Gear Up light

[gmonnig]

I recently did a new panel on my 65' E. Everything was test fit and flew it to Oshkosh.  I recently had to remove everything again for powder coating. Now the gear up light won't come on. Its not the bulb because the press-to-test lights up. The gear down light works. So this issue was not know until the first flight and I retracted the gear. The gear window (on the floor) shows the gear up. I also did a low pass and had the line guys out there to verify the gear is up. So we checked wires for connections and can't even get a flicker of RED light with the gear up. Could it be the ground, even though it was working prior? I guess the last thing to check is the gear up switch in the belly. Seems super unlikely that it would go out on the very flight that it all goes back together... ugh

[EricJ]

21 minutes ago, gmonnig said:

I recently did a new panel on my 65' E. Everything was test fit and flew it to Oshkosh.  I recently had to remove everything again for powder coating. Now the gear up light won't come on. Its not the bulb because the press-to-test lights up. The gear down light works. So this issue was not know until the first flight and I retracted the gear. The gear window (on the floor) shows the gear up. I also did a low pass and had the line guys out there to verify the gear is up. So we checked wires for connections and can't even get a flicker of RED light with the gear up. Could it be the ground, even though it was working prior? I guess the last thing to check is the gear up switch in the belly. Seems super unlikely that it would go out on the very flight that it all goes back together... ugh

Does that light have a single input wire and grounds through the panel?   If so, the powder coat is probably inhibiting the ground.   You might need to remove the lamp assembly and remove some powder coat around the base.

 

Edit:  Never mind.   If the test push lights the lamp it is grounding locally, and the ground wire from the lamp to the switch needs to be checked.

[ArtVandelay]

55 year old wiring is rather fragile, might have to start at the light and work backwards, checking any connectors until you get to the up contact switch.

[N201MKTurbo]

Do you have a johnson bar? If so have you worked the switch up and down to see what happens?

 

[47U]

6 hours ago, gmonnig said:

Now the gear up light won't come on.

4 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

55 year old wiring is rather fragile

I had a terminal break off the back of a gear light after doing some panel work.  Replaced the lights and rewired.  Much cleaner.  Spade connectors, vinyl tubing, and tie string, all gone now.

[gmonnig]

3 hours ago, 47U said:

I had a terminal break off the back of a gear light after doing some panel work.  Replaced the lights and rewired.  Much cleaner.  Spade connectors, vinyl tubing, and tie string, all gone now.

That is exactly what I need to do! Annual coming up in December so looks like this needs to be on the list. 

[gmonnig]

6 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Do you have a johnson bar? If so have you worked the switch up and down to see what happens?

 

It's electric gear. It probably is just old wiring that got pinched. I should just get it all rewired 

[N201MKTurbo]

1 hour ago, gmonnig said:

It's electric gear. It probably is just old wiring that got pinched. I should just get it all rewired 

Good luck.

that old wiring holds up pretty well. Best to find the problem and fix it.