Running lights DOA

[medora]

Hi all - the hits just keep coming here. We finally made it to the UP of Michigan after our heating pad freshwater tank fiasco, but now our running lights won’t come on. Everything else works fine - brake lights, turn signals, etc on both tow vehicle and Escape. We’ve cleaned the plug and pins with contact cleaner and blown them out with canned air. We do NOT have a voltmeter with us but will try to get one as we get on our way here. Besides making sure that we are getting voltage through the plug pin that’s set for the running lights - what else can we check? Someone suggested checking the ground on the running lights, but I don’t know where that would even be.

We were hoping to make it home late tonight ... glad we still have some beer left. Our connection up here is awful but I should be able to check again for responses soon as we get back into better range.

Thanks all.

[steve dunham]

My trailer did the same thing , traced it back to a bad / blown fuse in my tow vehicle and a faulty side marker light

[medora]

Steve, so even tho all the lights were running on your tow vehicle fine it was still a blown fuse? And I may be an idiot but what is a side marker light? On the tow vehicle?

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by medora

Steve, so even tho all the lights were running on your tow vehicle fine it was still a blown fuse? And I may be an idiot but what is a side marker light? On the tow vehicle?

The brake and the turn signal lights worked but the yellow & red side marker or running lamps / lights would not
It appeared that the drain hole on one of the running lights had been plugged and the light fixture had filled with water because every thing was corroded / wet inside the fixture

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by medora

Besides making sure that we are getting voltage through the plug pin that’s set for the running lights - what else can we check?

A good place to check is the junction box where the 7 pin connector cable joins the trailer wiring.

But first I'd check that the rear connector on your tug was working. There are inexpensive plug in testers that show if the light circuits are working. Also could be done with a meter.

Originally Posted by steve dunham

My trailer did the same thing , traced it back to a bad / blown fuse in my tow vehicle and a faulty side marker light

Yes, same here on pickup. The lights on the 19 worked perfectly, went to ETI to pickup the 21 and trailer lights didn't work. They have a tester and all the circuits tested OK. Off to the Ford dealer and, yes, it was a strange looking truck fuse, dedicated to trailer lights, that had blown. Never had a problem since.

Ron

[cpaharley2008]

I have always drilled a small hole on the bottom of the marker lights to allow any condensation to escape and dry out.

[Allan Bornestig]

My running lights have gone out a couple of times, blown fuse.Got something to do with my 8 inch large drivinglights on the 250 Ford.My mechanic installed som kind of extra fuse that some times will blow.Always carry extra fuses just in case.All the other lights on the trailer will usually work, but there is something about the running lights.My two cents worth.

[medora]

We checked the fuse - it’s fine. Every auto parts store we go by is closed for the US Labor Day holiday right now so we can’t access a voltmeter or plug tester. But now one half of our Escape lights - the left side - is TOTALLY out, no turn signal, brake OR running light. Based on a post on a Toyota RAV4 forum, I’m concerned our converter box is blown (not that I know what that is ). Thoughts? We are concerned the other side will soon go out and we will be completely stuck.

[Ron in BC]

That narrows it down.

Running lights, stop lights and turn signals are all separate circuits on the 7pin connector.

The one common to both sides are the stop lights.

Probably going way out on a limb but if the stop light on one side works and the one on the other side doesn't there may be a fault inside the trailer.

Is there any possibility that the internal exposed wiring may have been bumped or displaced by stuff stored in that area? I'd have one person inside wiggling any exposed wires in that area while another watches for lights to flash on.

Walmart has trailer stuff like this.https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Greense...RD7DXUGX1UOY6F

Ron

[medora]

Ron thx - are you talking about jiggling wires under the front driver side small side dinette hatch, or the back driver side dinette near the fuse box?

[Vermilye]

One way to determine if it is the trailer or the tow vehicle without a multimeter is to take a fuse & jumper between pin 4 (the charge line) and pin 3 (running lights) on the trailer 7 pin connector. If they light (they will be powered by the trailer battery), the problem is with the truck.

[medora]

We pulled over and a kind guy is helping with his voltmeter. All is good with the tow vehicle. Can’t figure out what the issue is with the Escape. — more soon.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by medora

Ron thx - are you talking about jiggling wires under the front driver side small side dinette hatch, or the back driver side dinette near the fuse box?

I was talking about jiggling any wires that you can see inside at the rear, especially if they're located in a storage area where objects may have dislodged a connection.

Jon's suggestion is a good one and if you haven't found the problem yet try it.

Some folks routinely jumper the connections he's talking about so that their running lights are on overnight when they're parked in places like rest stops.

Ron

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

One way to determine if it is the trailer or the tow vehicle without a multimeter is to take a fuse & jumper between pin 4 (the charge line) and pin 3 (running lights) on the trailer 7 pin connector. If they light (they will be powered by the trailer battery), the problem is with the truck.

I was thinking the same thing. Great troubleshooting trick to take the tow vehicle out of the equation. One could also jumper from +12V to other appropriate pins to test stop lights. Just don’t jumper +12V to ground pin! (Ignore reverse lights on the center pin...Escapes don’t have them) Orient yourself on the plug using the “bump” in the plastic that ensures you plug it in correctly. The bump is at the top or 12 o’clock position when referencing the pictures I have attached.

[medora]

SSOOOOOO ... in the end the culprit was a connector on our RAV4 that led to the 7-pin plug. One of the connection pins had literally disappeared. We NEVER would have figured this out without the generosity of a fella who happened to be in his yard on US Labor Day Monday, working on some jetskis and other miscellany. He took two hours to figure it out, and happened to have a replacement connector on hand.

We offered him money for his help and he refused.

Amazing.
Amazing.
Amazing,

There are still some very good people in the world.
And we also have a new job for our mechanic - hardwiring that in so that we don't have that connector rotting away down there

Thanks for all your help too, folks.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

I was thinking the same thing. Great troubleshooting trick to take the tow vehicle out of the equation. One could also jumper from +12V to other appropriate pins to test stop lights. Just don’t jumper +12V to ground pin! (Ignore reverse lights on the center pin...Escapes don’t have them) Orient yourself on the plug using the “bump” in the plastic that ensures you plug it in correctly. The bump is at the top or 12 o’clock position when referencing the pictures I have attached.

Originally Posted by medora

SSOOOOOO ... in the end the culprit was a connector on our RAV4 that led to the 7-pin plug. One of the connection pins had literally disappeared. We NEVER would have figured this out without the generosity of a fella who happened to be in his yard on US Labor Day Monday, working on some jetskis and other miscellany. He took two hours to figure it out, and happened to have a replacement connector on hand.

We offered him money for his help and he refused.

Amazing.
Amazing.
Amazing,

There are still some very good people in the world.
And we also have a new job for our mechanic - hardwiring that in so that we don't have that connector rotting away down there

Thanks for all your help too, folks.

I can feel your stress melting away!
Glad things are solved and you can move on.