Electrical Problems

[hnorber]

Hoping to get some advice on 2 separate electrical problems that I'm experiencing in my 1991 201 MSE.

 

1. I can't lower my cowl flaps without starting the engine.  I don't think this is simply a case of not enough battery power (I have a new battery, and it cranks the engine pretty well - can't imagine it takes more juice to lower the cowl flaps)?

Two other noteworthy points on the cowl flaps:

 (i) this is a relatively new problem - just began this winter.   I typically have lowered the cowl flaps without starting the engine as part of every pre-flight with no problem until this began.  

 (ii) even with the engine running, there's a significant delay after pressing the switch until the flaps actually begin to lower or raise - and the electric motors create a huge amount of static on my intercom when the cowl flaps are in motion.

 

 

2. I recently had an awful static problem on my Com 1 (Garmin 530).  Avionics shop identified the problem as a loose wire behind the radio that was making contact with (something) and creating this inter-mitten static.  They secured the wire, and on my flight home (at night)  I noticed that I had no instrument lights (the glareshiled lights work fine - but no backlighting on the instruments).   Circuit breaker is fine - not sure what else could have caused the panel lights to go out.  I don't do a lot of night flying - so I'm not 100% certain that this problem is related to the 'fix' for my radio static problem, but that's when I first noticed it.

 

 

Thanks in advance for all help/responses!

 

 

 

 

[ArtVandelay]

For #1 If you can get access to back of the cowl switch, bypass it, if problem goes away you need a new switch.

#2 bothers me, first wires should insulated, so if loose then it may have been disconnected, the avionics use a lighting bus, I'm guessing that was the loose wire.

[rgpilot]

I assume you have electrical flaps. I had a similar problem with my 1993 M20J. The cause was oil entering the motor during filter changes. The flaps would only work with the motor running. The vibration seemed to help. I replaced the motor only. The gears worked fine. You can also have the motor rebuilt. Laser Mooney had a recommendation on that. A shop in Ca. Cover the motor during filter changes!

[N201MKTurbo]

There are two fuses for the dimmers. One is for the glare shield and one is for the instrument lights. They are behind the dimmer knob. The tech probably inadvertently shorted the dimmer circuit and blew the fuse.

[hnorber]

Thanks, everyone for the info!

I'll follow up on these suggestions and report back.

[Guest]

I assume you have electrical flaps. I had a similar problem with my 1993 M20J. The cause was oil entering the motor during filter changes. The flaps would only work with the motor running. The vibration seemed to help. I replaced the motor only. The gears worked fine. You can also have the motor rebuilt. Laser Mooney had a recommendation on that. A shop in Ca. Cover the motor during filter changes!

The shop is George's Electric in Sacramento, he has done Mooney cowl flap motors for me in the past.

Clarence

[kortopates]

Even better than George's is to send your Electric Cowl flap motor back to Globe Motors (the OEM) and they will "rebuild" it to new at the current spec/newer part no (that uses larger pins to secure the shaft ) for a fraction of what new cost from Mooney. See the details of doing this in another thread on Cowl Flaps in this forum section. Its takes about a week.