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12-09-2015, 11:04 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 2,984
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Trailer wiring
I have a gooseneck trailer that is giving me grief with the wiring. I recently smashed the breakaway switch, and was getting a check wiring warning on my truck. So I replaced that switch but the warning was till there. when I test with power to the trailer plug, my tail lights come on when my brake terminal gets power. I opened the junction box, where all the wires from the truck plug, connect to all the wires from the trailer itself. From the plug, its a black wire to function the brakes, they used 5 wire so no blue one just for color reference. In the junction box, I have continuity from ground to the black trailer brakes. I figure that's the issue, a bare brake wire grounding out. Whats the best way to find this? It s a 30 ft triple axle so I don't really want to run new brake wire. Unless that's the only way...
thoughts or suggestions on how to find this ??
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12-09-2015, 12:57 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,382
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is the tow vehicle a gm by chance?
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12-09-2015, 03:55 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: High River
Posts: 383
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Your tail lights should not turn on when putting power to the electrical brakes. Continuity from the power side of your electric brakes to ground would be normal with about 2.5 ohms per magnet, if it is zero then you have a short to ground.
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12-10-2015, 08:11 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 2,984
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Yes I learnt yesterday that continuity to ground through the brake wire is normal. I am gonna have to tighten everything back up and start checking from scratch again. Thanks.
Yes it's a GM.
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12-10-2015, 08:14 AM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 21,399
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I have a gizmo from Princess Auto that plugs into the trailer plug. makes it much easier to check the truck wiring , without having the trailer connected. Not expensive either.
Grizz
__________________
"Indeed, no human being has yet lived under conditions which, considering the prevailing climates of the past, can be regarded as normal."
John E. Pfeiffer The Emergence of Man
written in 1969
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12-10-2015, 08:59 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,382
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Quote:
Originally Posted by coreya3212
Yes I learnt yesterday that continuity to ground through the brake wire is normal. I am gonna have to tighten everything back up and start checking from scratch again. Thanks.
Yes it's a GM.
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check all fuses, then check them again and then the third time you will find it 
I know its hard to believe, but, trust me.
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12-11-2015, 08:12 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 2,984
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I guess I should have mentioned, while the vehicle is a Gm, I have a board made up with all the trailer plugs in it and switche to function each light and brakes for testing and fixing trailers. So while the GM indicate da issue, it was confirmed without a vehicle in my shop hooked to my test board.
Yesterday, I pulled all my terminals and re tightened them all down and I have no issues now. I may have screwed up a wire when I rep,aced the break away or like most trailer wiring, maybe my ground was poor..... I still can't figure how the tail lights ever came on with the brakes tho....we shall see how things hold up.
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12-11-2015, 08:14 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 2,984
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams
I have a gizmo from Princess Auto that plugs into the trailer plug. makes it much easier to check the truck wiring , without having the trailer connected. Not expensive either.
Grizz
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I have those as well, but I had just worked on the trailer so had a good idea it wasn't the truck.
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12-11-2015, 01:36 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 256
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Quote:
Originally Posted by coreya3212
I guess I should have mentioned, while the vehicle is a Gm, I have a board made up with all the trailer plugs in it and switche to function each light and brakes for testing and fixing trailers. So while the GM indicate da issue, it was confirmed without a vehicle in my shop hooked to my test board.
Yesterday, I pulled all my terminals and re tightened them all down and I have no issues now. I may have screwed up a wire when I rep,aced the break away or like most trailer wiring, maybe my ground was poor..... I still can't figure how the tail lights ever came on with the brakes tho....we shall see how things hold up.
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Nice that it worked out. 9.9 out of 10 on a trailer its a grounding issue
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12-11-2015, 02:36 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: wmu 222, member #197
Posts: 4,907
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Im surprised that there isn't a wireless trailer lighting like a Bluetooth for brakes signals and such. And the only plug would be a +/- wire that would power the unit and charge batterie . If a trailer was ever stolen the lights would flash as not being recognized by a authourized tow vehicl .
Maybe when I win the lotto I wI'll commission this.
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12-11-2015, 04:16 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: A bit North o' Center...
Posts: 11,163
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roger
Im surprised that there isn't a wireless trailer lighting like a Bluetooth for brakes signals and such. And the only plug would be a +/- wire that would power the unit and charge batterie . If a trailer was ever stolen the lights would flash as not being recognized by a authourized tow vehicl .
Maybe when I win the lotto I wI'll commission this.
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Cool idea.
Building wireless stuff can be a lot of grief. Especially for mission-critical applications (which this application may be classed as being...)
(sorry for the derail!)
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