peterr
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Post by peterr on Sept 14, 2013 16:46:44 GMT -8
I am having a hard time redoing my trailer wires.. The marker lights and turn signals work by grounding themselves to the trailers skin.. The ground to the frame must be bad but I don't know where is it.. Can someone help? Do you know where the skin grounds to the frame on a 1964 Astroflyte?
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Post by universalexports on Sept 14, 2013 18:56:14 GMT -8
i'm not sure how it works, but some screws from the skin into the frame should work or just run a cable from the skin to the frame. make sure the area is free of rust and grit.
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shastaholics
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Post by shastaholics on Sept 14, 2013 20:11:20 GMT -8
Hi Peterr Universal E is on the right track,
It sounds like you just haven't hit metal to metal on your lights. There is no magic spot to hook up your ground. You just need some good clean metal to connect to. The light fixture should have two wires coming off the bulb holder with the black wire being your ground The black wire is connected to your lights mounting screws. You should pick up good ground this way as long as your fixture,black wire and mounting screw all hit some bare metal. A quick check is to make yourself a jumper wire with some alligator clips at each end, find some good clean bare metal on the frame, connect one end of your jumper on the frame and the other end on your bulbs metal frame and if the light comes on, its a bad ground. If they don't come on make sure your bulbs are good or that your bulb sockets themselves could be the culprit and have a little bit of rust down in the center where the bulbs screw in. Hope this helps and keep us posted, We will show you the light!
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Post by vikx on Sept 14, 2013 21:37:33 GMT -8
I definitely agree on cleaning the sockets. Sand the sides of the bulb as well.
Many lights use the backer plate for the ground, screwed into the skin. They do not have a ground wire. To ground the skin, run a small wire from a bottom screw and attach it firmly and cleanly to the metal trailer frame. You can do this with each side, front and back if need be. Also be sure the skin to plate contact is clean (no rusty screws) and tight.
Tail lights have two hot wires, one often being black. It's best to test the light before connecting a wire to ground. (black is running lights and red turn on mine)
Every trailer is different, testing is just insurance that you won't hook something up wrong...
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Sept 15, 2013 14:58:48 GMT -8
You can also buy the new pig tail wiring and bakelite discs and springs at just about any auto parts store. Single and double pole. Single for running or marker lights. Double for turn/brakes. It just so happens that I have a VIDEO on rebuilding the backer plate assemblies.  90% of the time it's corrosion making a bad ground that creates these problems. I run a separate ground wire to the rear of the trailer just for the tail lights to make sure that they always work no matter what. Remember that ground is nothing more than a common connection point in DC wiring. And it's always on the negative side of the battery. So we are using the skin and frame as the second wire to complete the circuit. |
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Sept 16, 2013 7:24:37 GMT -8
What scares me is that this is in the 110 forum... That's gotta be one long extension cord.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Sept 16, 2013 7:43:12 GMT -8
What scares me is that this is in the 110 forum... That's gotta be one long extension cord. Well this thread will most likely get moved. |
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90% of the time it's corrosion making a bad ground that creates these problems. I run a separate ground wire to the rear of the trailer just for the tail lights to make sure that they always work no matter what. Remember that ground is nothing more than a common connection point in DC wiring. And it's always on the negative side of the battery. So we are using the skin and frame as the second wire to complete the circuit.
