Fix intermittent connection problem in a monorail low voltage light fixture

Question

I have a WAC low-voltage monorail (probably a SOLORAIL model) that is about 7 years old. The rail is about 12 ft long and has four fixtures attached.

For the past 2 years, one of the fixtures has shown an intermittent connection. It will turn on full brightness and work fine for 10 mins then "flicker" and go out. Sometimes it doesn't even turn on. If I wiggle the fixture, it will stay on for a while then turn off.

The fixture is a Quick Connect QF-195x2 with platinum finish. It attaches to the monorail using a Quick Connect Adapter (LM-QADP).

I've disassembled the connector and fixture as much as possible, tried to clean a spot that looked corroded, and tried to make sure no shorts are happening (e.g. there is a plastic washer in one spot to prevent a short contact). After I've rebuilt the connector, it will usually work well for a few weeks then start acting flaky again.

Is there a definitive way to repair this fixture or should I spend approximately $70 to buy a replacement?

Answer 1

I found a solution.

The first photo below shows the light fixture removed from the monorail, but fully assembled. The second photo shows the shade and bulb removed. Also, the fixture has been unscrewed from the mounting bracket.

I used an ohm meter to check continuity on the fixture, and decided there was an intermittent connection between the lighting fixture and the mounting bracket (the two pieces that are unscrewed). Screwing the two pieces together is supposed to make a solid connection such that the circular top of the fixture (the area right above the black band) touches a conductive area inside the mounting bracket. The connection between these two spots has become loose over the years (I don’t know why).

I took some thin sheet metal (actually the bottom of a can of mixed nuts) and cut out three circles the diameter of the top of the fixture. I carefully stacked the three pieces of metal on top of the area (above the black band) and screwed the two pieces together. The electrical connection is now tight, and the light has been working perfectly for the past three weeks.