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Trailer woes
#12686295
03/23/18 07:27 PM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,736
Streetwalker
OP
TFF Team Angler
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OP
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,736 |
The running lights and tail lights are not working on my trailer. I've had friends over and we've checked the wiring and connections.
I had them working but it blows the fuse in the truck. Today I went out and worked with it and now the lights won't even come on.
Any ideas? Anyone who comes out to the site and works on trailers?
Semper Fi  This Veteran heavily medicated for your safety. Keep me fishing and all will be well.
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Streetwalker]
#12686309
03/23/18 07:35 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,491
redchevy
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,491 |
Check your ground on the trailer side. Many trailers are set up to ground through the ball and the ground wire on the trailer side is never hooked up.
On our old boat we used it for years with no trouble and one day it started giving us problems. Hooked up the ground and good to go.
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Streetwalker]
#12686325
03/23/18 07:50 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606
ChuChu1
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606 |
What type of trailer to truck connector do you have? IF a 4 pin, here is a simple video of how to wire the trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY3Eo4KA8nsIf it is blowing fuses, you have a short somewhere. Probably in the brown wire.
Last edited by ChuChu1; 03/23/18 07:51 PM.
Snowflakes and entitled brats will be the doom of America!
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Streetwalker]
#12686550
03/23/18 10:51 PM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,736
Streetwalker
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TFF Team Angler
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OP
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Posts: 4,736 |
The ground is good. The brake lights and turn signals work. It's a common ground.
The trailer is a 5 pin which goes into a 5/7 pin adaptor. All pins on the truck are working.
Semper Fi  This Veteran heavily medicated for your safety. Keep me fishing and all will be well.
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Streetwalker]
#12686663
03/24/18 12:18 AM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606
ChuChu1
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606 |
That pretty much narrows it down to the running light circuit, the brown wire.
Snowflakes and entitled brats will be the doom of America!
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Streetwalker]
#12686786
03/24/18 01:42 AM
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,324
trlrman
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,324 |
Bolt on lights aka stud mount ? If so check and make sure you did not get out of the "trough" and pinch the wire against the frame when you tighten the nuts.
Last edited by trlrman; 03/24/18 01:47 AM.
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Streetwalker]
#12687212
03/24/18 02:32 PM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,736
Streetwalker
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All the running lights were removed and the wires checked.
Semper Fi  This Veteran heavily medicated for your safety. Keep me fishing and all will be well.
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Streetwalker]
#12687584
03/24/18 09:11 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606
ChuChu1
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606 |
Do you have and know how to use a test meter?
Snowflakes and entitled brats will be the doom of America!
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Streetwalker]
#12688191
03/25/18 12:53 PM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,736
Streetwalker
OP
TFF Team Angler
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OP
TFF Team Angler
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,736 |
Semper Fi  This Veteran heavily medicated for your safety. Keep me fishing and all will be well.
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Streetwalker]
#12688395
03/25/18 04:06 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,740
Flippin-Out
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,740 |
redchevy is correct that lack of a good ground is a problem for a lot of trailers, but that isn't your problem (currently). Lack of good Ground may affect lights working, but it doesn't blow fuses. Besides, you say the brake/turn filaments illuminate correctly.
ChuChu1 is correct that you have a problem with the brown wire. SOMEWHERE along that wire, the insulation is damaged/cut, and there's a short to the trailer frame. There could be corrosion on a bulb base, but that's a lower priority. The brown wire is physically exposed to being hit by debris (even a tire self-destructing), so it has probably gotten damaged. Checking resistance from brown wire to Ground is tricky due to numerous parallel filaments in bulbs. You would really need to remove ALL of the bulbs, including marker lights. It's easier to just visually trace the wire to look for the problem.
One other slim possibility: Have you replaced a bulb? If you have, remove that bulb and try the lights again to see if they work and if the fuse still blows. An incorrect bulb can short circuits that shouldn't be, as can an improperly installed bulb. I've seen bulbs incorrectly installed that blew fuses instantly when lighting was turned on.
Last edited by Flippin-Out; 03/25/18 04:09 PM.
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Flippin-Out]
#12688405
03/25/18 04:16 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606
ChuChu1
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,606 |
redchevy is correct that lack of a good ground is a problem for a lot of trailers, but that isn't your problem (currently). Lack of good Ground may affect lights working, but it doesn't blow fuses. Besides, you say the brake/turn filaments illuminate correctly.
ChuChu1 is correct that you have a problem with the brown wire. SOMEWHERE along that wire, the insulation is damaged/cut, and there's a short to the trailer frame. There could be corrosion on a bulb base, but that's a lower priority. The brown wire is physically exposed to being hit by debris (even a tire self-destructing), so it has probably gotten damaged. Checking resistance from brown wire to Ground is tricky due to numerous parallel filaments in bulbs. You would really need to remove ALL of the bulbs, including marker lights. It's easier to just visually trace the wire to look for the problem.
One other slim possibility: Have you replaced a bulb? If you have, remove that bulb and try the lights again to see if they work and if the fuse still blows. An incorrect bulb can short circuits that shouldn't be, as can an improperly installed bulb. I've seen bulbs incorrectly installed that blew fuses instantly when lighting was turned on. Very good post. Do this and let us know what you find.
Snowflakes and entitled brats will be the doom of America!
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Re: Trailer woes
[Re: Streetwalker]
#12690964
03/27/18 12:49 PM
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,736
Streetwalker
OP
TFF Team Angler
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OP
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,736 |
All the bulbs are LED. We've physically traced the wire, actually touched every foot of it. Didn't find any problems.
Due to my chronic back problems I can't do much by myself.
At this point I'm just going to take it to a trailer shop and let them deal with it.
Thanks everyone.
Semper Fi  This Veteran heavily medicated for your safety. Keep me fishing and all will be well.
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