General Boards > Technical Support
Chassis fuse for turn signal
Suzanne Maggard:
The left rear blinker doesn't work on our 2004 Jeep when towing it behind our 98 Patriot. All other lights work, and everything works on the Jeep and Patriot when it's not hooked up. We took the wiring to U-Haul who originally installed the towbar on the Jeep. He looked at the wiring and said it must be a fuse. (Now logic would dictate that when everything works unwired that the wiring is at fault.) Sooo... we looked for a fuse panel. The Patriot owners manual states that the chassis fuses are located in the electrical panel in front of the left front tire on the driver's side. There are wires, terminals, and relays, but no fuses. Are there fuses???? The wires are labeled and there is one that reads 'left turn signal.'
Keith Moffett Co-Admin:
Hi, I see by your post that you are late nighters too!
Well, we also have a 98 Patriot with wich I am still becoming familiar but this is what I know after a year of owning. The fuses should be in the overhead cabinet along side the breakers over the bed. The panel is secured by a butterfly screw. I believe that there is a breaker in the electrical bay that may have a bearing on turn signals as well. Also, as if that werent enough there is a controler unit for the towing circut which is built in line in the engine compartment. This is a small metal box with heat sinks and the surface is epoxied in place. This should be a simple R&R.
I would first open the tow lighting connector and turn on the malfunctioning blinker to see if the pin is supplying voltage to the Jeep. This will require a multi meter which is found at most parts stores in fact they may even test it for you. Regardless, this does sound like a bad circut or a loose wire to me. Good luck
Say, do you happen to have the brochure for your Patriot? Could I pay for a color copy when you get time? feel free to email me and Thanks
Richard And Babs Ames:
First thought is to check the output from the connector on the MH with a test light to be sure it is OK there. If you have a four pin flat plug you will have a ground (male connector) and three female brake,turn signal light (two one for each side) and tail light connector. If all three function it is something with the toad wiring if not it is the MH.
We had to replace the seperate tail, stop/blinker to dual filiment bulbe Brite Lite converter on ours a few years ago.
The round plugs can be 4, 5 or 7 pin are marked but you have to take the rear cover off or get a diagram.
Suzanne Maggard:
Thanks Keith for your help... and thanks to the Ames. We'll go check it out.
No, Keith I don't have a color brochure, but I have just about everything else....manuals, etc. If you need any of that stuff, I'm happy to help out. Which Patriot do you have? It would be nice to have someone to compare notes. We've had our Patriot four years and are still figuring things out. Our Patriot is a 33-foot Concord. I think Loren over at the Bend Service Center knows Earl's voice when he calls for help. ;) Thanks again. - Suzi
Gerald Farris:
If the coach lights work properly without the jeep connected, the problem is in the toad wiring.
There are two ways to wire the coach and jeep for towing. The preferred method is to install an extra bulb in the jeep taillight housing to be used as the stop, turn signal and taillight when towing. This method prevents any feedback from the coach into the jeep wiring, and it also does not interfere with the "bulb out" sensing circuit that a lot of jeeps are equipped with. If this is the way it is wired, the problem is in the converter or in the wiring from the coach turn signal to the converter. The converter is the electronic box that is added in this type system to combine the separate stop and turn signal circuits into one.
The other type uses in-line diodes to prevent feedback into the jeep wiring and uses the existing jeep light bulbs. If this is the method used, the problem is in the diode or in the wiring from the coach to the diode.
Gerald
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version