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Old 04-28-2022, 08:41 AM   #1
jagizzi
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Default Clearance lights not working

I believe that indications are that I have a short in the running light circuit somewhere. All other trailer lights work fine but initially none of the running lights worked. I disconnect the front and rear shell and tried them separately and the front works but the rear doesn't.

The rear wiring got hot at the connector behind the fridge, hoping it was the connector I jumpered across it and the jumper got hot. Now I have to find the dang short and this does not look easy.

I measured resistance between the rear shell feed wire and ground and got 100 ohms. Pulled all of the bulbs and got 50 ohms. I pulled the moldings off of the top of the rear shell hoping to see something obvious but so far nothing. Tomorrow I am guessing that I will have to expose as much of this circuit as I can in order to find the trouble.

I don't know how the wire runs along the side of the shell but suspect it is behind the trim molding along the top seam between the wall and roof similar to the rear. Does anyone here know?

Any ideas as to how I might find out where this problem is? DANG, tomorrow was going to be wheels and tires day and then maybe a test camp this weekend but the trailer said NO. Any advice or ideas would be appreciated.
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Old 04-28-2022, 09:47 AM   #2
Bill
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That is a weird set of results. The resistance started at 100 ohms? That is only 120 mA, which in no way constitutes a short. And is nowhere near enough to overheat a connector unless the connector is barely making contact with the wire. Did you tug on the wires going into the two halves of the connector? Occasionally a poor crimp happens.

But then the resistance went DOWN to 50 ohms when you pulled the bulbs? Strange. To me this vaguely suggests that the problem is in one of the fixtures - something moves as you wiggle or remove a bulb. There are a lot of sharp edges in the aluminum skin under the fixture, and poor riveting within those (cheap) light fixtures.

This is in no way a definitive diagnosis, so don't take it as such. But as I say, those are weird symptoms. I guess my primary thinking aligns with yours. Somewhere there is a real short to ground - maybe 1 ohm, which might be enough to overheat a connector, but would not blow a fuse. But then, when you move the wire a tiny bit, the short disappears. This will be a challenge. Good luck.

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Old 04-28-2022, 09:54 AM   #3
jagizzi
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Hi Bill, thanks for the response. The trailer wires come into the bottom of the fridge space into a wire nut, route up the forward side, across the top, down the rear side and then into a loop of wire that includes the connector.

A bit weird in my opinion and I have no idea why they didn't simply go across the bottom and eliminate a connector. There is enough wire.

Anyway, I removed the connectors and jumpered across the gap thinking maybe the cable run was a problem, no luck there, but that did remove the connector as a possible failure point.

This could be a pain in the buttooski but we will see.
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Old 04-28-2022, 09:57 AM   #4
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Any ideas on how to access the wire on its vertical run up the inside of the trailer, or the horizontal run at the top of the driver side to the back wall?
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