Electrical Problem

[VickyS]

Hi.  We got a new towing vehicle and had the hitch and wiring put on it.  We popped up our camper last weekend for the first and decided to check the wiring.  The right blinker and brake light didn't work on the camper. Tried a new bulb, nothing. Took the TV to the dealer that put on the hitch and he said it was a blown fuse but he suspects there is a problem in the camper.  Came home, hooked up the electric to the TV and they work but the blinkers flash really, really fast instead of normal speed.  Apparently there is an electrical problem but I have no idea where to look.  I guess I need to take the TV and the camper out to the dealer and have it checked.  He said it would probably be $75 to trace it and repair the wire.  Any thoughts on this?  We never had a problem before.
Thanks.
Vicky

[treephiz]

if your not into wiring and checking wiring, 75 dollars might not be a bad price to pay for peice of mind because you might find part of a problem and get half way to your destination and have another problem during your trip.  If you trust your mechanic and their abilities, I would spend the 75 bucks.

good luck

[treephiz]

if your not into wiring and checking wiring, 75 dollars might not be a bad price to pay for peice of mind.  You might find part of a problem and get half way to your destination and have another problem during your trip.  If you trust your mechanic and their abilities, I would spend the 75 bucks.

good luck

[Jim K in PA]

If the lights are working, but the turn signals are blinking very fast, it is not likely an electrical fault, but rather an incorrect signal flasher.  Replace your standard/OEM flasher for a "heavy duty" flasher, available at any auto parts store.  That should return the blinkers to normal speed.

Old style flasher units are a bi-metal spring type that make/break contact based on heat (amperage through the contacts).  By adding trailer lights to your tow vehicle circuit, you add load (current), which heats the bi-metal contacts faster, causing them to make/break contact faster.  A "heavy duty" flasher is nothing more than the same kind of unit with heavier gauge bi-metal contacts.  Hope that makes sense.

[VickyS]

I called and made an appointment to take it in. I don't want any problems.  Thanks for the advise
Vicky

[VickyS]

Well, after taking the car and the pop up to the RV dealer they decided that it was a problem between the Ford Mariner and the pop up. Where they said they should have relays  they only have fuses.  Their suggestion is to put LED lights in the brake lights of the camper. They said they take less power and that should correct the problem. They ordered some and they should be here next week. Anyone ever heard of doing this?
Vicky

[treephiz]

i think i would want a second opinion.  did your tv come with a factory towing hitch?  You can call or stop by your local ford/murcury dealer and ask them if something has been changed.

[coach]

Sounds like the trailer lights are too much of a load for the Mercury Mariner.

I would of thought they would of used a 'modulite'. It provides power to the trailer lights directly from the battery so that the vehicle wires/fuse are not overloaded.

I guess using LEDs to reduce the load is one solution.

Take it back and have it done right

modulite or  T-one

[flyfisherman]

Well, after taking the car and the pop up to the RV dealer they decided that it was a problem between the Ford Mariner and the pop up. Where they said they should have relays  they only have fuses.  Their suggestion is to put LED lights in the brake lights of the camper. They said they take less power and that should correct the problem. They ordered some and they should be here next week. Anyone ever heard of doing this?
Vicky

I smell a rat in the wood pile ...

Me thinks the RV dealer is sluffing you off to someone else!

For sure the Ford folks should have an answer ... after all, we're only talking a 12v system and I'm sure the TV's battery and alternator can handle the running lights. I suspect (1) maybe the wiring at the connectors is incorrect (2) a faulty ground.


Fly

[treephiz]

I agree!

[wavery]

I smell a rat in the wood pile ...

Me thinks the RV dealer is sluffing you off to someone else!

For sure the Ford folks should have an answer ... after all, we're only talking a 12v system and I'm sure the TV's battery and alternator can handle the running lights. I suspect (1) maybe the wiring at the connectors is incorrect (2) a faulty ground.


Fly

I hope you didn't pay him $75 for that piece of wisdom......:confused: Sounds like somebody likes to sell LED lights......

I agree with Fly....only in the opposite order. Just sounds like a bad ground to me.....very common.

Get yourself a piece of electrical wire about 6-10' long. Hold one end of the wire on the trailer hitch and the other end on the trailer and see if that doesn't solve the problem. It would be best to touch the wire ends to the head of a clean bolt or scratch a small bit of paint off with a pocket knife.

If that gets the lights operating properly, you have a bad ground to the trailer.

The other common problem is inside the trailer or TV connector plug or socket. It's common for one of the tiny wire ends (they use stranded wire) to go astray and touch another connector (that's why I always advise to solder those wire ends). All sorts of weird things can happen when that occurs. I once saw a set-up where the TV engine would not shut-off when the parking lights were on. We traced it back to a hot wire strand touching the bulb wire connection and feeding power back to the engine and the engine would not shut off, even with the key removed from the vehicle. It took us 4 hours to figure that out (that was a long time ago on an old style ignition system).

Did they take those connections apart??