Trailer Lights Issues!!!
Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,372
Likes: 108
From: Northern Indiana
Trailer Lights Issues!!!
Please help me before I loose my freaking mind. I worked on this for no shorter then 6 hrs. Still giving me issues. I have no running lights on the trailer. It keeps popping the fuse under the hood. I installed new 7 pin connectors(male and female. Traced the wires back. Checked the truck plug for power and ground, checked for continuity in the trailer whip wires, got underneath and found a melted mess where the trailer whip connects to everything else. Cut all that out and started fresh. I am at a total loss. I have trailer brake lights and turnsignals but every time I turn the running lights on the fuse pops. I have looked for bare wires, etc. The only strange things I have found is that with a test light on the truck side the turn signals will light up when probed with positive and negative.
Any wiring experts here
. It's a MSI cargo trailer.
Please help I am pissed off an lost. Not a good place to be
Any wiring experts here
. It's a MSI cargo trailer.Please help I am pissed off an lost. Not a good place to be
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
So, I think the markers are fed by the green lead. If you disconnect the lead for the markers at the J box, you can plug in and turn on the markers and the fuse doesn't blow, correct? If it blows the fuse, your trouble is ahead of the J box.
If the fuse holds, can you tell how the feed runs for the markers? If you can, you can work along the lead one light or maybe several lights until you reach the point where the fuse blows. For example, disconnect after the first light. Now power up, did the fuse blow? If not the short is after the first light. If it blows, it is between the J box and the light and so on. Also don't forget to check the connection for each light at the light itself.
When I have to trace stuff like this, I always take it one step at a time.
Steve
If the fuse holds, can you tell how the feed runs for the markers? If you can, you can work along the lead one light or maybe several lights until you reach the point where the fuse blows. For example, disconnect after the first light. Now power up, did the fuse blow? If not the short is after the first light. If it blows, it is between the J box and the light and so on. Also don't forget to check the connection for each light at the light itself.
When I have to trace stuff like this, I always take it one step at a time.
Steve
Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,372
Likes: 108
From: Northern Indiana
They take a 1157 bulb. They are the original lights. Trailer is an 2001. These are the lights I have.
Bargman Recessed, Double Tail Light - 84 Series - Red - Black Base Bargman Trailer Lights 30-84-527
Senior User
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 398
Likes: 0
From: Western NY
I would start by pulling the 2 taillight bulbs first and see if the fuse blows. look at the bulbs, some of my drivers change their own bulbs and smash the little pins on the base of the bulb putting them in wrong.
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
Since the short can be anywhere including the socket or connections to the lights, if you get lucky, it will be in a bulb. Rather than go a bulb or two at a time, to determine if the problem is any bulb, if they all are removed and the fuse still blows, it is not a bulb.
Steve
Steve
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Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Frederick, MD
Since the short can be anywhere including the socket or connections to the lights, if you get lucky, it will be in a bulb. Rather than go a bulb or two at a time, to determine if the problem is any bulb, if they all are removed and the fuse still blows, it is not a bulb.
Steve
Steve
Makes perfect sense.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 65,938
Likes: 1,432
From: Millersville, MD
First I would buy a whatever amp circuit breaker and wire it in before I attempt ANY of this. Why go through X number of fuses ? After done, if you want, put the breaker and snap in ONE fuse.
Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,372
Likes: 108
From: Northern Indiana
Well I pulled all the bulbs it still pops as soon as turn on the running lights. Gonna have to dig deeper I guess. I really am at a loss. I have torn everything apart. And checked just about anything and everything I can think of. None of the lights seem corroded or anything.
Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,372
Likes: 108
From: Northern Indiana
Okay. I am not trying to be dumb here. But what is the j box? Is that here the trailer pigtail meets the trailer wiring? With the trailer pigtail unplugged it does not trip the fuse, As soon as I plug the trailer in it pops.
EDIT, I am sorry. It took me a min. Okay. I can dis connect that and try it out.
EDIT, I am sorry. It took me a min. Okay. I can dis connect that and try it out.