trailer wiring nightmare
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trailer wiring nightmare
94 ford ranger xlt 2wd use to pull a small trailer. I installed a 4 wire plug with the converter box for the turn signals. Has worked well for 1 year. several weeks ago while driving at night I lost my trailer lights. After 2 days of searching for the problem I found my head light switch(wires going to it were shorted out. fixed that problem checked all fuses and replaced a 20 amp that had blown in fuse box. connected trailer, all lights worked correctly. The next time I hooked trailer up, I noticed running lights/tail lights on trailer not working, brake and turn signals work ok. I noticed the brown wire on the harness gets hot, then blows the fuse in the fuse box. I'm at the end of my rope with this problem! Are there any more relays of fuses that I'm missing, I'm in the dark with this problem because I don't have an owners manual to refer to. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,748
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From: Connecticut
Welcome to FTE!
First thing you want to do is go to your local parts store and pick up a copy of the Haynes Repair Manual for your Ranger. You are fortunate in that Haynes actually has all the wiring diagrams for a 1994 Ranger that you will need, including Exterior Lights, Turn/Stop/Hazard Lights, and Backup Lights.
From what I can see from those diagrams, the Brown wires carry power (12v) from the main light switch to all of the exterior lights.
First thing you want to do is go to your local parts store and pick up a copy of the Haynes Repair Manual for your Ranger. You are fortunate in that Haynes actually has all the wiring diagrams for a 1994 Ranger that you will need, including Exterior Lights, Turn/Stop/Hazard Lights, and Backup Lights.
From what I can see from those diagrams, the Brown wires carry power (12v) from the main light switch to all of the exterior lights.
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went out this morning hooked the lights up, worked great at first, then again wiring plug got hot and the tail lights on the trailer quit working?? I'll get to the
parts store and pick up the repair manual and see what I can figure out thanks again.
parts store and pick up the repair manual and see what I can figure out thanks again.
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that what it sounds like to me too, just having trouble figuring out where it's coming from. After it sits awhile and I go out and plug it in it works ok for a while. then same thing happens. purchases repair manual, gonna dig into that and see if i can figure it out. thanks
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Cypress, CA
Brown wire is the running lights, black wire is the ground, right hand turn/brake is orange with a light blue stripe and the left turn is light green with an orange stripe - at least this is true on my '90 and '93. Make sure that you have a good ground on both the truck and the trailer e.g. the ground wire from the 4-prong connector to the truck is grounded well to the trailer chassis. Don't rely on the hitch ball coupling to be the ground. This could easily be causing the phenomenon you are experiencing.
Russ
Russ
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Posting Guru
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From: MARYLAND
for the trailer connector that comes off the truck...are you using the type that snaps into the wiring harness under the truck or did you tap into the wires? if you tapped into the wires that could be the problem for the extra draw. Also..are the trailer lights the basic factory ones? I mean..no aftermarket intense bulbs were put in their place?..or any of the "led" bulbs that give it the LED look? I know this has been a issue in the past for me.
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From: Greenvile, SC
"Jus Wondering"
Hi Kramerdan...
I've purchased all my rangers new (1-98, 2-99s) and they all came with the basic flat 4-pole adapter....with a set of wires going into a round m-f connector. If you have this connector. I would be willing to part with mine since im shortly going to electric trailer brakes and a round 6pin connector.
Hi Kramerdan...
I've purchased all my rangers new (1-98, 2-99s) and they all came with the basic flat 4-pole adapter....with a set of wires going into a round m-f connector. If you have this connector. I would be willing to part with mine since im shortly going to electric trailer brakes and a round 6pin connector.