Author Topic: trailer light issue (Read 870 times)

jetjunky101 · « **on:** October 22, 2011, 11:57:34 AM »

ive had an issue with 1 of my running lights always popping my trailer light fuse in my truck so i just cut the wire and rolled without it

...so i decided 2 re-wire my whole trailer...well was working ok all except that one light again.

so it popped the fuse again and i replaced it..now i cant plug in ...any... of my running lights without it popping the damn fuse..any ideas??? or solutions?
mite there be something grounded out ? or maybe is there 2 many lights? 2 yellow front of wheels ,2 red on back of wheel ,2 break/stop/tail and 3 bar type running..,

thanks in advance 4 any help...

GT Jets · « **Reply #1 on:** October 22, 2011, 01:03:07 PM »

Quote from: jetjunky101 on October 22, 2011, 11:57:34 AM

ive had an issue with 1 of my running lights always popping my trailer light fuse in my truck so i just cut the wire and rolled without it ...so i decided 2 re-wire my whole trailer...well was working ok all except that one light again. so it popped the fuse again and i replaced it..now i cant plug in ...any... of my running lights without it popping the damn fuse..any ideas??? or solutions?
mite there be something grounded out ? or maybe is there 2 many lights? 2 yellow front of wheels ,2 red on back of wheel ,2 break/stop/tail and 3 bar type running..,

thanks in advance 4 any help...

Simply grab a cheapo battery powered continuity light and trace down the bad ground...You can't see electricity so you need a tool that can..

Most of the time it is either a chaffed wire or a defective light assembly.

If you know the wattage of the light bulb it's pretty easy to determine how many lights you can have on a known circuit....You should not even be close to maxing out the fuse..

Our race trailer had 24 running lights on it and it was all on one 20 AMP fuse....

GT

crewchief22 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 22, 2011, 06:35:12 PM »

Double check the connector on you vehicle also (it might not be the trailer at all).

jetjunky101 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 23, 2011, 08:29:22 AM »

thanks guys...im gona try 2 tackel it 2day ...its a 4 wire set up so that mite be the first problem...mite have 2 go 2 a 7 wire set up

just squirtin · « **Reply #4 on:** October 23, 2011, 11:26:08 AM »

all i use is 4 wire-seven wire isnt neccessary unless you have trailer brakes

flathammered · « **Reply #5 on:** October 23, 2011, 03:48:43 PM »

i had the same problem turned out to be a bad light

ka0tyk · « **Reply #6 on:** October 23, 2011, 07:30:53 PM »

Are you using trailer common ground or running a wired ground? I hate trailer frame grounds... screws or bolts get rusty, connectors rust,x etc... flickering and bad grounded lights will drive you nuts with a weak ground.

jetjunky101 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 23, 2011, 09:12:13 PM »

yha is a trailer ground. i need 2 change that. i didnt even get a chance to work on it 2day..the lights are old ..so im gona get some new ones and go from there...

ka0tyk · « **Reply #8 on:** October 23, 2011, 10:12:11 PM »

Quote from: jetjunky101 on October 23, 2011, 09:12:13 PM

yha is a trailer ground. i need 2 change that. i didnt even get a chance to work on it 2day..the lights are old ..so im gona get some new ones and go from there...

if u have a harbor freight or an autozone around they sell like a 20' 4 prong trailer wiring set. you just split the 2 sides... 1 running light (brown), 1 brake light (green right, yellow left). and then i took the ground wire (white) and I split that, one for each side. ran one ground down each side... tap each side light into the running light wire and a ground, the rear lights get a ground, running light, and a brake light. done!

Nordie · « **Reply #9 on:** October 24, 2011, 06:15:26 AM »

Quote from: ka0tyk on October 23, 2011, 10:12:11 PM

if u have a harbor freight or an autozone around they sell like a 20' 4 prong trailer wiring set. you just split the 2 sides... 1 running light (brown), 1 brake light (green right, yellow left). and then i took the ground wire (white) and I split that, one for each side. ran one ground down each side... tap each side light into the running light wire and a ground, the rear lights get a ground, running light, and a brake light. done!

