Gooseneck wiring problems.

[Got Smoke?]

Just got through completely re-wiring our new to us goose. Got everything all wired up and only had brake lights and turn signals! :--) #@$%!



Figured it might be the ground because we used the ground in the plug, instead of grounding straight to the trailer. We cut a small piece of insulation out at the neck and used a jumper to check and see if we could get running lights by grounding to the neck. STILL did not have any running lights, but brakes & turns. Got fed up, cleaned up, figured I'd come up here and post. When pulling the trailer back around to the backyard to unhook my ABS light came on. Instantly knew my 20amp mini "tail lamp fuse" was blown. Replaced fuse..... light went out. I knew this because when I brought this trailer home it blew my 20amp mini fuse as well as the 40amp under the hood! :--) That's when we started looking and figured out we had to completely rewire. I figure maybe now it has a better ground, but still not enough?



Any idea's, thoughts, suggestions? Should we go back and hardwire the ground on the neck and see if that fixes it?

 

[KWentling]

If you have brake and turn lights, the frame is grounded. Blowing the fuse for the brakes indicates a short to ground in the brake wiring. I'd look close where the wires enter the backing plates. As far as the running lights go, get out you're test light and start at the trucks plug and work you're way back and see where you loose power. Each light should be grounded to the frame and you may have problems there but it's not likely that all of them would be having issues, and if the brake/turn lights are in the same fixture, you know they have a good ground. Double check the connections in the trailer plug and make sure you don't have a stray strand on you're brake wire and also that the marker light wire is in the correct possition. Hope this helps.



Kim

 

[B.G. Smith]

A bad ground shoulld not blow the fuse. Check the orientation of the trailer plug wiring. To match the truck it should be (looking at the face of the trailer plug) from the top going clockwise, running lights, right turn/stop, ground, brakes, left turn/stop, battery and the center is back up lights. bg

 

[Got Smoke?]

If you have brake and turn lights, the frame is grounded. Blowing the fuse for the brakes indicates a short to ground in the brake wiring. I'd look close where the wires enter the backing plates.

Well the brakes aren't hooked up just yet, all we got done was the lights. If the brakes aren't hooked up I still can't understand what cause the 20amp mini fuse to blow?



I will check the truck's plug tomorrow after work sense several people have suggested that. Yes all the lights ground to the mounting plate they are on, and I checked every one before installing because I soldered them all. Someone told me today that a stray strand could cause the fuse to blow, and I thought I remembered seeing one before putting the plug back together. I will take it apart and see as well.

Thanks Kim



BG you list 7 wires my plug is only 6.



Top-clockwise

Running lights, LT/Stop, Ground, Brakes, RT/Stop, center is Aux. That's the diaghram the trailer shop I bought my 6-strand wire from drew up for me and that's how I wired it. It matched the plug and the way it was wired when I took it apart.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Do you have the six pin connector on the truck or are you using a seven to six adapter? If using an adapter, make sure it's not being inserted upside down. Most won't work that way but I ran into one on my sons Chevy (don't know where I went wrong raising him ) , the only thing that worked was brake lights/turn signals but they were crossed. bg

 

[AggieJustin]

And if you have a 6 pin plug on the truck, make sure the wiring in the plug matches up to what you're doing with the trailer. There are two wiring schemes with the 6 pin, one is center hot, the other is center brake.



As for the ground, any time I work on trailer wiring I ground into the neck. I use the ground wire from the plug on the truck, and feed it directly to the neck of the trailer to ensure a good ground.



Last thought... you don't have a short in the trailer plug where you connected all the wires, do you? With those six pin plugs with the terminals on the back, I've see stray wires running between terminals cause funny behavior.