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Old 08-02-2020, 08:42 PM   #1
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Running lights and side marker fuse blows at higher speed.

Thanks, ya'll, for the pointers on where the fuse panel is located. We found the blown fuse, replaced it, and old George T lit up like a Christmas tree. The running lights , (red round tail lights and the amber side markers, dash panel lights) work fine until we reach 62 MPH. Then we get one or two blinks... then darkness. We replaced the same fuse 5 times returning to TN from Florida. I even doubled the amp size of the fuse. (30amp instead of the specified 15amp.) It still failed once we got the coach up to 62 mph. Any suggestions? - Thanks
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Old 08-02-2020, 08:51 PM   #2
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Sounds like you have a wire rubbing on something and shorting out, perhaps buffeted by the air flow. Doubling the fuse size is a good way to melt the wires in the harness together and/or have an electrical fire. You should never do that.

Put the correct size fuse back in and get on your back underneath and start moving the wires around with the lights turned on and looking closely at all of it. A 15-amp fuse should give a pretty good spark when the wire shorts out. I'd think you'll see evidence of a rub on a screw or a frame piece.

If you're towing a car it may be a defective wire in the car.

There is nothing in the F53 lighting that is in any way dependent on or connected to the vehicle speed.

Ray
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Old 08-02-2020, 09:14 PM   #3
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I think you need to keep increasing the fuse size till you see smoke then you'll know where the issue lies.
But seriously, the fuse size should never be substituted with a higher rating than that which is specified. As said, the fuse is sized to protect the wiring.
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Old 08-02-2020, 09:36 PM   #4
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I think you need to keep increasing the fuse size till you see smoke then you'll know where the issue lies.
But seriously, the fuse size should never be substituted with a higher rating than that which is specified. As said, the fuse is sized to protect the wiring.
NO.
Don't drive at night and keep it under 62 mph.

Which fuse it blowing?
If its your running lights/marker lights you will need to pull each one and make sur eyou don't have rust on the sockets andor any rubbing wires to ground.


Electrical Fuse 101
The fuse is the incorrect amperage rating
Let’s start with something simple and obvious. Be sure to check, first, that the fuse has the correct amperage rating for the circuit it is in. The vehicle’s manual should contain a diagram with this information. Check what devices or lights are on that circuit, as it may be the case that a new amplifier pulls too much power, causing the fuse to blow. The more devices there are on one circuit, the heavier the amp load.

Each electric device, including headlights and radios, pulls a certain amount of amps from the electrical system. The number embossed on the fuse, such as 5, 10 or 15, indicates how many amps may be pulled through the fuse before it blows. Each wire in a car has a specific gauge or thickness. The amount and type of conductor used in a wire determines how much power it can handle before it overheats and melts. Electric devices also have these same limitations. They can only handle so much power before catastrophic failure and possibly a dangerous fire occur. Fuses protect both the wiring and the devices in the vehicle.



You have a short
A short circuit is simply a low resistance connection between the two conductors supplying electrical power to any circuit. There are three main causes of a short circuit. Each one has tell-tale signs we look for during our investigation. The three causes from the most common to the least common are:

An electrical device has failed. If a wiper motor or power lock solenoid have fried and melted on the inside, it might start drawing too much power in an attempt to keep working. This overloads the circuit causing a short and a blown fuse.
Friction against a wiring harness has caused the wire insulation to fray. This exposed wire can cause a short when it touches a ground surface. This is often the cause of intermittent shorts. As the wire moves it may only occasionally come in contact with a surface that will cause a short and a blown fuse.
Any connector that gets exposed to the elements could cause a short circuit. If you a leak that is soaking your carpets it could cause a wet wiring harness. A wet harness can corrode over time causing an eventual short circuit and many blown fuses.


If you blow a fuse
To see if a fuse has blown, the first step is to consult the owner’s manual. The location of the box and the assigned circuit for each fuse should appear in a diagram in the manual. Most newer cars allow removal of the fuse box lid by hand or with a flat head screwdriver. Some fuses are designed to come out by hand, while others require a pair of tweezers or a smaller pair of needle-nose pliers. Inspect each fuse visually, and replace as necessary. They only cost a few cents and it is a good thing to know how to do. They can be purchased from any car parts shop or hardware store.
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Old 08-02-2020, 10:44 PM   #5
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John, had you had the motorhome a long time before CW did the toad installation? You alluded to that maybe being the start of the problem in this post: https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ml#post2318081

If so, I'd be inspecting the cable between the motorhome and the car and also the connector they added to the car, probably a 6-pin.

