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| OK, more trailer light questions.
I was on my was to the Cass Lake Mega two weeks ago and all of a sudden I notice my running lights were off. Blinkers and brake lights worked.
Hauled boat home on Sunday night with no running lights.
OK. So I happened to get a new truck the following Tuesday. Out of curiosity I plugged the trailer into the new truck. Everything worked fine. Running lights and brake/blinkers.
So I head up to Lake Vermilion Labor Day weekend. Again, half way up, all of a sudden the running lights go out. Brakes/blinkers work fine.
So I am thinking I have some issues with a short of some sort on the trailer.
Of course, haven't gotten them looked at yet.
Here is the goofy thing. I move my snowmobile trailer last night.
Guess what? Running lights don't work, only blinkers and brake lights. Everything worked fine when I stored it for the summer.
So here is my question, is this a fluke, or did I blow a fuse in the truck ???
Ball Cap
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| The more I think about it, the fuse would have nothing to do with it.
If I blew a fuse, nothing would work.
Perhaps my grounds are bad or something? |
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Posts: 32954
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Midge,
Many trucks have a seperate fuse for the trailer running lights and the brakes/signals. My F150 has a seperate fuse under the hood. If you have a towing package installed as a factory option, I am betting you will find a 15 amp fuse blown. You may have a dead short in the trailer harness, which would usually be in the lead between the plug and the trailer. |
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Posts: 5874
| You have a blown fuse. Does your trailer have a brake lockout solenoid for backing up? Mine was shorted, and everytime I put it in reverse, I'd blow the fuse. Separate fuse on my F150, for running lights and Brakes/blinkers. Do you have bulbes in all the sockets, especially the side marker lights? Happened to a friend on his Tracker trailer, and he had the whole harness out when I got there. Turned out to be a bulb was gone from a side marker, and it was shorting right to ground. As Steve said, also likely you have a short somewhere. This would be the brown wire for the running lights.
Hope this helps. |
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| I do run an F150 also.
So I must have blown the fuse in old truck and new truck.
Hmm |
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| So if all my bulbs are in tact, what do I do to fix the short?
New pigtail from the trailer to the truck? |
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Posts: 5874
| Sounds like it, on the fuse.
Do you have a multimeter or ohmmeter? Or even a battery powered test light? If so, unhook the plug from the vehicle, and connect from ground to the brown wire. Should not be shorted. If so, check your sockets for the running lights. if that is not it, you will have to search the harness for a short, most likely where the harness runs through the frame, and has worn through.
Edited by Shep 9/13/2004 11:58 AM
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Location: Athens, Ohio | on-again, off again, sounds like it is not a fuse or else it wouldn't come back on without fuse replacement. More than likely a ground issue. m |
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| Mikie:
It only worked "again" is after I bought a new truck. So once fuse was blown on new truck, they haven't worked.
Ball Cap |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Midge, when I fried a fuse on my truck towing the Gambler to Cave Run one night, I looked all over the trailer trying to find the short. Where it was, there was a wire running between the two tail lights that ran thru the same frame member as where my motor toter was inserted. Yup, the wire got caught between the toter pole and the frame and zzaapp! That was real fun to fix, I hope yours is easier. Good luck, buddy, and catch a big one this week. m |
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| I had this same issue with my trailer. I will bet that your wires run through the trailer (Shoreland'r?). When the wires run through the trailer interior, the interior has a tendency to rust from the inside out since it is not painted. The wires will rub on the frame and after some time, rub through, causing your trailer light fuse to blow.
I pulled the wiring and sure enough....I had two places that I needed to repair. Since then...no problem. It will take some time and patience, but I'd bet you will find a rubbed brown wire.
Steve |
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | Same thing happened to me (Shoreland'r trailer, inside rusted and rubbed the insulation off the wires). I just rewired the thing - it's not that bad as long as you have the old wires in place to use for pulling the new ones through the frame rails. About an hour of work to alleviate the frustration of a series of blown fuses...
K. |
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