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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / RVs / July 2006Finding taillight short, part 2
I have a 75 TravelMate and a 2001 Toyota Sienna. The camper is new to us, and has a short in the taillights that blows the Sienna's taillight fuse every time I turn the headlights on. I have removed all the bulbs and visually inspected the fixtures and wiring. With all bulbs removed, I have used an ohmmeter to check continuity at the connector. When testing taillight wire to the ground on the connector, it shows continuity with all bulbs removed. Neither the right turn/brake nor left turn/brake shows continuity with all bulbs removed. Here are my questions: When I check for continuity in the connector on the Sienna, it shows the same thing--no continuity between right turn/brake and ground or left turn/brake and ground, but there is continuity between taillights and ground. Why would both the tow vehicle and trailer show continuity between taillights and ground? I was thinking that if there is continuity on the trailer with all bulbs out, there must be a short in the wiring, but I don't understand why it is the same way on the tow vehicle. How do I go about tracking down where this short is? I have been working on this for a couple of weeks. I finally gave up on Monday and called to take it in to the RV place that did the wiring on the Sienna and they couldn't schedule me until August 31. We're planning on going camping next week, so I guess I'm stuck figuring this out myself. > I have a 75 TravelMate and a 2001 Toyota Sienna. The camper is new to > us, and has a short in the taillights that blows the Sienna's taillight [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > planning on going camping next week, so I guess I'm stuck figuring this > out myself. Looking into the truck you are probably seeing some light bulbs in that circuit. Pretty hard to tell the difference between a bulb and a short. Why don't the right turn and left turn in the tow vehicle show continuity with bulbs in? Just trying to understand what I'm doing. > > I have a 75 TravelMate and a 2001 Toyota Sienna. The camper is new to > > us, and has a short in the taillights that blows the Sienna's taillight [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > Looking into the truck you are probably seeing some light bulbs in that > circuit. Pretty hard to tell the difference between a bulb and a short. > Why don't the right turn and left turn in the tow vehicle show > continuity with bulbs in? Just trying to understand what I'm doing. [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] >> that circuit. Pretty hard to tell the difference between a bulb and >> a short. You will get a open circuit (continunity) if there is a short - sounds like the blinker circuit is ok to me, remember it will be only the tail lights because as you state it blows fuses when you turn the lights on. 1. Start from the plug check that the wiring is the same as for the car and that there is no pinched wires or stray strands of wire anywhere this goes for the connector on the car as well as the trailer. 2. Check the wire harness of the trailer for any damage. 3. make sure none of the wiring for the lights is touching anything inside the light housing, undo all the wiring and clean out the terminals if you have to, it only takes one strand of wire to short the lot out. 4. If all else fails replace all the wiring to the tail light (one wire)either yourself or a auto eletrcian. lushy >> Why don't the right turn and left turn in the tow vehicle show >> continuity with bulbs in? Just trying to understand what I'm doing. [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > wire)either yourself or a auto eletrcian. > lushy All good points. Just a comment that an open circuit is "no continuity"!! I know you know better:-). Without a wiring diagram of the tow vehicle we can't off hand explain any reading there. They may short the lines to ground when not in use. Anyway, as you are saying the problem is in the trailer No matter what it may take a lot of work to locate that short. Anyway, the readings have isolated the short to the running light & tail line lines. And it is not in the turn signal/brake lights. How do the lamps get their grounds on your trailer? If there is no apparent visible short in the wires, I would first check the lamp housings. I think I might begin by unscrewing the lamp housings one at a time and pulling them out so that there is no ground. Any guesses as to if it is more likely in the tail light or in a running light? > No matter what it may take a lot of work to locate that short. > > Anyway, the readings have isolated the short to the running light & tail > line lines. And it is not in the turn signal/brake lights. > > How do the lamps get their grounds on your trailer? A screw through the metal plate that holds the socket goes through the white ground wire, which is screwed onto the trailer tongue. > If there is no apparent visible short in the wires, I would first check > the lamp housings. > > I think I might begin by unscrewing the lamp housings one at a time > and pulling them out so that there is no ground. Okay. I'm not exactly sure what you mean. Do you mean to disconnect the ground wires from the socket plate? What would I be looking for or what would I be testing? I'm thinking the problem must be with the hot wire somehow making contact with metal on the camper. Is that a correct assumption? I've inspected all along the wire as far as it is visible and at all the points that it is clipped to the frame. > Any guesses as to if it is more likely in the tail light or in a running > light? The left rear tail/turn/brake light was initially giving me fits with the wires to the bulb loose in the socket. The wiring didn't match the rest of the trailer, there was some rainwater inside the fixture, and the wiring was corroded. Also, the taillights came on the first time I tried them, and the fuse blew when I jiggled the bulb in that problematic tail light to try to get it to come on. I was sure the problem would be there. But I replaced the socket and cut all the wires and made new, tight connections. The brake/turn signal works great now, but I still have the short. All the other lights *look* fine. Thank you for your help so far.
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