This all started out with me thinking it was a trailer problem. Not!!!! I have been working with a couple guys on trying to find this problem over at the shop they work at, they found that when the running lights are on, if you pull the fuse thats in the panel under the dash, nothing happens, but if you pull the fuse in the power distribution center, the trucks lights and the trailers lights blow. I am confused. I thought the fuse panel on the inside left of the dash that has the 15A fuse that says parking lamps is just for that, parking lamps. I also thought that the power distribution center was where the wiring for the trailer plugs was supposed to be wired into. I also found out that on my truck the ground for the trailering was connected to the body, got that changed over to the frame. Any ideas on this little dilema i'm having?

 

Do you have a manual? If not, I do.

 

i have no manual. What do i need that for?

 

Did you add on any trailer wiring? or is this all stock. When you pulled the fuse and the other blew was the trailer hooked up?

 

the trailer was plugged in when the fuse was pulled out. The fuse doesn't blow when the other is taken out. The one i took out is a fuse for nothing. The plugs were there when we got the truck.

 

Sorry, I thought you were describing an electrical problem with your truck. Schematics and wiring diagrams are handy to have when troubleshooting.

 

I don't have a manual, but it would be great to see some electrical schematics. I went to the dealership yesterday to talk to them about my problem. They service guy said that sometimes dodge might overlook how much current a trailer may draw so they don't stick the maximum size fuse in the box. He told me to up the fuse from a 15A to a 20A and it should be okay.

While I was there, they had an '02 3500 just like mine and I told them about the fuse in the dash fuse panel for the parking lights that when you pull it, nothing happens. Well he opened it up and turned the lights on and pulled the fuse, sure enough, the lights stayed on. They were kinda baffled at that.

They also told me that dodge did a crappy job of grounding their trucks. I am also thinking this might have something to do with it. I am taking the trailer to lexington this weekend, we'll see how it does with the mods the trailer place did to it. If that doesn't work, i'll drop a 20A fuse in there and if it blows that, then she is going to the dealership to get serviced.

 

If you pulled the fuse for the lights and the lights are still on then you are getting feedback from somewhere in the circuit.

Hopefully the guys who added the wiring for the trailer were not electrically challenged .

Its very hard to find a good auto technician who has a good electrical back ground and can troubleshoot.


Good luck

Jason

 

Jason hit the nail on the head - electrical stuff is freakin' magic to most of the auto techs I know.

As a sometimes electrical engineer it constantly amazes me that people do not understand the basics of electricity. I reckon that it is a good thing that you do not have to know the theory behind what you are using or there would be alot of people living in the dark and walking everywhere.

On our trucks you need to ground everything separately and, in my typical wiring overkill fashion, isolate the trailer circuits from the truck through relays. That way you can drop the trailer in a lake and not touch the truck wiring. The trailer wiring is marginal from the factory and LEDs on the trailer are the only way to keep from potentially over-amping the stock trailer wiring setup.

 

ted is your brake control for your trailer hooked to the stock plug under the dash .should be a blue plug end going off the brake control to the plug under the dash, left side near the fuse panel.the reason i am asking this is that this is the stock set up and if you have that then your wiring stuff in the back is most likely stock.hope this helps

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by redramnc
Jason hit the nail on the head - electrical stuff is freakin' magic to most of the auto techs I know.

As a sometimes electrical engineer it constantly amazes me that people do not understand the basics of electricity. I reckon that it is a good thing that you do not have to know the theory behind what you are using or there would be alot of people living in the dark and walking everywhere.

On our trucks you need to ground everything separately and, in my typical wiring overkill fashion, isolate the trailer circuits from the truck through relays. That way you can drop the trailer in a lake and not touch the truck wiring. The trailer wiring is marginal from the factory and LEDs on the trailer are the only way to keep from potentially over-amping the stock trailer wiring setup. On our trucks you need to ground everything separately and, in my typical wiring overkill fashion, isolate the trailer circuits from the truck through relays. That way you can drop the trailer in a lake and not touch the truck wiring. The trailer wiring is marginal from the factory and LEDs on the trailer are the only way to keep from potentially over-amping the stock trailer wiring setup. {/QUOTE]

I agree 100% on that one!

 

The Brake controller that i have is a Voyager XP by Tekonsha. It is wired into a connector under the dash, so therefore I am assuming it was put on factory. I pulled it this weekend with the fix from the trailer place and had zero problems except that we bought a horse.

Hopefully she will turn out to be great, we bought her cause she is in foal to Luke At Me who is a heck of a stallion. The mare we bought is an off the track Thoroughbred with 1 win and $8,900 in earnings, this is too funny, we always talked about never owning a race horse let alone a thoroughbred. Guess we'll see what she does in a couple when the foal pops out.