimp them and lastly heat them until the silicone squeezes out.
Very similar to the other Jack
 
I haven't seen them in a long time, but back when I worked on aircraft, we had "non-insulated" splices...Those were the ones we used heat shrink on (less bulky). :smiled Jack (Also)
 
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