Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - 4 wires - 1 painted white?

I'm a smart enough guy – I SHOULD be able to install a flush mounted "pendant" type light fixture, no?

So I removed the old junky fixture without paying too close attention to what was connected where – as I've done this before without too much of a problem with that. Lo and behold, there are 2 white and 2 black wires coming out of the junction box. I would have just connected the whites to the new fixture's whites and so forth with the blacks, but my father in law said that was the wrong thing to do – and sometimes I listen to him.

Adding to the confusion, one of the black wires has white paint on it and I have no idea whether that's intentional or not...

Could somebody please tell me what should be connected to what? The sun will soon go down in NYC...

Is there anything else in the box at all?

First of all, the white that is observed on the black wire could easily be sheetrock mud or paint.

What to do...

Get a volt meter and check between each of the wires noting anything that supplies voltage. As long as you NEVER get voltage between the two whites, attach the two whites together along with one lead from the volt meter. If it is a multimeter set it to AC and at least 150 volts. Connect the other lead to one of the black wires. Power on, switch on. Got volts? Yes, mark them to attach to light.

Move the volt meter lead to the other black wire with the white paint on it. Got volts? Flip the switch. Got volts? Probably not... put a wire nut on it and do not attach it to anything.

Now, with the light connected does it work properly? Is there any other switch in the room that does not seem to do anything? Maybe that switch makes that wire hot. Should not, but ya never know. Any duplex outlets not working?

Thanks much for the instruction, but is it absolutely necessary to have a volt meter – aren't they like $90?

I can't think of anyone who would have one around here. My super didn't. He came over and just started touching wires together – so now the light works, but the switch won't turn it off – so I'm still not in business... unless I just use the circuit breaker as a light switch!

Thankfully he left before anything blew up, but my wife wants to make a sandwich and the kitchen light is on the same circuit... PRESSURE!!!

Go to the switch that controls this light. What color wires are attached to it? You may have a switch loop, and you may not. Need to know this.

OK – The lightswitch has one black and one white attached to it.

Thanks to both of you who helped (or tried at least).

The answer was the hot black went to the black wire of the new unit, the other (cold) black wire went with the white wire from the new unit and the two whites from the junction box went together!

Lucky and a little remembering what went where and the comments from the first guy really helped!!!!

Booyeah!