B-737-400 HAS ACFT EQUIP PROB; DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

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ENRTE FLT PIT-PBI WE NOTICED ON TKOF A SLIGHT SHIMMY THAT WE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ECCENTRIC NOSE WHEEL OR MISSING SCRUBBER. THE SHIMMY DID NOT DISAPPEAR AND WE SUSPECTED A NOSEWHEEL THAT WAS EITHER DOWN OR NOT ALL THE WAY UP. WE TESTED THE LIGHT FOR THE NOSE DOWN AND LOCKED AND FOUND IT WOULD NOT LIGHT. WE USED THE LIGHT TEST AND IT WAS STILL INOP. WE SWITCHED BULBS FROM A LIGHT WE KNEW WOULD WORK AND IT STILL WOULD NOT TEST. WE CONSULTED THE ACFT MANUAL FOR HELP AND FOUND NO APPLICABLE PROC OR SYS EXPLANATION TO HELP. WE WERE ENRTE TO PBI WITH A PLANNED FUEL LOAD OF 8.4 AT ARR. WE DID NOT WANT TO ARRIVE AT PBI WITH THE PROB AND DECISION TO MAKE OF FINDING A LONGER RWY AT FLL OR MIA WITH A SMALL FUEL LOAD. WE DIVERTED TO CLT WHEN UPON LOWERING THE GEAR; THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED GREEN LIGHT WENT ON. WE DID A FLY-BY AND THE COPLT LOOKED THROUGH THE NOSE GEAR VIEWER AND DETERMINED THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. MANUAL LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT A LOT OF TIME WAS USED UP IN THE FUTILE EXERCISE IN ATTEMPTING TO GET A LIGHT ON THE NOSE GEAR AND CHANGING LIGHT BULBS AND TESTING THE SYS. THEY HAD CLBED OUT AT REDUCED SPD; 280 KTS; AND STOPPED CLB AT FL230 AND WERE PAST CHARLESTON BEFORE THEY KNEW IT. RPTR LEARNED LATER FROM THE MECHS AT CLT THAT THIS ACFT WAS SCHEDULED IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO HAVE THE WIRE BUNDLE FOR THE NOSE GEAR THAT RUNS UP TO THE CANNON PLUG CHANGED. HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY OR WHEN; BUT THE CGP STATED THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE BUNDLE AND THAT IS WHY THERE WAS SUCH DIFFICULTY IN GETTING ANY NOSE GEAR SIGNAL AT ALL UNTIL AFTER THE GEAR WAS PLACED DOWN. ACFT WAS A B-737-400.