buckster Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 I was changing a bulb in my sled trailer and it was being bugger. I was using a pair of needle nose to remove the buld and by accident i hit the inside of the light socket and i saw a few sparks and that was it........ my lights are toast. I had plans to meet up with a few people on the lake and it looks like they are shot. Would anyone know what might have happend. I tried the trailer on both trucks and nadda. Could it be the adapter plug used to go into a chev truck? What could it possibly be? I changed the fuse in my truck ? Any help would be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meely Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Somebody !!......HELP this guy so we can go fishing in the morning !!! Meely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forrest Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 I am by no means an automotive guy. You tested 2 trucks so I would say that the trailer is the issue. Princess Auto has a tester for the trucks wire harness, $5-$10 -Did you try brake, signal lights and running lights? some ideas: -Maybe you blew the other lights too? -Clean the connector -look for a fuse on the trailer wiring. forrest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckster Posted January 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 all the lights are toast...... running,brake, signal..... bulds seem fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purekgw Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) u have trailer lights on when u replace them?!? u might have just fried all the lights Edited January 17, 2009 by Pure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 do they work on your truck but not your trailer now or both Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotaclue Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Usually no fuse on the trailer, how many lights are on it? Markers and tail lights And are you sure the other trucks trailer plug is in working order? I think you gave it a direct short to ground and all the bulbs might have blown I know this is a little late but it’s usually a good idea to have the truck shut off when hooking up your trailer or working on it. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckster Posted January 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Yeah they were all on.... im gonna check in the morning to see it they are all blown but i dont think so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotaclue Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Not enough amps to smoke the wires, unless you fried the socket and it is shorting out the who mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotaclue Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 maybe this will help http://www.accessconnect.com/trailer_wiring_diagram.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forrest Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) Here is another things to look for..... My first vote is for charred ground connector scrub it or use a set of gator clips to connect the harnesses. You may have had an amperage surge and melted the wire covering....so now it is shorting or you have opened up the ground by burning a wire (more likely). This could also happen to the light hardware. Check your truck fuses now too....it is possible that the trailer will blow a fuse in every truck you hook it up to. If a visual inspection does nothing start with a DMMs connectivity setting and start by testing your ground then testing each connector for short to ground. Removing the hardware and testing would be my next step. forrest Edited January 17, 2009 by forrest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckster Posted January 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 lights on the truck are fine Terry....... the socket did spark........ but i still had break lighs and signal light.. but i just plugged it in a while ago and now nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Some vehicles have an additional fuse block under the hood. In this fuse block you will also have fuses which run you trailer wiring. Get your owners manual out..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Yep.. what Ron said. My GM has seperate fuses and relays for the trailer wiring. Under the hood..drivers side by the brake master cylinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forrest Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 For $5 to $10 Princess auto sells a tester for the truck connection. forrest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckster Posted January 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 could it be blowing the fuse every time i change it? i tried a few fuses they are special fuses........ hard to tell if they are blown they are called j fuses...... i have a chev trailblazer...... my problem is im good at buying stuff but not fixing it lol ....... im lost lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernie Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) This is how I would check this problem. First of all nothing works, on 2 different vehicles. So which end to start first. Well I would start with the truck to verify output, cause you may need this to check the trailer. I use a 12 volt test light with a bulb not a LED bulb (reason later). Is your plug in good condition on both ends? Turn on your park lights. Dont turn on your headlights, by the time you are done you may kill your battery. And then your emergency flashers. This will turn on all the circuits needed to test. Hook up the test light alligator clamp to the Ground pin on the plug(this is the one exposed) And then touch the tip of the test light to the three female pins. If nothing works move the alligator clamp to a good ground on the vehicle and test the three pins again. If You now get power you have a poor ground for the ground pin. If nothing works try another ground point. Still nothing? Check fuses on the truck where Wayne suggested. You may find more than one burned. If fuses are OK time to crawl under and check out the wiring harness. You check that out and I will carry on with the trailer wire check. Edited January 17, 2009 by Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernie Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Grounds are the trailer wiring most common problem. With all lights not working this is my first look. Run a long temporary wire from a good ground on the body of the tow vehicle to the rear of the trailer. and ground it (I almost would bet they work now). The reason to run it to the back is because I got stung by a poor ground between the tongue and frame of the trailer. If they work trace where the poor ground is. If this doesn't solve your problem start looking for burned wires from the short, broken or frayed wires. The reason I don't care for LED test lights is they draw so few amps. A poor contact in a circuit can light a LED but an incandescent light isn't as likely. Carry on with that. Hope it solves your problem. Thats a pretty basic overview with a couple good points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Yep, what Bernie said!! Did you get out your owners manual and check to make sure your changing the right fuses? If all lights aren't working, my guess is a fuse under the hood. Get er done......the whities are waiting for ya!!!! Too bad you werent closer, I have a spare set of the lights that stick on the trailer with magnets......they have saved me a few times now!!! Sinker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douG Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Tis a chilly night to be wrestling with trailer lights, voltmeters and such, especially when you are trying to make a picture in your mind of what might be wrong. You and Emilio might have to shoot for the afternoon bite tomorrow. Good luck. Hi, Meely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonny Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) Ok,,,sound like more of a fuse problem then a wiring one,,,if from what you have said you already changed a blown fuse which means that wiring was good enough to override the fuse first,,, There are some fuses in the underhood fuse box that refer to the trailer, backup trailer lamp at fuse 4, trailer at fuse 32, trailer turn signals at 50 & 51. There should be a map to the fuses and relays inside the box cover. check all fuses,,if you are not sure if they are blown you can check both sides with a testlight hooked to ground when in the vehicle or with an ohmmeter across it when removed from the vehicle,, hope this helps,,,if you find that a fuse keeps blowing when you put it in,,,remove the suspected bulb from socket and see if it still blowes,,,if it does then you will have to eliminate the socket from the circuit and see if it is ok after that,,,you can do this by cutting the power wire to the socket in a place that is easily repaired if the socket is determined to be good, hope this helps Oh ya don't forget that there is a fuse and relay center under the driver side rear seat (at least there is on mine) check there too Edited January 17, 2009 by sonny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 I would first think its a fuse. If you've replaced ALL the fuses, I'd then suspect the light socket is welded together, and keeps blowing the fuses. Do what sonny said, dissconnect the problem light before replacing any more fuses, and see if the rest of the lights work, and go from there. The signals and brake lights working with no running lights sounds like a definite ground issue. Sometimes on those tilt trailers, you'll lose the ground thru the trailer. I run a separate ground to each light to remedy this problem......its 99% of all trailer light issues!! Thats about all I can do from here bud! Good luck! You only have till wed to get er working Sinker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckster Posted January 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 thanks everyone........ im gonna tackle this in the morning. I took out my manual and there is another fuse box under the seat like sonny said..... for the trailer park lights.... i havent looked to see if that was blown. As for the Lturn/rturn fuses they are fine. Its hard to tell if fuse 32 is blown cause its a diffrent kinda fuse. I wish i had more experience with this stuff but im gonn giver crap in the am......... I want to at least get out on sunday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonny Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Hope all goes well,,keep us informed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernie Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 (edited) The reason I said to check the output at the back first is to save time. If they work there, that's it, you are done there. No searching for fuses. Then you can get on to the trailer. You said you wanted it fixed in a hurry. It was tried on two different vehicles with NO lights. Law of average it is in the trailer. Edited January 17, 2009 by Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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