Grounding Question

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Grounding Question

Postby CPASPARKS » Mon Dec 05, 2005 11:12 pm

I keep blowing a fuse on my tow vehicle that operates the turn signals. I have now blown a fuse that operates my brake lights on the tow vehicle.
Could this problem be caused from the teardrop not being ground properly to the tow vehicle?
:thinking:
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Postby stjohn » Mon Dec 05, 2005 11:51 pm

everytime I've had a bad ground it showed up with taillights being dem
brakelight won't work when flasher are on etc. but a ground problem is easy to check w/ a pair of jumber cables hook one of your black leads to the hitch or frame of your car or truck the other to the trailer frame make sure its to bare metal though.

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Postby Nitetimes » Tue Dec 06, 2005 12:21 am

If you are blowing fuses the most likely culprit is a short somewhere. Bad ground will make your lites dim and flash funny. Look for somewhere you may have drove a screw thru the wires or where they turn a sharp corner, may be pushed tight enough against metal to rub thru. Check any clamps holding the wire too.
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Postby PaulC » Tue Dec 06, 2005 1:15 am

If you have a 12 volt system installed and you have your lights earthed at the same point as the TD's battery, this may cause a problem with fuses. I know it did with mine when I did a test run of all the electrics. I do not have mains power fitted. Just what I discovered (after about 8 hours of looking)
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Blown Fuses.

Postby CPASPARKS » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:22 am

The trailer light wiring is independent of the battery and lights associated with the interior and lights associated with the galley.
I am having problems with my tow vehicle blowing fuses that control the brake lights and turn signal lights.
I have a wire from the trailer frame that I attach to the frame of my tow vehicle for grounding when I am in tow. I am thinking that I may have a bad wire on this type of connection.
Can someone give me a simple solution to this grounding problem where I can incorporate the grounding through the wiring harness. I am a novice electrician.
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Postby madjack » Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:39 am

..the white wire on the trailer harness is normally used for grounding...it sounds more like a short in your blinker/brake light circuit...does a fuse blow for both side turn signal or just on one side?...do you have a meter to check resistance with or some other sort of circuit checker??? If so, check the resistance/continuity between ground on your trailer and the yellow/green/brown wires on the harness(there should be infinite resistance or no continuity between them)...there is a very slight possibility that the circuit is being overloade by the addition of the trailer lights...if you are grounding everything back to the frame, be sure all points of contact are clean of rust, paint, corrosion, etc...
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Grounding Question

Postby CPASPARKS » Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:16 am

Madjack and others,
Thanks for all the advice.
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