Posted 2013-03-27 9:45 AM (#150890) Subject: finding a bad ground wire
Regular
Posts: 55
I have an on going issue with a bad ground in my 2005 Keifer Built goose neck. I keep blowing 30amp fuses under my hood. The brake lights and signals work but no running lights which I'm told is on a separate circuit. I took it to a garage and they wittled it down to somewhere from the slant wall on up to the goose neck front cavity on the drivers side which I can't get access to to check for a bare or loose wire. They wanted 4-5 hundred $ to tear out my living quarter to check wires, which I checked very well before I put my ceiling in. Is there a junction box in that hollow front area between the inner and outer skin of the trailer? If so, how to get to it and can i somehow replace it or re-route the ground to by pass the bad ground? Any advise would be so much appreciated.
Posted 2013-03-27 10:28 AM (#150896 - in reply to #150890) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
I had a similar problem with our used 4 Star; a bad running light hot wire. The original chase was buried into the trailer's construction, and I was unable to trace the wire, once it was within the box structure of the trailer. The wire was locked into its chase and couldn't be removed.
After completing a gas supply renovation, I had some 3/8" soft copper tubing left over. Attaching some lacing cord to a soft plug, whilst using a compressor, I blew the line through 14 feet of tubing. With the cord then attached to a stranded wire, I pulled it through the tubing. This resulted in a wire within a flexible chase. I then encased the copper tubing in an automotive corrugated plastic conduit to eliminate electrolysis, and fastened it through out the trailer from the bulkhead, and terminated it to a terminal strip I installed for powering the lights.
The original wire was cut and terminated at each end, and the new wire was then used as a feeder. This repair was far easier to effect than trying to replace the original wiring.
Posted 2013-03-28 10:53 AM (#150917 - in reply to #150890) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Regular
Posts: 55
Yes Hosspuller, it's the fuse to the running lights that blows. Gard, I will have to read your post and digest it. I hope it's easier to fix than that.
Posted 2013-03-28 4:20 PM (#150925 - in reply to #150890) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Have you installed anything recently? A screw can easily pierce insulation.
Short of running all new wire... Check each fixture. Look for frayed wire or a contact that is bent and close to touching the frame. Remove each bulb and check the socket too. Try the easy fixes first.
Posted 2013-03-29 6:16 PM (#150951 - in reply to #150890) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Hosspuller and Gard gave you excellent advice...tracking bad wiring is painful and time consuming...PERSONALLY...I favor rewiring the running, brake and tail lights...I think it will be faster and guarantee a successful conclusion...:)
Posted 2013-03-30 8:58 PM (#150972 - in reply to #150890) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Veteran
Posts: 259 Location: Topeka Ks
One has to love electric problems. Especially intermintent ones. My best advice is to install a circuit breaker fuse and run it till it shows itself. If you did not have this problem before the ceiling install. I would concentrate there first. Sorry to say. You may have a pinched wire.Look for the obvious first. Before you cut and pull any wire out, tie your new wire on the old wire. In other words your using the old wire as a pull string. Be careful if the wire is not a straight pull it will break.Hopefully it is a simple fix. My trailer is an 05 too and have found the a couple of crimp taps that corrioded from moisture.
Posted 2013-03-31 10:39 PM (#151009 - in reply to #150890) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Regular
Posts: 55
I have not installed anything since last summer when I was finishing the living quarter. The last time the running lights stopped working we found an unplugged section of wires in the back saddle compartment and fixed that and then replaced a couple of 30 amp fuses in the truck last August and everything worked fine till the trailersat a few months this winter when I went to use it and again the running lights didn't work so I tried a 30 amp bus fuse that my brother had and it worked so I went and bought a regular 30 amp fuse and it would not work, so I put the bus fuse back in and it would not work either. This is enough to drive anyone crazy. I will check running light bulbs and their wires thatenter the fixtures. It may be the moisture from rain and snow (I hope). It's funny how everything was working in nice weather. It could be our rough dirt too. Thank you for you suggestions.
Posted 2013-04-02 9:06 AM (#151049 - in reply to #150890) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Regular
Posts: 55
Justgim, what do you mean by curcuit breaker fuse? In the truck or the fuse box installed in the living quarter of the trailer? To show itself I would think that means to blow? I hope my problem is as simple as yours. Thank you for you advice.
Posted 2013-04-02 9:28 AM (#151050 - in reply to #150890) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
NAPA and other auto parts stores, sell auto reset circuit breakers, that fit into the OEM trucks' fuse holders. The original fuse is removed and the breaker is inserted in it's place. They are sold in a variety of AMP ratings to match the original circuits' capabilities.
We had a BP trailer with an intermittent short in its running lights. Short of completely rewiring the trailer, numerous attempts to find the problem were unsuccessful. After the breaker installation we never again had to replace the fuses, and even after the trailer was sold, the breaker remains in our truck's fuse box.
It has saved many stops during night time travels to replace blown fuses. It automatically resets in seconds after the fault clears. It kept our travels safe and eliminated stops by the various law enforcement agencies.
Posted 2013-04-02 11:15 AM (#151053 - in reply to #150890) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Veteran
Posts: 259 Location: Topeka Ks
Thanks for clarifing Gard. Your tow vechile will have either the regular blade or the mini blade. Make sure that you use the correct size to protect your wiring. Thus if the fuse was a 20a then use a 20a auto rest circuit breaker. If you use a 30a on a 20a circuit then the wiring is overdutied by 10a before the breaker sees the fault.
Posted 2013-04-03 8:46 PM (#151084 - in reply to #150890) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Regular
Posts: 55
Thank you Gard, that was easy to understand. I believe that is what the bus fuse was. It was supposed to reset itself if it blew. It was a 30 AMP, but the slot that I put it in for the runninglights was a 20AMP. Now neither one works Did I ruin something by doing that? I hope not. We thought that possibly there wasn't enough amps to run all the runninglights.
Posted 2013-04-04 12:38 AM (#151086 - in reply to #151084) Subject: RE: finding a bad ground wire
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by reiner11 on 2013-04-03 5:46 PM
Thank you Gard, that was easy to understand. I believe that is what the bus fuse was. It was supposed to reset itself if it blew. It was a 30 AMP, but the slot that I put it in for the runninglights was a 20AMP. Now neither one works Did I ruin something by doing that? I hope not. We thought that possibly there wasn't enough amps to run all the runninglights.
Oh oh... you may have burned up the wire. You're lucky the trailer didn't catch fire. Get a ohm meter and start tracing the wiring from truck through the trailer.
finding a bad ground wire
