Lights Issues

[Zghost]

I'm sure this is no surprise to you as this seems to be a repeating issue for all trailer owners.
Shorelander trailer with side and rear markers. Break lights and signal lights work. Markers and driving lights dont work and keep blowing truck's 7.5A fuse? I'm sure its a short somewhere but how do you diagnose that inside of the trailer body!! nothing obvious where the wires can be accessed? Your help is appreciated.

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Lights Issues

Check the lights themselves. one may be shorted or melted.

if they are good and the GROUNDS are all good. you can repalce the harness in a couple hours. They are cheap and available at any trailer shop and probably walmart.
It may also be the plug at either end.

 

[Zghost]

Re: Lights Issues

Thx. How does one snake the wires in the trailer body? fishing tape or is there another tool? Also, I have 4 side marker, so I'm guessing I have to splice at each location? Thx for the help.

 

[nash1970]

Re: Lights Issues

Use the old wires to pull the new wires.

 

[nofun2]

Re: Lights Issues

tie a string to the end of the old wiring when you remove it, then pull
the new wiring in with the string.

 

[can-amsledder]

Re: Lights Issues

What I have seen a couple time is that someone has replaced the plug end and didn?t use shrink tube or enough electrical tape and it shorted out there. Just something else to look at.

 

[dutchdog]

Re: Lights Issues

If for some reason you lose the wires or string when pulling new wires, you can take compressed air to blow a string through the frame rails. I have done this several times and think it works better than a fish tape. Where my outside frame rails meet the tongue there is a small hole to pull wires through and it is hard to hit with a fish tape.

 

[Zghost]

Re: Lights Issues

Wonderful and great ideas. Now why didn't I think of them

Thx guys, you are great help. Now If I can only get some help on my trim motor issue thread, I'd be set Thx again

 

[V4 Johnson]

Re: Lights Issues

I just got done doing this. It's EASY.

Get a new harness. I could not find one by itself anywhere around here. So I just bought the taillight kit at Wal-Mart and used the harness from there.

First I split the harness left from right and laid it out from the trailer tongue forward. I stripped about an inch of the new harness ends back and twisted them together well with the corresponding wire from the old harness. I did a few wraps with black tape around the wraps to keep anything from catching or hanging up. Then I un-did the wiring from the taillights on the trailer and pulled it all through.

Another way to pull it through if you lose your old wire is to take a roll of iron wire (I call it trapper's wire) and run it up through the frame. It'll push pretty easily if you straighten it half decent as you unroll it.

 

[Zghost]

Re: Lights Issues

Thanks much!