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Post by ogmios on Apr 1, 2013 18:43:36 GMT -5
First post from a first owner of a camper. Ours is a 65 Jet camper actually. The top side lights on our trailer are not working. After hours of testing everything I could, I think that I narrowed it down to a few possibilities, but now need to pick other's brain as I am very puzzled on what configurations I should try. I have tested and make sure that all other light and functions are fine, tested for proper ground, tested for proper vehicle connection, fuse, etc. I checked the 2 side lights and on left side. Each light single wire is connected 2 blue wires in a nut. I checked the 2 side lights on the right side and each is connected to only 1 blue wire in a nut. After testing everything, I decided to check out the actual connections at the tail lights and this is where I am unsure about way to proceed. The left side tail light is wired as such: - Brown wire is connected to hot wire of light - Yellow wire is connected to light wire - A black stripped wire is connected to frame of light - 1 red loose wire - 2 blue loose wires connected together dl.dropbox.com/u/5296780/wire01.jpgThe right side tail light is wired as such: - Brown wire is connected to hot wire of light - Green wire is connected to light wire - A red striped wire is connected to light frame - 1 Yellow loose cable - 2 Blue loose wires connected together dl.dropbox.com/u/5296780/wire02.jpgMy keen sense of deduction tells me that the blue wires must belong to the side lights! Alas, when trying to connect the blue wires to the brown hot wire for the purpose of testing, is blowing the fuse dedicated to trailer charge on my truck. So to this day, I have been unable to have the side lights working. Has anyone seen this type of wiring? Know what configurations I should test for next? Can tell me what the extra loose wires could be for? Thanks in advance!
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Post by universalexports on Apr 1, 2013 18:53:56 GMT -5
not sure how yours is wired but on a shasta they ground to the aluminum siding via the aluminum light housing, the #1 issue is usually a bad/rusty ground,
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vikx
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Post by vikx on Apr 2, 2013 2:12:55 GMT -5
Universal is correct. The skin is normally used as a ground for tail and running lights and it is usually a bad ground if lights don't work.
Thoughts:
Your trailer seems to have heavier gauge wire than most vintage trailers had, and it's possible a PO has re-wired it. The colors really don't mean much after all the years. Test each wire to see what it does. (put 12 volts to each)
Here is the usual wiring color code: Red=Left Turn, Brown=Right Turn and Green=Running lights. This isn't every trailer, but more than half.
Tail lights have two wires: one is the running light(s), the other is the turn. Most have a dual filament bulb which combines the running lights and turns. There can be a 2nd running light bulb. Some may have had a ground which is connected to the base plate.
My guess: the blue wires are probably the upper lights and need to be connected to the running light wire on the tail lights. After testing, the turns should be obvious. The extra wires may have been just that: Extras.
Rarely, there were two running light wires, one for the clearance lights, the other for the tails. This allowed the inside light (run off the clearance wire) to operate without the tails being lit.
Of course the wiring at the tongue should follow the universal wiring code. 7 way is more common than 4 way. (they are not the same)
Hope this helps. Work from the tongue, one wire at a time and you'll figure it out.
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Post by ogmios on Apr 2, 2013 12:51:12 GMT -5
Thanks Viks and Universal.
I did test ground at all possible points, ranging from Vehicle, to tongue to skin, etc.
It looks like the tail lights may have 2 bulbs actually, but I'll need to double check.
When you say "the blue wires are probably the upper lights and need to be connected to the running light wire on the tail lights." Should I connect the blue wires to the brown wire? If I do, do i use a pigtail? When I tried to connect the blue wires to brown, it blew the fuse in my truck.
The PO wired things for 4 pins, but the cable at tongue has 7 thick wires, with 3 of them being disconnected (A red, a blue and black). I tested each of the 3 disconnected wires and not lights would come on. The trailer has no brakes installed, so that main cable is also a mystery. :-(
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2013 13:41:33 GMT -5
What colors are the wires at each of the connection points in the plug, where you plug into your tow vehicle?
Further questions: When you pulled the tail lights apart, were the blue wires capped off, nutted, or taped, behind the tail light bases? They should not be left bare because they will short out there Have you pulled the marker lights loose from the siding yet?
This is only a hunch. I believe that whether or not the blue wire, the one running the marker lights, is original to the trailer, that somewhere it has made bare contact directly to ground.
