Landing lights (wigwag) tripping breaker

[JimmyV]

My 2020 SS Carbon cub is tripping the breaker on the landing light circuit - I always run wigwag, and it doesn't happen every flight. Ive noticed the breaker tripped on several occasions lately. Any thoughts?

[Daveembry]

interesting. I just heard the same thing from someone else with a 2021 EX3. I suppose check the wire from the switch to the wig-wag box wiring. Other than that…..the box itself is about all that left if the landing lights work ok in the wig-wag setting I guess? Please update if you figure it out.

My 2020 SS Carbon cub is tripping the breaker on the landing light circuit - I always run wigwag, and it doesn't happen every flight. Ive noticed the breaker tripped on several occasions lately. Any thoughts?

[Pete D]

Both a 2020 and a 2021 aircraft will have the solid state flasher. They usually work or the don't, not typical for an intermittent issue to be the flasher with that one. (airplanes much older than that had a mechanical flasher that would wear out over time and become intermittent before it completely stopped working)

If it has factory installed/spec'd landing/taxi lights and is intermittently popping the breaker switch I would suspect a wire is rubbing on something and making intermittent short. As Dave said, check the wiring starting at the switch to the wig wag, then continue tracing it out to the wing. The wig wag controller will be a white part with wires coming out of one end. Approx 1.5" wide, .75" tall and around 4' to 6" long. Should be secured to a tube or a wire bundle under the instrument panel. Areas that chafing is likely would be in the instrument panel area and in the wing roots, lots of things going on in those areas.

[Daveembry]

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White box there tie wrapped to the tube is the "wig-wag" box.

Both a 2020 and a 2021 aircraft will have the solid state flasher. They usually work or the don't, not typical for an intermittent issue to be the flasher with that one. (airplanes much older than that had a mechanical flasher that would wear out over time and become intermittent before it completely stopped working)

If it has factory installed/spec'd landing/taxi lights and is intermittently popping the breaker switch I would suspect a wire is rubbing on something and making intermittent short. As Dave said, check the wiring starting at the switch to the wig wag, then continue tracing it out to the wing. The wig wag controller will be a white part with wires coming out of one end. Approx 1.5" wide, .75" tall and around 4' to 6" long. Should be secured to a tube or a wire bundle under the instrument panel. Areas that chafing is likely would be in the instrument panel area and in the wing roots, lots of things going on in those areas.

[JimmyV]

Had my cub at the service center today ( West Palm ) and they replaced wigwag white box, they have seen problems with these boxes before. I think they cost almost 500 bucks, so not an inexpensive fix.
fingers crossed, trip home no trips of breaker yet.

[Daveembry]

Thanks for the update!

Had my cub at the service center today ( West Palm ) and they replaced wigwag white box, they have seen problems with these boxes before. I think they cost almost 500 bucks, so not an inexpensive fix.
fingers crossed, trip home no trips of breaker yet.

[Gunnardog]

Had my cub at the service center today ( West Palm ) and they replaced wigwag white box, they have seen problems with these boxes before. I think they cost almost 500 bucks, so not an inexpensive fix.
fingers crossed, trip home no trips of breaker yet.

Well I guess that changes my strategy a little. I will test my wigwag first. Sounds like a defect in the box. Maybe Pete will warranty them for us……?

[JimmyV]

Thanks for advice, been looking around behind the G3X - pulled the factory installed leading edge landing lights and nothing obvious there. Now that I understand the wiring better, will go back and scrutinize more carefully.
Not easy to reproduce the trip on the ground, maybe its occurring in choppy flying conditions when the wire shorts, and it's not happening at idle. I haven't witnessed the breaker tripping real time, because unless you're looking up at the wingroot when it trips, you wont notice it until after the fact. Appreciate input.

[JimmyV]

Dave,

Thank you! I had noticed that white box from the G3x hole in the panel, mine is zip tied just like that. Do the wires run within the bundle (black covered) up the side of the wind screen to the wing roots? Wish I had that access!!!

Jim

[Daveembry]

Does the breaker only pop when switch to landing light and never when on wig-wag? Seems that would point to something to do with the switch or wires from the switch since everything else seems to work with the landing lights and associated wires when in wig wag? If a wire was shorting going to the landing lights I would think you would have the same problem then as well?

i would start at the switch I guess and follow the wires to the box. Make sure none of the wires where attached to the switch might be touching another wire?

The other end of the box, wires attach to the wiring harness and goes up the sides to the wing roots. There they connect to the wires going down the wing.

The wires go into the lower channel in the wing spar and pretty well protected. The end of the wires come out where the wing attaches to the fuselage. See in this pic where they exit the spar? I also figure this is a good wear point and you can see the friction tape I protect the wires there?

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97242C5E-C8B7-47A4-93FE-709BFE4372DD.jpg

Dave,

Thank you! I had noticed that white box from the G3x hole in the panel, mine is zip tied just like that. Do the wires run within the bundle (black covered) up the side of the wind screen to the wing roots? Wish I had that access!!!

Jim