upper marker light

[Keithl]

FD,

 

Could you tie a slip knot noose in a length of string and slip it over the old light then push back down around the wires to try and prevent losing the wires down the hole?

 

Keith.

[Derek Uzzell]

As FD has mentioned, the JOKON PL24-2 light unit is quite small (dimensions in millimetres shown in attached drawing).

 

FD has said that the present light can only be withdrawn about 1/8" (say 3mm) so it seems likely that the 4.5mm length of the 'stub' on the rear of the light's base will prevent a noose being slipped beyond the stub and on to the sleeve that contains the wires (that's assuming that the original light has the same sleeved wiring as shown in FD's photo of the replacement light).

 

The other issue is that everything points to the wiring being sealed into the stub to make the light waterproof, but how this may be best addressed won't become evident until the front of the light is removed. If it is genuinely impracticable to move the original light out further than 1/8" and the stub is full of sealant, removing the stub is going to be a real challenge - and the stub is going to need removing to allow the new light to be installed.

 

[rayc]

If all else fails then access will have to be gained via the ceiling board in some way. I have no idea of the physical construction of the interior fitment in the area where the lamp wires enter so that may be easier said than done. I wonder what a dealer would do?

[laimeduck]

Fred - it appears that the JOKON PL24-2 is about £10 to buy.

Would it be worthwhile to buy another one (you have one already) and cut it up on the bench to see what the internal construction is? It all then will become a little easier to make an informed decision.

 

 

An outside chance, but It may be possible with a dremel or similar to carefully slice it open and extract the PCB. Doing the same with your existing failing light you may be able to exchange the two PCB units, or even just the LEDs? (You would then have to glue the plastic back together, but better than wrecking the van to find the wiring?)

 

Sounds easy sitting here at my desk!

 

Jeremy

[Fred Duck]

Again, thanks for the replies and the continuing interest in my problem. As Derek summises, the wiring is covered in sheathing and that sheathing continues into the stub at the rear of the light where it is sealed in place with a silicone type material.

 

What would a dealer do? I asked exactly that question of a Swift dealer a couple of weeks ago. I discussed the problem with the Service Manager and said that I could see no way of replacing the light unit. He shrugged his shoulders and said that he couldn't either!!

 

The Van's Handbook tells me that there are no user replaceable parts in these light units and replacement should be referred to a dealer as the lights are sealed into the van's body.

 

What really gets me is that this should be such a simple operation. It's a light unit with two wires sticking out the back, one +, one - . It simply needs connecting to the two similar wires in the van that connect to the power source. What could be simpler than that? I'm experienced in soldering, I have had vintage cars most of my life and I've re-built, restored and re-wired many. I can fix most things such that my Wife sometimes refers to me to her friends as 'Mr. Fix-It. However, in this case I'm stumped because of a poor bit of design/construction/installation that prevents me accessing the rear of the existing light unit.

 

In a link to a post shown in one of Derek's answers above he says 'Ive never forgiven Hobby for that'. I know exactly how he feels.

 

Sorry, rant over!

 

FD