Your brown wire in the tail lights seems to be feeding hot to the running (tail) lights. (Yellow should be left turn signal, green = right turn signal.) When you connect together with the blue, it is shorting out the feed and blowing the fuse.
I wondered about the color of the wires at the plug, because if the blue and brown are separate, then the tails would work but the markers are independent of them.
I suspect that if you pull each of the running lights loose and very gently pull the wire out as far as possible, you may find one of them cut or rubbed through at the point they exit the aluminum siding to enter the light, or possibly a mounting screw has been screwed directly into the wire.
It is a tedious process tracing electrical problems, but this is where I would start bird-dogging it.
By the way the extra wires at the plug are a mystery to me. Are you sure there were not brakes on it at one time? Many of the manufacturers installed brakes on the units when they exceeded about 12' in length. Perhaps you have them, but they failed at some point and were cut out of the system?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2013 13:47:04 GMT -5
Back up...a red and a black among the disconnected at the plug should be brakes. The third disconnected was blue...that should be your markers. It was probably disconnected because it kept blowing fuses.
Do you have a way to test this without hooking to your tow vehicle?
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vikx
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Post by vikx on Apr 3, 2013 0:18:36 GMT -5
This is a fairly simple process if done correctly. Please don't worry too much about wire color. Any wire can run anything, regardless of color... Also, the wires must be tested before the tail lights are hooked up. Test the wiring only.
Be sure to clean the light sockets and inspect each light for possible shorts.
First, look at your backing plates and trace the brake wires forward. Label them accordingly. Find the GROUND. (easily recognized by the attachment to the frame) Often this wire is white.
Now test the wiring:
1. Start by making sure no wire touches the skin or frame. (except the obvious ground) 2. I use a portable battery with a fused lead as a tester. Put 12 volts to a wire at the tongue. If the fuse blows, the wire is a ground or grounded out. If not, test each wire at the back. One or more should read 12 volts. Label the wires #1 for now. 3. Continue testing the wires and labeling.
You only have 3 wires to worry about: Running Lights, Right Turn and Left Turn. The Ground is connected to the frame and you've already found that. The 2 brake wires are already labeled. Use a continuity tester and put a lead to the upper clearance light and the other lead to the wiring at the tail lights. One of them should show a connection. Label that with TM (Tail and Markers)
Now you have two wires left, the turns. They should already be labeled, but you weren't sure which was which. You can choose any wire to use for the turns but it's easier to use the Universal Codes.
As stated above, the 4 way color code is different than 7 way:
4 Way: Green is Right Turn, Brown is TM, and Yellow is Left Turn. 7 Way: Green is TM, Brown is Right Turn, and Red is Left Turn
WHITE is GROUND.
You can see how confusing this can get. That's why it's better to test the wiring rather than rely on color. If you will be using the brakes, you will need a 7 way connector, so wire to that code. (Brake Hot=Blue) There will be a hot/charge line with a 7 way and that is normally Black.
Once all the wires are determined, you are ready to begin wiring the trailer lights. The upper clearance lights have one hot lead and rely on the skin for ground. The tail lights must be tested for proper wiring. One wire will be TM and the other Turn. (with two bulbs, there are often two TM wires) There may be a ground wire as well, it is connected to the base plate.
Test the light by putting 12 volts to the hot leads. The brighter bulb will be the turn.
I hope this has helped. I know you only wanted the upper lights to work but you've got a PO mess on your hands and I'm thinking doing it as above will actually be easier in the long run.
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Post by ogmios on Apr 3, 2013 12:01:43 GMT -5
Thanks Crw and Vikx. I will redo some testing this week end following your advice and report back findings.
Vikx, do you use a specific tool for Fuse Lead? Do you have a product you may recommend?
Thanks!
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vikx
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Post by vikx on Apr 4, 2013 0:19:22 GMT -5
Yes, I use a portable jump battery for 12 volt power. It is easy to clamp the ground onto the frame. I use an alligator clip to attach to the hot clamp (left in place on the battery) with an inline fuse. Then, it is safe to test the wiring. The worse that can happen is blowing the fuse.
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vikx
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Post by vikx on Apr 4, 2013 0:23:51 GMT -5
Here's a picture of some of my testing paraphernalia... The fused hot lead isn't in this photo. Attachments:
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