"mm" wrote in message
...

I would think if there were a loose wire at the fixture, the light
would be intermittent or not work regardless of switch position.

The wires that go only between the two 3-way swtiches are called
"travelers". One of them could be lose at either end, and there could
be splice somewhere in the middle, in a box.


The wire does not always go from one switch directly to the other. The
light can be in between and when this is the case the traveller wires are
connected together at the light. There could be a loose connection there.