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MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
I blew a fuse for the tail lights on my truck a couple of weeks ago and then last night I blew a fuse for the dashboard lights and the running light for my trailer was out.

So today I go out and look my wiring over and find nothing out of the way on my truck, but I did find 2 wires on the wire harness of my trailer basically broke into. I repaired the wires and hooked everything back up. And all looks good right now.

Could those wires on my trailer cause my truck to blow fuses? Both times when I blew a fuse I was pulling my trailer.

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MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
Thx for the replies.

I hated to ask such a stupid question, but other than changing oil, replacing the battery or pumping gas I don't know jack about a vehicle...lol

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bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You got good answers. Just for future reference, and so you will have a better understanding. A broken wire will not necessarily blow a fuse. For that to happen, a wire that is carrying power must short to ground in some manner. With a broken wire, all it would take is for the live end to touch metal. Same with a wire that has the protective cover compromised. Even bad components can make a fuse blow, ex: some cases of bad bulbs, bad wiring on a trailer etc. I've seen many fuses blown due to water shorting out taillight connections that are not sealed properly, especially on boat trailers.
If any fuse blows again with your trailer hooked up, be sure to check all the wiring from front to rear.
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
You got good answers. Just for future reference, and so you will have a better understanding. A broken wire will not necessarily blow a fuse. For that to happen, a wire that is carrying power must short to ground in some manner. With a broken wire, all it would take is for the live end to touch metal. Same with a wire that has the protective cover compromised. Even bad components can make a fuse blow, ex: some cases of bad bulbs, bad wiring on a trailer etc. I've seen many fuses blown due to water shorting out taillight connections that are not sealed properly, especially on boat trailers.
If any fuse blows again with your trailer hooked up, be sure to check all the wiring from front to rear.
Thx for the info.

Where the wire was broke it more or less looked like it had been rubbed into by the metal on the trailer.
The coating had come off and bare wire was exposed so hopefully thats what caused it.

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Mechanic Bob

Eight Pointer
Odds are the wires on the trailer could be damaged near the connector. Lots of times, those wire get pinched by the coupler.
 

perfectroadglide

Ten Pointer
Had the same issue last year. Wire for the three center lights on the rear of trailer had a bare spot. A good bump would cause the short. My truck has trailer specific fuses. Got it fixed and carry a couple extra fuses in glovebox.
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Thx for the info.

Where the wire was broke it more or less looked like it had been rubbed into by the metal on the trailer.
The coating had come off and bare wire was exposed so hopefully thats what caused it.

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That will definitely cause your issue. Always remember, blown fuse=power short to ground. Some are easier to find than others, but that is the gist of it. Hopefully your problems are behind you.
 

beard&bow

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Agree with all. I was traveling back east a few years ago and blew a few fuses going through Greensboro.

I was doing 55 sometime around 10pm. Blew every fuse(I think it ended up being 4 and 1 relay) associated with lights... Headlights, taillights, brake lights, radio, dash, hazards... Everything. Drove a few miles to the nearest AutoZone, in ghost mode. They were closing up shop. I explained my predicament. They let me in and I bought multiples of every style of simple fuse in my Ranger, and a couple relays.

I downloaded the schematic for my truck and began trouble shooting it. I had left my truck at an acquaintances house the week prior, his dogs chewed through my license plate light wires, and my fog light wires.

I spliced them back together with some electrical tape and never had the problem again.
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Speaking of trailer wiring, I got behind a feller last night that had his wires crossed up...

His truck was turning one way, and his boat was wanting to go the other :ROFLMAO:
 
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