Troubleshooting Wiring On Truck And Trailer That Keeps Blowing Fuses When Connected

Question:

I have a 2014 ram truck that blows the fuse when I connect trailer with lights on. If I turn light off everything works fine

asked by: Ronnie B

Expert Reply:

It sounds like you have a short in the trailer wiring. You will need a circuit tester like part # PTW2993 and test each of the pins on the trailer connector with the trailer disconnected. have someone run through all of the functions while you test each pin. If that checks out move on to the trailer.

Visibly check the trailer connector for any signs of corrosion or damage. Then use a 12V battery and test the trailer without being attached to the truck. You may have a broken or loose wire causing the short. Look for a part of the wire that is bare and touching metal causing the problem and fix as needed.

If everything checks out on the trailer, the problem may be that the trailer lights are drawing more power than the vehicle system can handle. You can test this by disconnecting some of the lights and see if that causes fuses to blow. If you do not, then you may want to consider switching to LED trailer lights since LEDs draw much less power than incandescent lights do.

expert reply by: Jeffrey L