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TMANN
07-29-2003, 12:12 PM
I’m sure this is the stupidest question yet just figured I would be the guy to ask it. I backed my trailer in to the water without unplugging it this weekend and now it does not work. I have always unplugged it so I have no idea what’s burnt out. Question is it the fuse or bulbs. Or is it something else. Thanks for all the help you guys are great....

TMANN

JimG
07-29-2003, 12:43 PM
Dude! It's that nasty SALT WATER you boat in. It'll eat anything! It's almost like acid! :D :D

He he!! Just kidding...

I've been boating for 25 years, and have NEVER unplugged my trailer lights before backing in. Never had a problem... Check the grounds. That's what will go bad first.

Let me know if you need a hand! Have ohm-meter, will travel! :)

JimG

RedDog
07-29-2003, 12:49 PM
With current trailer I never unplug and have never had a problem. With past trailers, light fixtures leaked and would blow bulbs sometimes if I didn't unplug.

Check your bulbs first.

Ranman
07-29-2003, 01:23 PM
Couple of thoughts here:

1) The Ford owners manual for my truck and Jenn's new Explorer both advise disconnecting the wiring harness prior to launching a boat. THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS TO DISCONNECT.

2) Electricity and water don't mix. You're just asking for trouble. Unplugging saves the bulbs and may prevent a possible meltdown elsewhere. I make it part of my "routine" to unplug the trailer at the ramp and to reconnect when the boat is back on the trailer.

3) I had a snowmovbile trailer that quit working (or so I thought). When I plugged it into another vehicle, voila! Turned out that the 4 pin connector got wet with snow and caused a fuse to blow under the hood of my truck. This fuse will blow if the connector gets too wet. Try plugging your trailer into another vehicle. If it lights up, check the tow vehicle, if not, check your grounds first.

Cuda
07-29-2003, 02:07 PM
I'm with JimG. I have never ever unplugged one to back in, because you can bet your azz, I'd forget to plug it back in. If nothing is working at all, 90% of the time it is a bad ground to the trailer. Do you have a ground wire connected to the tow vehicle? A lot of people depend on the trailer grounding through the ball, which is problematic at best. Hook a jumper cable from the frame of the trailer to the frame of the tow vehicle and see if anything works.

What kind of tow vehicle? On my 99 F 150 with a tow package, I once blew some stupid fuse under the hood. I didn't even know that set of fuses was there, I had been checking the one's under the dash.

JimG
07-29-2003, 02:16 PM
:D I like to watch my lights come on under water... It's pretty! He he! :D

I guess real trucks don't have to unplug... wink wink

Just kidding, Randy!

Phil, everyone has an opinion on this. I started dunking raceboat trailers in saltwater when I was 13 and never had a problem in 29 years. (After hundreds of launches. Down here we boat 10 months out of the year. :) That's a lot of dunks!) Tow vehicles ranged from diesel pickups to passenger cars. Unplug if it makes you feel better, but IHMO it's totally unnecessary.


JimG

Barry Phillips
07-29-2003, 02:35 PM
I usually un plug my trailer also, but sometimes forget, if you lost a fuse it would be in your tow vehicle so lose every light is unlikely. A hot bulb on the trailer could burn out but again you would not lose all off them. Boat trailers with standard flat connector ground through the hitch ball and the frame of the car. Check the ball, is it clean and free of rust, even if your ground was faulty some of your trailer lights might work. Check everything including the converter, if your car has one, it might have a fuse in it, I have a GMC and a Jeep and use the same converter on both with no problems. There is no fuse in mine though. I found out about the hitch ball by chance, there seems to always be a ground problem the first time I tow in the spring, a bump usually solves it for the rest of the season.

SO-SLO

Ranman
07-29-2003, 02:46 PM
A previous thread.

http://www.donzi.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=003981#000004


I guess when your on top, someone's always trying to knock you down. Ford's F-Series truck has been the best-selling vehicle (this means cars, trucks, minivans, wagons and Jeeps) in the United States for 21 years in a row and the best-selling truck in America for 26 years. Since its debut in 1948, more than 27 million of the trucks have been sold. More F150's are sold each year than any other car in the world.


"Don't hate the playa, hate the game."

BUIZILLA
07-29-2003, 03:09 PM
Welp, I like being on the bottom I guess.. :D

I've never unplugged, never considered it, at least in the last 35 years I haven't wink and I've owned a TON of Fords..

besides, I'm just too lazy to do that, i'm more worried about getting run over by aliens launching whatever it is they launch, than disconnecting lights. I WANT these goons to see me before I get run over anyways.

anyways, the guiding lights under the water at night are sure helpfull some times.. :)

J :cool:

JimG
07-29-2003, 03:15 PM
Randy, I agree 100%!

