Troubleshooting Trailer Lights Blowing Fuses on Multiple Vehicles

Question

Question:

I keep blowing fuses on every vehicle I plug into, it happens when the lights are on for a few minutes and I go down the road they blow. Had lights on continuing for 5 hours then drove it half a mile and blew… I have hooked up a jumper with 300 amps and can’t get anything to spark anywhere by wiggly all the wires… is it possible that the light itself is causing the short?

asked by: JohnEric C

0

Expert Reply:

This is either a short in the wiring or the power draw from your lights is too much for the circuit to handle. I recommend actually inspecting the wiring for a short. Although wiggling it is not a bad idea, it still could be hard to simulate what is going on while you're driving. It is also a good idea to check out your trailer connector. Make sure it isn't damaged and is free of corrosion.

If you aren't able to find a short it might be best to switch to LED lights which draw far less power. I have attached a link below to all of our trailer LED lights. If you already have LED lights then I would consider rewiring the trailer using the # A35W42B.

expert reply by: Robin H

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Answer 1

It sounds like there is a short circuit that is overloading the running light circuit in the tow package wiring on your tow vehicle. The most likely culprit is a dirty or corroded trailer connector on the vehicle or trailer if not both. The first…

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Answer 2

My suspicion is that you have a poor ground connection somewhere on your trailer. The fact that everything works fine until the running lights are turned on is the dead giveaway. When the tail lights are turned on, the trailer lighting is drawing…

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Answer 3

Most likely your old harness shorted due to a short on the trailer wiring and that is why it got damaged and needed to be replaced. Since you replaced the wiring of your trailer you should be good now. Sorry to hear about the problems you had with…

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Answer 4

You have a short circuit somewhere that is causing the fuse to blow. To determine where the short is start by disconnecting the trailer from the tow vehicle. Replace the fuse and then use a circuit tester such as #PTW2992 to test the vehicle side…

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Answer 5

Since it is only happening on your new trailer we know that the problem is in the trailer wiring and not your 2021 Ram. What is odd is the time delay for the fuse to blow. Generally if there is a wiring short it will blow at random times and not…

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Answer 6

It sounds like something is causing a short circuit in the wiring of the Curt harness you mentioned in your question. I recommend checking all of the connections the harness is making to your vehicle to see if there is anything out of place that may…

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Answer 7

The limit to the amount of lights you can connect to any given circuit on a trailer connector is up to several factors. Primarily it depends on what the vehicle side trailer wiring harness is rated for. If it is factory wiring then this information…

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Answer 8

LED lights draw considerably less amperage than incandescent lights. They also run much cooler. These 2 features are why LED lights last so long. The incandescent version of #STL8RB is #ST8RB and it draws 2.5 amps for the stop/turn signal functions…

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Answer 9

I checked with Ranger and the current generation of the Trailer RT188 uses the 6 inch oval tail lights. For those the Miro-Flex Trailer Tail Light #STL22RB is a great option for an LED upgrade. These lights use pigtail #A47PB and will fit the mounts…

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Answer 10

One main difference between LED lights and incandescents is the amount of power each one draws. I did a little research and found that if you were to have LEDs and incandescents on the same circuit, it would be too much power draw for the LEDs…

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Answer 11

The difference between the Class II and Class III hitches has to do with their Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), their Tongue Weight (TW), and their Hitch Receiver Size. Class II trailer hitch receivers have a 1-1/4 inch receiver and can be rated up to…

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Answer 12

A 4-Way trailer connector has the basic lighting functions only; running lights, left turn signal and brake lights, right turn signal and brake lights, and ground. A 7-Way has these functions and a 12 volt circuit, a circuit for electric trailer…

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Troubleshooting Trailer Lights Blowing Fuses on Multiple Vehicles

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