You can do that, or just ground the white to the trailer, and then ground the lights to the trailer...a little less splicing...i had this same problem with my trailer and come to find out...one of the side marker lights got chaffed and was grounding to the trailer popping the fuse...fixed wire, fixed problem

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jetjunky101 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 24, 2011, 07:51:26 AM »

yha thats why im confused.. i thought my old wireing was the problem... so i put all new wires..ok so my side markers are the basic type not LED or nothing...they have the butt fitting that just plugs in..only one plug..so where would i plug in a ground ?only my back stop/tail/signal has a ground wire, those work. i have new trailer plug and new wireing,and new truck plug...checked all the wireing and its all good...now im thinking its got 2 be the light fixture...

im gona have 2 take a better look 2day

farmergord · « **Reply #11 on:** October 24, 2011, 08:04:31 AM »

the light may ground using the screws that fasten it to the trailer

jetjunky101 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 24, 2011, 08:14:17 AM »

so

then i shouldnt have 2 run a ground 4 each runing light? if the fixture is the ground then? well im gona take evryone off and see if there is a problem with them...my truck is new...well 2008.. so its not the truck. whatever it is ,it has 2 be from the plug 2 the trailer 2 the lights...haha and i thought this would be easy...

farmergord · « **Reply #13 on:** October 24, 2011, 08:26:31 AM »

some are like that usually they have a tab of bare metal on 1 side that the mounting screw pushes against the frame

Nordie · « **Reply #14 on:** October 25, 2011, 01:25:14 PM »

Something is grounding out on the trailer...maybe a busted light fixture...maybe your ground isnt sufficient

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Your Mom · « **Reply #15 on:** October 25, 2011, 02:49:44 PM »

The light your having issues with might be hooked up backwards. Look close and follow this....Ground white wire right at front of trailer making your trailer a good ground. Then every light can be grounded right near light. You should have spots or bolts to connect close to each light. Once all hooked up, if you have a battery charger (set at lowest charge to keep from blowing lights) you can hook it to trailer plug (poss to plug groung to trailer) to test each setting ( brakes, running, turn...) one spot at a time.
http://www.accessconnect.com/trailer_wiring_diagram.htm

77GT · « **Reply #16 on:** October 25, 2011, 04:23:09 PM »

I replaced all of my lights with LED's. They are very bright, compared to the old ones.

ka0tyk · « **Reply #17 on:** October 25, 2011, 05:04:03 PM »

Quote from: 77GT on October 25, 2011, 04:23:09 PM

I replaced all of my lights with LED's. They are very bright, compared to the old ones.

where'd u get water sealed LED lights that dont cost like $300 for a set? i grabbed some "sealed" ones from walmart in havasu and first dip they all shorted out and i just stuck some regular sealed ones back in. stupid walmart.

Nordie · « **Reply #18 on:** October 25, 2011, 06:41:40 PM »

Quote from: ka0tyk on October 25, 2011, 05:04:03 PM

where'd u get water sealed LED lights that dont cost like $300 for a set? i grabbed some "sealed" ones from walmart in havasu and first dip they all shorted out and i just stuck some regular sealed ones back in. stupid walmart.

Bought some LED's from etrailer and they didnt have any issues with the boat, and pretty inexpensive to boot

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ka0tyk · « **Reply #19 on:** October 25, 2011, 08:24:19 PM »

Quote from: Nordie on October 25, 2011, 06:41:40 PM

Bought some LED's from etrailer and they didnt have any issues with the boat, and pretty inexpensive to boot

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ill have to give that a shot. thanks for the tip.

what are u guys using for the trailer plate light? right now i dont have one. is there one that bolts up to the stock 2 plate holes?

Brad @ SCJB · « **Reply #20 on:** October 26, 2011, 06:30:32 AM »

the LED's i have on the race boat's trailer are like 3 years old now....no issues.

I got them from http://www.pipe-light.com/ ...great prices...quick shipping....nice dude.

jetjunky101 · « **Reply #21 on:** November 03, 2011, 08:05:21 PM »

ok..haha ...yha im a dumb a**

so i replaced all the runing lights....and still was popping the fuse...i was on the way back 2 the store 2 buy more fuses...agin

and a light bulb went off in my head...i was pluging the wire into the hole that had the ribbon 4 the ground

so after about 20 fuses and all new lights ...i came back home and pluged into the "right" hole and now lights up like a christmas tree...hahaha...just in time...