Figure 7-80.

Typical electrical circuit diagram from an aircraft service manual

AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS Chapter 7 571

 Before going any further, let’s take a few minutes to consider the dome light
circuit. Look at Figure 7-80 and answer the following questions:
1. Which circuit breaker supplies power to the dome light?
Answer—Cabin lights
2. What other lights are on the same circuit breaker?
Answer—L.H. Oxygen light, baggage compartment light, L. wing cour-
tesy light
3. What is the part number of the dome light bulb?
Answer—GE 313

Now you are ready to go to the airplane.

When you turn on the master switch, you hear the familiar “klunk” of
the battery contactor, which tells you that there is electrical power on the
main bus.
But, when you try the dome light switch, sure enough, the dome light
doesn’t light up. But the left-wing courtesy light does, so the baggage com-
partment light is probably burning too.
Next in line is the bulb and its ground circuit. Take the cover off of the
dome light so you can see the bulb. Before taking the bulb out of the socket,
make sure that the ground for the light is good. Using one of the test leads
from your multimeter, touch one end to the outside of the lamp socket and
the other end to some part of the aircraft that you know connects to the main
structure and is not insulated with paint or a protective oxide coating. If the
lamp burns with this temporary ground, you know the bulb is good and the
trouble is in the ground circuit. The trouble could be:
1. At the point where the black wire, LA112, connects to the lamp socket
2. At the connection between the two sections of black wire
3. At the point where black wire, LA119, grounds to the aircraft structure
If this temporary ground did not cause the bulb to light up, it is time to take
the bulb out of its socket and look at the filament. If it is broken, you have
found the problem, and a new bulb will fix it. If the filament is not broken,
check it for continuity. It is possible for a filament to look good and still be
open. Switch the VOM to the low-resistance scale and measure the resistance
of the filament. The amount of resistance is not important—you are just
concerned that the filament has continuity. If the filament does have continu-
ity, your problem is in the electrical system.
You now know that there is power through the dome light switch (since
the left-wing courtesy light came on when you turned on the dome light
switch), the lamp filament is good, and the ground for the light fixture is good.
Now check to see whether there is power to the center contact of the dome
light socket. Turn the selector switch on the VOM to the range of DC voltage

572 AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN SERIES Volume 2: AIRFRAME SYSTEMS

that will allow the battery voltage to move the pointer up to around mid-scale.
(The 24- or 50-volt scale is good for either a 12-volt or a 24-volt system.) Clip
the black, or negative, lead to the outside of the lamp socket, and carefully
touch the center contact with the red, or positive, lead. If there is power to the
bulb, the meter will show the battery voltage. If there is no voltage at this
point, check the wiring diagram. You will find that there are three possible
places to look:
1. There could be a bad connection between wire LA111 and the lamp
socket.
2. There could be a bad connection where wire LA111 joins wire LA108.
3. Wire LA108 could be loose where it joins wires LA101, LA107, and
LA109. This is not likely, because the left-wing courtesy light burns, and
it comes from the same point.
Begin by checking the easiest place to get to and work your way back to
the point that has power. Now you can find the bad connection and fix it in
the way the manufacturer recommends. Put the cover back over the dome
light and turn the master switch off. The job has been finished in the shortest
possible time.

Troubleshooting Review
Now that you have completed a simple, but typical, troubleshooting problem,
let’s review a few basic points on how to make the most efficient use of your
time when you have a problem like this:
1. Again, first of all, you must know what the system does when it is
operating correctly.
2. Next, collect all of the information possible on the trouble. Ask the pilot
or flight crew as many questions as possible. Did the problem happen
suddenly? Did anything unusual happen before the trouble started? Have
you noticed anything like this happening before? Was there any unusual
noise when the trouble started? Was there any smoke or unusual smell?
3. When you have all of the information from the flight crew, study the
wiring diagram. Figure out all of the possible causes of the problem and
plan your troubleshooting in a systematic way.
4. Work on the most likely causes first:
• Blown fuses
• Burned-out bulbs
• Loose connections
• Shorted or open diodes
5. When something is proven to be good, forget about it and keep looking
until you find something that is not as it should be.

AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS Chapter 7 573