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Topic: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement and 3 Ways to Copy and Paste a Link (Read 279 times) previous topic - next topic
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Velvac blinker light bulb replacement and 3 Ways to Copy and Paste a Link
Yesterday I noticed the blinker light in the left Velvac mirror does not work.  It was a dark, cold and rainy afternoon so I only did a quick try at removing the lens over the bulb but it did not come off and seemed to be very solidly in place.  Do I need to take the mirror arm off the car to take the lens off?
I would be grateful for hints, cheats or directions from anyone that has broken the code on this task.  I have two months before the Virginia safety inspection but may go on a trip sooner than that so I would like to get this fixed sooner rather than later.
John
07 MidBath
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath

Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement??
Reply #1
Hi John. A picture would help. I'm don't remember seeing built-in turn signal lights from Velvac, so I suspect the lights were added after the factory. Most likely the lens squeezes together at the base, top if it is mounted on the bottom of the arm. Are there two screws, one at each end, to mount the fixture? Sometimes you have to remove an outer housing to get the lens off, in order to get to the bulb. I just ordered five amber and five red #194 LED replacement bulbs for my marker lights.  Maybe LED's are in your future. RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB

Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement??
Reply #2
Ron, once I figure out how to replace the them I may go with LED if it will not cause a problem.
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath

Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement??
Reply #3
Pics of the offending blankety blank blinker.  The amber plastic housing is very hard and has no give when pinched, shoved left to right or front to back.  By very hard I mean that the lens is not brittle  or sun damaged, but like something that thick.  That said I was never a brut force kind of fix it person.  I did not get the bigger hammer.
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath


 
Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement??
Reply #5
Thanks Joan. I did find on Velvac's website, a service bulletin #103 (dated April 21, 2006) that had pictures to remove the amber lens on a 2030 head. I can hope that the 2020 head is similar. I haven't figured out how to do a link here. They indicated that you could  ' pry here to remove lens, using a small flat head screw driver' at each end of the cap. The phone # given for Velvac Technical Services Department was 1-800-783-8871.  Hope this helps John.  RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB

Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement??
Reply #6
Thanks Joan and Ron.
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath

Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement??
Reply #7
Thanks Joan. I did find on Velvac's website, a service bulletin #103 (dated April 21, 2006) that had pictures to remove the amber lens on a 2030 head. I can hope that the 2020 head is similar. I haven't figured out how to do a link here. They indicated that you could  ' pry here to remove lens, using a small flat head screw driver' at each end of the cap. The phone # given for Velvac Technical Services Department was 1-800-783-8871.  Hope this helps John.  RonB
To do a link just cut and then paste it into your message.  You can actuall just cut or better copy
from the URL bar in almost any Browser

3 Ways to Copy and Paste a Link - wikiHow
Garry

Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement??
Reply #8
Thanks Garry. Clear instructions. I didn't want to just fiddle around with the forum. RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB

Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement and 3 Ways to Copy and Paste a Link
Reply #9
Thanks to the link Ron posted I was able to remove the light assembly.  The lens, bulb and backing are a sealed assembly.  They are powered by two wires that push into a barrel type connector that is lubed with a very small amount of dielectric grease.  I cleaned the contacts then tried the assembly again with no joy.
Using the link Joan provided I ordered two signal bulb assemblies, a replacement and a spare.  These have to be shipped from the factory. I saw no replacements on line through amazon, and a phone call to a local dealer's parts counter informed me the parts had to be shipped from the factory.   
After I have replaced the defective bulb with the good one I will attempt to take the old one apart to see if a bulb can be replaced.
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath

Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement and 3 Ways to Copy and Paste a Link
Reply #10
The folks at Velvac were very easy to talk to and were very helpful.
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath

Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement and 3 Ways to Copy and Paste a Link
Reply #11
Update.  It was sunny and warm in Northern Virginia today.  I replaced the blinker that was giving me problems.  On the screw driver-hamer sliding scale of difficulty where a screw driver is easy and a very big hammer is hard this job rates maybe a half of a screwdriver.  So a very easy job.  By the way, big hammer jobs are better left to someone like Larry or Andy.
The Velvac blinker housing is factory sealed unit. 



Removal is simply use a screw to pry out an end.  By the way I could not do this with my fingers.  You a smaller screwdriver or maybe even a ice pick might work better.:




As you can see in the last picture the inside of the arm collects some dirt and water.  Assembly carefully pull the wires out of the old blinker light and plug them into the new one.  The light is not worried about a polarity.  The new bulb has a small amount of dipolar grease in the female plug ends. 

The blinker I removed was still dry inside, the bulb had only burnt out (yes it got tired of working).  Originally I was going to try to take the old assembly apart to see if it could be rebuilt in the field with a new bulb.  The unit's orange shell is very hard plastic and the bond to the white plate is very strong.  I am not sure that a nondestructive disassembly is possible.  That is taking the assembly apart would venture into the hammer range of difficulty using the above mentioned scale.  For the cost don't think it is worth the effort.  I did by an extra bulb to keep in DaVee.  Virginia has an annual safety inspection that checks light along with other things.
Currently: 2008 36' Tiffin Open Road
Previously: 2007 Mid Bath

Re: Velvac blinker light bulb replacement and 3 Ways to Copy and Paste a Link
Reply #12
By the way, big hammer jobs are better left to someone like Larry or Andy.
I rate jobs by the size of the hammer needed.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze