Why would an outdoor floodlight only work in test mode?
I’m an idiot! My son in law and I could only get the light to come on in test mode. WE WERE WORKING ON THE LIGHT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT!!! We finally gave up and just left it on high sensor and ten minutes. Around 6:30 this evening, it was dark as midnight, all of a sudden the light came on and stayed on for 10 minutes. 

If you are working on the light during daylight, you have to cover the sensor with tape and let it sit for a few minutes before it works the way it would at night.