exterior lights problem

[hywayman]

I've just purchased a 2000 Jayco Eagle M-10SG PUP. When I towed it home none of the exterior lights would work -  running (clearance) lights, brake lights, turn signals nor even the patio light. The interior lights work fine as does the propane leak detector and though I haven't put water in the tank when I turn on the water pump it does come on.

More details: The PUP has a rectangular 6-way jack (2 rows of 3 pins each) on the tongue with pins for ground, charge, clearance, right turn/stop, left turn/stop and one blank. The PUP came with a cable with a matching 6-pin connector on one end for the PUP itself and a 7-pin connector for the TV on the other.

Here's what I've tried so far:

I've towed with my TV before (1999 Mercury Villager), but only with a 4-way connector. I added a 7-way adapter and everything checked out with my multimeter, but to be sure I connected it to a friends trailer and everything works fine so there isn't a problem there.

With the PUP cable connected to the TV and disconnected from the PUP I checked the pins with my multimeter for the clearance lights and turn signal lights and saw the voltages I would expect. Now that I think about it I didn't test the brake connection though. To double-check the results I did get I disconnected the PUP cable completely and checked the resistance across the appropriate connectors. None of the results were more than 3 ohms. This doesn't appear to be the source of the problem.

I'm not sure this next test is valid, but I then used my multimeter to check the resistance across each circuit connector on the PUP jack to the ground of the jack. The thought was that this should create a closed loop if everything is correct. IE connecting one pole of the multimeter to the ground and the other to the clearance pin should complete the circuit and generate little resistance. Each circuit generated less than 10 ohms resistance. This seems too low - especially for the clearance circuit which has 7 bulbs on it, but at least it should indicate that there are no broken wires anywhere - assuming there aren't any short circuits.

I've tried to clean all of the pins and other parts of the various connectors with contact cleaning fluid, but that didn't seem to help any.

I removed each external bulb and checked it with the multimeter. Each seemed fine in and of itslef, but while doing this I located a disconnected wire (white which should mean that it was a ground) that should have gone to the 1/4 inch 12 volt outlet on the outside porch light fixture. I tried to fix it with electrical tape, but I doubt it worked so this may be the cause of some/all of the problem(s) though I wouldn't think so.

As I put one of the bulbs back in the tail-light housing part of the bulb base came loose so I bought a new one. Now the turn signals work, but still nothing else.

I'm going to try more cleaning solution and need to get under the PUP to check the wiring and especially the ground but wanted to see if anyone has any other ideas.

Thanks,
Mark

[wavery]

Here is a standard trailer wiring diagram for most of the common plugs:
http://www.accessconnect.com/trailer_wiring_diagram.htm

I've never seen the kind that you are describing. Could it be that the previous owner jerri-rigged the wiring to his own definitions?

I think that I would make a jumper wire and find a hot lead on the TV. Jump from that known working power to each of the pins on the trailer connector to see what (if anything) lights. ID the pins as you discover what they work. Of course identify the ground pin first and avoid that. I would run a separate ground jumper from a good ground on the trailer to a good ground on the TV. Don't depend on getting a good ground through the hitch.

BTW, your interior lights and porch light work off of your camper's battery. You may just have a burned out bulb on your porch light.

[harleywolf]

I agree with Wavery try jumping the circuits and see what you get. It does sound though that you may have a ground issue with the PUP or possibly even a fuse somewhere.

It sounds as though you tested the TV plug and adaptor with good results. The easiest way to diagnose electrical is to start at the end of the circuit and work backwards till you find juice, the problem will lie from there forward (but it sounds as you know this already). I wouldn

[wavery]

I just had another thought :yikes:  (this late at night :confused: ).

 :book: You made this statement:
"More details: The PUP has a rectangular 6-way jack (2 rows of 3 pins each) on the tongue with pins for ground, charge, clearance, right turn/stop, left turn/stop and one blank. The PUP came with a cable with a matching 6-pin connector on one end for the PUP itself and a 7-pin connector for the TV on the other." :yikes:

Some vehicles have a separate wire for the stop lights and one wire for each T/S. Other cars have the T/S and stop lights integrated. You state, "with pins for ground, charge, clearance, right turn/stop, left turn/stop and one blank". I'm curious how you know this or if you may be guessing. Could it be that the trailer is designed for one system and your TV is the other? Just a thought.....

