deltamaster
Middletown, New york
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I have a significant voltage drop on the turn signal circuit of my 2004 Four Winds Fun Mover (Class C) on the E-450 Chassis.
The front works fine but the rear has the voltage drop enough that the turn signals are not much brighter than the running lights AND the trailer plug turn signals are barely visible.
Any thoughts about where the problem might be or where I should look first?
I did notice that the manufacturer wired the tail lights, turn signals, etc at the rear of the rig in to the circuit that is fused by the "TRAILER" fuse under the hood.
Is it possible that Four Winds wired the rig incorrectly?
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snowdance
Yreka, Ca
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Always hard to tell how it was wired. But low voltage in lights often goes back to a bad ground. Look for the Ground wire from the rear lights and check the connection to the frame. Often it may have been installed over paint or undercoat or rusted. Take it apart and clean the connection. Thats the most common reason.
Snowdance
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admiral0647
Illinois
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I agree to inspect for improper ground.
When I had problems with trailer wiring in the 2004 E-350 class C I used to have, I learned Ford powers trailer lighting through a relay. I suspect this is so the amperage needed does not go through the regular truck lighting circuits.
Anyway, after further investigation I learned the relay is not a separate fixture, but integrated into the Central Junction Box (CJB) which is the fuse pannel under the dash. You might be able to measure the voltage at the relay - fuse.
BTW, as tempting as it is, it is never a good idea to install a larger fuse then the manufacturer specifies, since you could easily burn wires or cause larger problems.
Good luck with your problem, and lets hope it is a correctable grounding problem.
Jim
I started with nothing... and have most of it left.
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WyoTraveler
Powell, WY
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Bad ground. Sometimes the manufacturers don't use a chassis ground on the trailer harness. If that is the case you may want to pick up a chassis ground on the rear of the vehicle on the TV side of the plug and also make sure you have a good battery ground at the battery.
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garyhaupt
Back living in Kitimat..northern BC.
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I also vote for the bad ground and from experience, pop off the lenses on the rear light assembly, reset the bulbs and tighten the ground screw on each side, also, an application didactic spray would not be out of line while doing all the bulb/screw stuff.
Gary Haupt
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WyoTraveler
Powell, WY
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Didactic spray. Now there is a $20 word. You mean that stuff that Radio Shack sells that used to be for those old mechanical TV sets? Shows how old I am getting. I still call it TV tuner contact cleaner. LOL
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admiral0647
Illinois
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I might be mistaken, but my dictionary says "Didactic spray" is instructional spray.
Did the poster mean "dielectric spray"? That would be a non conductive spray or grease used to insulate and prevent corrosion, among other things.
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garyhaupt
Back living in Kitimat..northern BC.
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admiral0647 wrote:I might be mistaken, but my dictionary says "Didactic spray" is instructional spray.
Did the poster mean "dielectric spray"? That would be a non conductive spray or grease used to insulate and prevent corrosion, among other things.
yes...I miththpelled.
Gary Haupt
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deltamaster
Middletown, New york
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Joined: 04/23/2004
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Here is what I have done so far:
Disassembled the rear light cover on the rig and tested all the lights.
There are 4 red lights, one white light and two plate lights.
The white light is for the backup circuit--- that works properly.
The plate lights seem to work properly.
The 4 red lights (two on each side) are for brake, turn and running lights on the outboard light and running only on the inboard light. The lights are sealed units much like found on dump trucks and such that have three little plug holes in them. The connector on the wiring harness has the contacts and plug in to the lighting unit. I have removed and reinstalled all the lights in the rear panel so the contacts have been manipulated. They have some sort of grease on them already that seems to have prevented corrosion.
The wiring from the rear panel is a spaghetti-mess of about 5 feet more cabling than needed. It twists back and forth at the rear frame horns and then makes it's way down the frame.
The part that I am having the most trouble with is the trailer plug.
The running lights have sufficient power. It is the brake/turn that is deficient.
I tested using the ground on the plug and then I used a test lead directly from the frame with the same results so I am confident it is not a ground problem.
The rear lights are grounded from a lead that comes from the front of the vehicle which I have yet to chase back.
It has been raining all day so I have not gone out to do any more diagnosing today.
I already knew about the fuse in the engine compartment. All the fuses were the first thing I checked.
Does anyone know if the E-450 cutaway van chassis is wired for the tail lights separately from the trailer lights?
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rongtamw
Johnstown
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I would compare the brightness of the tail lights versus the directional and brake lights.If the tail lights are brighter than the stoplights.I would guess the wires were switched at some point.Good luck
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