F350 Trailer Tow Wiring

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 5:40 pm

Here's a good one. 2002 F350, trailer fuse rated at 20 amps is blown, no trailer lights. Prodigy controller acts funny, no characters to tell you connected/not connected. Pick up a fuse and install it with the trailer not connected. Power up, everything lights up, controller says not connected. Step on the brake and poof! Fuse is gone. Where do I start? Yeah, bought two more fuses. :lol:


 
User avatar
Dennis
Member
Posts: 1082
Joined: Sun. Oct. 30, 2011 5:44 pm
Location: Pottstown,Pa
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: AHS/WOC55-multi-fuel/wood,oil,coal
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite/stove size

Post by Dennis » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 6:04 pm

check the trailer receptacle for loose,touching or melted spades

 
User avatar
2001Sierra
Member
Posts: 2211
Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34

Post by 2001Sierra » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 6:41 pm

Why not check brake solenoids for excessive resistance/short.

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17980
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 6:55 pm

Dead short in one of the brake solenoids is my guess.

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 7:12 pm

Don't be tempted to put a bigger fuse in, that will only make things worse.

-Don

 
User avatar
cArNaGe
Member
Posts: 1102
Joined: Wed. Dec. 12, 2007 11:34 pm
Location: Montrose, PA

Post by cArNaGe » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 8:25 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 7:12 pm
Don't be tempted to put a bigger fuse in, that will only make things worse.

-Don
It can help find the problem faster though.

 
coalnewbie
Member
Posts: 8601
Joined: Sat. May. 24, 2008 4:26 pm
Location: Chester, NY
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: LL AnthraKing 180K, Pocono110K,KStokr 90K, DVC
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Invader 2
Baseburners & Antiques: Wings Best, Glenwood #8(x2) Herald 116x
Coal Size/Type: Rice,
Other Heating: Heating Oil CH, Toyotomi OM 22

Post by coalnewbie » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 8:27 pm

Take trailer plug apart and spray with CRC component cooler ... wet?. Then replace all brake solenoids they are cheap enough and tend to wear out. good luck.


 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 8:29 pm

2001Sierra wrote:
Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 6:41 pm
Why not check brake solenoids for excessive resistance/short.
Do you mean the trailer brakes? It isn't even connected. I just stepped on the brake in the truck and it burnt tbe fuse. It has nothing to do with the trailer.

Or the brake controller? That is plugged into the factory harness. No splices or Mickey Mouse there.

Solenoids? Do you mean the magnets that energize the trailer brakes?

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17980
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 8:31 pm

I misunderstood. May be a wiring problem at the plug, but I would start by unplugging that brake controller and see what happens.

 
User avatar
2001Sierra
Member
Posts: 2211
Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34

Post by 2001Sierra » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 10:04 pm

OOPS I thought the trailer was connected, and yes I meant the magnets, which behave similar to a solenoid.
I too agree with unplugging the brake controller.

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 11:06 pm

Yes, I planned on unplugging that. Wonder what the odds are of it being the controller?

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 11:42 pm

coalnewbie wrote:
Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 8:27 pm
Take trailer plug apart and spray with CRC component cooler ... wet?. Then replace all brake solenoids they are cheap enough and tend to wear out. good luck.
Or even CRC CO Contact Cleaner, to clean crud and remove moisture...but that cleans so good that corrosion is going to be your next problem, so after cleaner dries good add a good protectant coating such as CRC 2-26 to the cleaned contacts area to ward off future corrosion.

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17980
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Sat. Jan. 05, 2019 6:25 am

coaledsweat wrote:
Fri. Jan. 04, 2019 11:06 pm
Yes, I planned on unplugging that. Wonder what the odds are of it being the controller?
I think it is more likely to be a wiring problem, but at least with the controller removed you can isolate it to the wiring for the trailer brakes (or the controller itself).

 
cabinover
Member
Posts: 2344
Joined: Wed. Feb. 04, 2009 7:13 am
Location: Fair Haven, VT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Hybrid Axeman Anderson 130
Baseburners & Antiques: Sparkle #12
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Buckwheat, Nut
Other Heating: LP Hot air. WA TX for coal use.

Post by cabinover » Sat. Jan. 05, 2019 9:05 am

Rob, you can pull the fuse out of it's socket. Find which side is hot and which side feeds out. Put one side of a multimeter in the outgoing side and ground the other lead. Then you can use Ohms to chase your problem without going through 20 fuses. You'll get a low reading or 0 when you've found a grounded (short) wire.

Then you can unplug your controller and see if the problem goes away. The other usual suspect is at the plug socket with salt and crap getting in there.

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Sat. Jan. 05, 2019 10:23 am

cabinover wrote:
Sat. Jan. 05, 2019 9:05 am
Rob, you can pull the fuse out of it's socket. Find which side is hot and which side feeds out. Put one side of a multimeter in the outgoing side and ground the other lead. Then you can use Ohms to chase your problem without going through 20 fuses. You'll get a low reading or 0 when you've found a grounded (short) wire.

Then you can unplug your controller and see if the problem goes away. The other usual suspect is at the plug socket with salt and crap getting in there.
I've isolated the hot side and read the cold, it was a fairly low # as I recall. I probably should read it with the brake pedal applied to get an accurate idea of what's going on. It's raining now so I'm not going to fool with it until it stops. The controller is solid state so I'm guessing it is more than likely the socket. Or maybe the rotted pickup bed has crushed some wires between it and the frame.


Post Reply

Return to “Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles & Aviation”