The F150 is a great car! :)

JimG

mattyboy
07-29-2003, 03:29 PM
I don't stop or turn while trailering so

" I don't need no stinkin lights"

had the trailer grounded thru the ball but had nothing but problems ran a short pig tail to the tow vehicle ground have not had a problem since

I always unplug, I like getting zapped when I'm knee deep in water of course you need to take your flip flops off to really get a good one eek! :p wink :D

Sparky

Cuda
07-29-2003, 03:37 PM
mattyboy:


had the trailer grounded thru the ball but had nothing but problems ran a short pig tail to the tow vehicle ground have not had a problem since
That's what I'm sayin'.

mattyboy
07-29-2003, 03:55 PM
sorry Cuda wasn't paying attention :o .
being an electronics guy I am used to dc systems having ahot wire and a ground wire, I had a real hard time coming to grips with the fact all my trailer lights only had one wire the hot wire????then it hit me they used the trailer as the ground conductor (Well only if it is grounded),
I see said the blind man
I would think a vehicle that had a factory installed tow pkg might have seperate fuse for the trailer lights, I added my hitch and the guy wired into my taillights so if I damaged the tow vehicle I loose my taillights thats why I unplug.
I think overtons sells a little tester with leds that plug into the wiring harness and will test the the connector to see if the trailer is getting the right signals

Matty
i pay more attention next time Cuda wink

Matt

RickR
07-29-2003, 05:42 PM
I use a seperate ground and grease my trailer ball.

The plug in LED trailer light tester is OK, but for some reason mine does not work if BOTH the turn signals and tail lights are ON????

I much prefer to use a test light (NAPA has a heavy duty one for around $20). A circuit acts much differently if it has a load on it.

When replacing trailer light turn/tail bulbs I prefer Sylvania Long Life 2057 bulbs. The 2057 has a dimmer tail light which makes the brake and turn signal show up better.

Cuda
07-29-2003, 07:39 PM
I just replaced my trailer lights Saturday with LED's. It was a nice package to replace everything and had heat shrink connectors on it. Got it on sale at Boats US for $39.

Wildfire
07-29-2003, 09:53 PM
It is kind of cool to leave the lights plugged in when retrieving at night. Sort of like an aircraft carrier landing lights. It is also a good way to blow bulbs and have other problems. It helps if you've had a beer or two (and not driving).

Cuda
07-30-2003, 01:33 PM
I couldn't swear to it, but I don't think I've ever had a bulb that quit working after it was backed in. If it was working when I dunked it, it was working when I pulled it out. Normally I have bulb problems after letting it sit for quite a while.

JimG
07-30-2003, 02:43 PM
Hey Cuda,

Funny thing about that... the bulbs on my boat trailers last about as long as the ones on my cattle trailers! And I haven't backed them in to the water in a long time! :) At least not on purpose!!! :D

JimG

mphatc
08-01-2003, 06:53 AM
I tow with a 1997 F150 4x4 . . and have blown a fuse twice by not unplugging . . . :confused:

IMHO it has something to do with Ford's wiring. This is my first Ford F150, previous tow rigs have been everything from a 1970 AMX to Chevy Blazers and Suburbans. I never unplugged any of these!

My Ford is an early model with a production date of 2/96!! One the very first of the new body style, and none of the wiring matches any schematic that I have found! It has two fuse boxes, and the light fuses are under the hood.

mphatc

boldts
08-01-2003, 11:23 AM
Have always unpluged here also. Forgot once down in Sarasota at the owners rally. I have a GM product. On the way home, fried every wire in the connector between the trailer and the truck. Let me tell ya, it bites driving home with no trailer lights when your 20 hours from home on a Sunday! Also after getting home, the truck had problems with those automatic turn on turn off lights working correctly. Fried the battery because of that. Ended up replacing all the sensors in the doors. Thankfully covered be warranty and I didn't tell them about the salt water incident.

On that subject, hope one of the marinas down there at the Hometown gathering will offer to forklift your boats off those pretty painted trailers from the North inland lakes. I digress!

No question for me, unplug. Your already out of the truck attaching lines, bumpers, taking the interior saving cover off, inserting the drain plug and undoing trailer tie downs anyway. Heck, I even wait till I get to the launch ramp to install the prop arsonal for the day. Just .02 from an inland boater not dealing with that nasty salt stuff. Sorry coastal guys. No offense meant! :D