If the cable looks factory-made and not something they whipped up, I'd remove the 6-pin connector from the baseplate and look at its wiring. Remove the screws on each side of the connector to free it up and there should be a plastic "cone" that just slips over the wiring. (I just installed a Roadmaster 6-pin connector and that's how mine works).

On a 6-pin connector the running lights and the ground wire are on adjacent pins. Maybe there's a loose wire or you got water inside the back of that connector. The connector should be filled with a dielectric (insulating) grease, usually clear, that repels water but who knows if they did that.

HTH,

Ray
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Old 08-05-2020, 02:03 PM   #6
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Thanks!



There was an existing 7-pin trailer light socket already there. Prior to going flat-tow, we used a Roadmaster tow dolly with electric brakes, hence the 7th pin. The lights worked great with that configuration, although we never got to 62 mph with the dolly.



On the recent trip in question, we weren't towing anything and the V-bracket for the toad was removed and stowed.


One theory is that the condensation from the two roof A/C units was blown to the back and somehow got into one of the light fixtures or tail-lights. I discovered one holding water before, although this time it was dry.
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Old 08-05-2020, 04:18 PM   #7
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Good to know. I'd start wiggling wires from the front to the back and look for any chafing or sparks.

I don't think that corrosion and water will cause a 12-volt 15-amp or a 30-amp fuse to blow. Corrosion and water just do not have that kind of low electrical resistance at low voltages. Rubbing wires do.

Ray
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Old 08-06-2020, 10:35 AM   #8
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Good to know. I'd start wiggling wires from the front to the back and look for any chafing or sparks.

I don't think that corrosion and water will cause a 12-volt 15-amp or a 30-amp fuse to blow. Corrosion and water just do not have that kind of low electrical resistance at low voltages. Rubbing wires do.

Ray
Water might but corrosion creates an open circuit.
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Old 08-06-2020, 03:34 PM   #9
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Water might but corrosion creates an open circuit.
I think you've got that backwards. Corrosion in connectors and on circuit boards creates an alternative path for current to flow. In fact, when water bridges two circuits the miniscule electric current through the water is what causes the corrosion. Otherwise no one would care if connectors got wet.

Ray
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Old 08-07-2020, 06:53 AM   #10
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OK so the next time my running light doesn't illuminate and the socket is corroded I just need to disregard that as the reason. When my battery post becomes corroded and the starter wont engage I haven't found the reason. When I can't get continuity between a ground wire to structural ground and the wire termination point is corroded I should look somewhere else for the reason why. Got it.
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Old 08-07-2020, 08:51 AM   #11
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OK so the next time my running light doesn't illuminate and the socket is corroded I just need to disregard that as the reason. When my battery post becomes corroded and the starter wont engage I haven't found the reason. When I can't get continuity between a ground wire to structural ground and the wire termination point is corroded I should look somewhere else for the reason why. Got it.
The discussion here is for excessive amperage popping fuses.

The corrosion you mentioned causes a high resistance circuit because the build-up forces the conductors apart by introducing an insulating layer. That will reduce the amperage, not increase it, and cannot pop a fuse.

The corrosion I mentioned causes an increase in amperage due to the electrical current flowing through alternate, unintended paths as well as the intended path. That corrosion also can cause weird things to happen as circuits that should not be powered up do get power applied via the current flow through the corrosion. but usually not enough to fully power them up.

Context is important.

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Old 08-07-2020, 12:05 PM   #12
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The discussion here is for excessive amperage popping fuses.

The corrosion you mentioned causes a high resistance circuit because the build-up forces the conductors apart by introducing an insulating layer. That will reduce the amperage, not increase it, and cannot pop a fuse.
And if you read my post that is what I said. I was referencing a post that said to check for water/corrosion for a blown fuse issue. I pointed out that corrosion will create an open circuit so no sense looking for that. Got's to read the entire post not pick and choose like sometimes I also do. Good day.
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Old 08-07-2020, 01:58 PM   #13
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And if you read my post that is what I said. I was referencing a post that said to check for water/corrosion for a blown fuse issue. I pointed out that corrosion will create an open circuit so no sense looking for that. Got's to read the entire post not pick and choose like sometimes I also do. Good day.
That is one possibility. Another is that you missed my use of negatives in the post you referenced.

Oh, well, at least we're in agreement that the OP's issue is not caused by corrosion. And that we both sometimes take things out of context and/or don't read/write with 100% clarity. Apparently we're related, Uncle Bubbles.

Ray
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