Electric Trailer Jack Light Comes On but Motor Does Not Run

Question:

I have a dead electric jack. There is only one wire from this jack to the battery with a little box inline fuse ?,there is no way to open the inline box/fuse. The single wire hooks to the positive side of the battery ?, there is no Ground wire ?! The light comes on with the on/off switch but the hitch wont go up or down and makes no noises. This lift is only a year old and has had very little use. Camp trailers suck !

asked by: Jack

Expert Reply:

I do not think the fuse is blown because the light still comes on. It sounds like the motor has gone out. This could happen from over extending a jack or overloading it. If the jack is connected to a battery mounted on the trailer, the battery may not have enough juice to power on the motor but just the light.

Take the battery off and have it tested. For a battery charger, use NOCO Genius Smart Batter Charger - AC to DC - 6V/12V - 5 Amp Item # 329-GENIUS5. This charger works much better than a trickle charger and can revive a battery unless it is completely dead. The 12 volt circuit from a trailer connector is not substantial enough to up-charge a battery, it can only maintain the charge level the battery already has.

The jack grounds through where it mounts. You can take a look at that area and clean out any corrosion that you see. This will require removing the jack and inspecting the mounting surface and bolt holes.

expert reply by: Michael H