Posted 2010-09-20 5:12 AM (#125028) Subject: hot wires
Regular
Posts: 85 Location: Foothills of the Smokeys
I have a trail boss interior when I turn the lights on in the horse area I can smell wires smoking and the wires in fuse box is hot. Trailer is 2004 any suggestions.
Posted 2010-09-20 9:35 AM (#125042 - in reply to #125028) Subject: RE: hot wires
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Look for a light that isn't working. It sounds as if one of the light's hot wire is partially shorted to ground. You can try pulling the fuse and making sure the spade contacts are clean and not arcing.
If neither are a cause, you'll have to trace the wiring route, to find where the wire's insulation has chaffed against a rough edge of the metal. Look where the wire passes through drilled holes, and over the edges of extrusions for damaged insulation. If the location of the short isn't found, pull the fuse to prevent the possibility of a fire. You may have to then run a new source wire.
Posted 2010-09-20 1:24 PM (#125056 - in reply to #125049) Subject: RE: hot wires
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by mud_dog on 2010-09-20 11:20 AM
The only wire getting hot is the ground wire in the fuse box I disconnected it and run a jumper to the frame and it still gets hot. No lights are out.
Do you mean that it is hot to the touch?? or electrically "hot" .. carrying current??
if the green or bare ground wire has power, then the black wire is leaking, touching, the body of the unit...and/or the neutral is not connected back to the panel
Posted 2010-09-20 7:53 PM (#125072 - in reply to #125028) Subject: RE: hot wires
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
If you've checked all the connections, consider the lights. Did someone add more lights or changed the bulbs? The fuse should prevent the overload but, that could have been up sized improperly too.
Posted 2010-09-21 9:29 AM (#125088 - in reply to #125028) Subject: RE: hot wires
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Try a jumper cable from the ground lug of the electrical panel to the neg batterry terminal. This bypasses the hot ground wire completely. Then turn on your lights. If the wire doesn't heat, then the causes could be an internal break in the wire, a poor frame connection at either the battery or panel.
hot wires
