# Help with fixing spotties **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [December 17, 2019, 12:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841 "2019-12-17T12:13:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brendanmcclurkin\_159983](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8edcca/32.png) [@brendanmcclurkin\_159983](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brendanmcclurkin_159983)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 12:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/1 "2019-12-17T12:13:52Z")
Hey guys, so I just bought a 2006 Nissan patrol second hand and the aftermarket spotlights arnt working. I messaged the previous owner and he said they have all ways been working for him so I’ve checked the fuses for them to see if that was the problem, to no avail. Does anyone know anything else that could possibly be wrong ? ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 12:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/2 "2019-12-17T12:59:46Z")
You will probably have to check the system with a multi meter. Could just be a ground. Could be a broken wire. If there is a relay in the system that could have failed. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/3 "2019-12-17T13:53:50Z")
> [@Purebred](#): > > If there is a relay in the system And there really should be a relay. Spotlights draw too much power to be switched directly. If the switch itself has failed and you can’t find a relay, that is the reason for the failure. ---
**Author:** ![PhantomPatriot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/phantompatriot/32/20713_2.png) [@PhantomPatriot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PhantomPatriot)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 1:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/4 "2019-12-17T13:54:22Z")
Try checking the switch while you are testing with your multimeter. It has moving parts and is more likely to break. ---
**Author:** ![brendanmcclurkin\_159983](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8edcca/32.png) [@brendanmcclurkin\_159983](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brendanmcclurkin_159983)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/5 "2019-12-17T15:08:25Z")
Is their any of doing this without a multi meter ? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/6 "2019-12-17T15:13:33Z")
> [@brendanmcclurkin\_159983](#): > > Is their any of doing this without a multi meter No. They are very cheap, you should own one if you do things like this. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/7 "2019-12-17T15:56:54Z")
> [@brendanmcclurkin\_159983](#): > > I messaged the previous owner and he said they have all ways been working for him What else would he say ? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/8 "2019-12-17T16:04:14Z")
> [@VOLVO\_V70](#): > > What else would he say ? Exactly! More than likely, the previous owner was aware of this electrical problem, and chose to sell the vehicle without disclosing the issue to the buyer. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/9 "2019-12-17T19:19:02Z")
> [@brendanmcclurkin\_159983](#): > > Is their any of doing this without a multi meter ? Yes. Undo the hot wire from the switch. Touch it to the ground wire. If the lights come on, the switch is bad - an open circuit. ---
**Author:** ![kurtwm1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@kurtwm1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kurtwm1)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/10 "2019-12-17T19:41:26Z")
> [@shanonia](#): > > Undo the hot wire from the switch. Touch it to the ground wire Wouldn’t that shorten out the circuit and blow a fuse? ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/11 "2019-12-17T19:43:50Z")
Yes. My mistake! The hot wire goes into and out of the switch. You want to connect the hot wire to itself. That takes the switch out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/12 "2019-12-17T19:46:56Z")
I use a test light to test simple lighting circuits. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 4:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/13 "2019-12-18T04:16:07Z")
You can use a 12 volt test light. In my opinion it is easier to use for light problems, but I have been told that is a generational thing. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 4:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/14 "2019-12-18T04:46:16Z")
Light bulbs require 12 volts on one pin and ground on the other to light up. Pretty simple. The 12 volts comes from the battery +, and the body of the vehicle supplies the ground. Start at the battery using a test light gadget and trace the circuit towards the spot light bulbs. At some point the test light will stop lighting up, and that’s where the problem is occurring. If the test light lights up all the way to the bulb, then the bulb itself must be the problem. This is considerably easier to do if you have access to the vehicle’s wiring diagram or equivalent. btw I’m not seeing a “Nissan Patrol” listed in the service data for 2006. Are you located outside the USA? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 5:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-with-fixing-spotties/154841/15 "2019-12-18T05:06:48Z")
If you are talking about this kind of spotlight, the ground is usually the weak spot. There is no ground wire, it’s grounded where the shaft goes through the pillar, It’s just a friction fitting, they get loose or corroded, might just need cleaned or tightened. ![Capture](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/d/c/dcd7ff7a9281715d58dc537ef658514d49e9f664.jpeg) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/3/1/315724f0680b30dcb28f0f5b8f3ed96a2b4584dd.png)