The other thing is.....I never like those adapter cables... That would be my 1st suspect.

[aw738]

Wavery, this may be what he is refering to. This is the OEM connector on my PU. The dealer installed a 7 pole bargman on the TV end of the factory supplied pig tail.

[wavery]

Wavery, this may be what he is refering to. This is the OEM connector on my PU. The dealer installed a 7 pole bargman on the TV end of the factory supplied pig tail.

If it were my trailer, I would cut that plug off and install a new 7 pole bargman on the trailer side. Those adapters are just an added possibility for corrosion problems. Those little pins on that type of plug tend to corrode more easily than the 7 pole bargman also.

It's a real nuisance to have wiring problems while you are on the road or at the campsite trying to leave to go home. The time to head those problems off is at home when the trailer is not in use.

Most corrosion happens to any trailer plug while the camper is sitting in storage and the plug is exposed to the weather. If you store your trailer outside, it's a very good idea to make sure that your trailer plug is not exposed to the elements.

[curryp]

If you store your trailer outside, it's a very good idea to make sure that your trailer plug is not exposed to the elements.

What do you recommend to do this? I thought about a ziploc bag with ziptie but think condensation would build up and that would be worse.

[AustinBoston]

If it were my trailer, I would cut that plug off and install a new 7 pole bargman on the trailer side. Those adapters are just an added possibility for corrosion problems. Those little pins on that type of plug tend to corrode more easily than the 7 pole bargman also.

Years ago, the military came to the conclusion that the number one problem they had with electronics was with connectors.  I'm with you, if you can eliminate a 6-pin connector (that adds NO value to the owner, BTW) , you've eliminated six potential problems.

Austin

[hywayman]

Thanks for the support!

Wavery, I know which pins are which on the connector on the tongue because it was installed by Jayco and the wiring information is in the manual - which I probably need to scan in and figure out how to add it to the manuals section.

aw738, that is exactly the connector I'm talking about. One side is built into the tongue and even has a little door to cover it when the adapter cable isn't connected.

I forgot to mention that I've already tried connecting a fuseable link between the hot charge pin and the other pins except the ground. Nothing happened until I managed to somehow get the turn signal lights to work.

I'll trace the wiring back from the tongue and see what I can come up with. I may well cut everything off and put some new wiring in place. I was hoping to avoid this, just get it working and grease everything up, but it may be easier said than done. Especially since the trailer really hasn't been used for several years.

[Campaholics]

Curryp,

The best thing for the connectors is dielectric grease.  You can get it at an automotive store.  Start by cleaning the connectors with sandpaper, not emry cloth, and then flush with contact cleaner.  Then coat the contacts with a generous amount of the dielectric grease.  It won't look nice, but you will have at least three years of good connections from one treatment.
 
Bob

[wavery]

Thanks for the support!

Wavery, I know which pins are which on the connector on the tongue because it was installed by Jayco and the wiring information is in the manual - which I probably need to scan in and figure out how to add it to the manuals section.

That's good research but it's not conclusive because this is a 7-year-old, 2nd hand trailer. Are you sure that the previous owner didn't change anything around? This is VERY common.

Also, do the brake lights work off of your T/S circuit on your TV trailer connector?

[curryp]

Thanks Bob - I use dielectric grease on the inside wiring of the boat. I have a tuble of the grease in the boat now and will use it tomorrow on the snowmobile trailer, camper trailer and boat trailer. Thanks for the tip.

[hywayman]

You're right, I can't guarantee that nothing was changed though it doesn't seem so - the "charge" pole gives me a 12+ volt reading on the multimeter and the left turn/right turn poles activate the appropriate light now that they work.

The brake lights do work when I connect the TV to another trailer.

Now here's the kicker: My church was sponsoring an overnight campout and everyone wanted to go. Since the turn signals were working and the trip both directions would be in daylight I decided to chance the trip. One of my kids got sick so we came home (just arrived as a matter of fact) and all of the lights worked! The only thing that makes any sense is that I haven't had the PUP hitched to the TV for any of the other testing so it must be finding a ground through the hitch. This would also explain the mild flickering as we went around sharp corners. I don't know how the turn signals would work if the ground were bad, but this gives me something to check on since I'm not going to want to trust the hitch to be the ground path.