Richard,
As you described in reply #3. The coach has four stacked rear lights. Top is amber/yellow colored turn signal. Middle two are red brake lights and bottom is clear back up. The Contessa taillights are a European style, amber turn and separate red brake lights, same as the 2006 and newer Patriot and Marquis (better known as the Hamsar Stacked Taillights).
Starting in 2006, Monaco coaches are pre-wired to accept the US Gear Unified plug and play brake controller. Unless modified, Monaco coaches energize the brake lights when the engine/exhaust brake is engaged. This created an issue because most brake controllers are activated via a brake light ON signal and would apply the trailer brakes when the engine/exhaust brake was activated.
On the Patriot and Marquis coaches, Monaco created a separate circuit with fuses and relays dedicated to the trailer tow connector, bypassing the engine brake issue. This circuitry also ‘converted’ the 3-wire style (separate turn/brake lights) to the two-wire style (shared turn/brake light). This circuitry is what Fred is describing in reply #7.
For the Contessa, Monaco took a different approach to accomplish the same.
Using the 2008 Contessa wiring diagram in Coach Assist (more complete than the 2007 copy).
Page 6:
Shows the relationships between the various components and connectors. This page helps to identify the various components, connectors, sources and destinations. This is different than our Patriot, but I believe that the PCBs illustrated on this page are in the front run bay, someone with a Contessa would know better.
Example:
Connector VCD – GRAY (FIREWALL HARNESS) location 1, TO RL25-86. This means, that pin 1 is from the brake switch TO relay 25 terminal 86.
Page 7 & 28:
Wiring diagrams (PCB 3 in the front run bay?).
There are at least six relays that affect or interface the brake lights and turn signals.
Relay 33: cruise control interface.
Relay 25: service brake switch interface.
Relay 26: turn/brake interface for the trailer tow connector.
Relay 19: exhaust brake interface.
Page 29:
Shows the left/right turn signal interface (J11-VCE 5&6 and VCG 11&12 and VCH 1&2).
As with most Monaco wiring diagrams, there seems to be some inconsistency between various diagrams in this set, but the basic operation is the same.
The basic operation for the Contessa trailer tow connector is as follows.
Note:
Power for the coach brake lights DOES NOT pass through the turn signal switch, power is direct from relay 19 terminal 87.
Power for the trailer tow connector brake lights DOES pass through the turn signal switch.
When the service brakes are applied:
Relay 19 is energized, terminal 87 feeds the coach brake lights.
Relay 26 is energized, terminal 87 feeds power from fuse #81 to the turn signal switch. The turn signal switch then passes the brake light signal onto the trailer tow connecter pins #5 and #6. By way of the turn signal switch assembly, the turn signal flasher takes priority over the brake light.
Example:
No turn signal selected and the service brake pedal is depressed. The brake light switch energizes relay 26, relay 26 terminal 87 passes power from fuse 81 to the turn signal switch. The turn signal switch passes power to trailer tow connector pins #5 and #6 (both brake lights are on).
The left turn signal is selected and the service brake pedal is depressed. The brake switch energizes relay 26, relay 26 terminal 87 passes power from fuse 81 to the turn signal switch. The turn signal switch interrupts fuse 81 power to the trailer tow connector pin #5 and in turn passes signal flasher power to pin #5, leaving pin #6 energized with relay 26 power (left turn signal is flashing and right brake light on).
The right turn signal is selected and the service brake pedal is depressed. The brake switch energizes relay 26, relay 26 terminal 87 passes power from fuse 81 to the turn signal switch. The turn signal switch interrupts fuse 81 power to the trailer tow connector pin #6 and in turn passes signal flasher power to pin #6, leaving pin #5 energized with relay 26 power (right turn signal is flashing and left brake light on).
If you’re turn signals (amber lens) and brake lights (dual red lens) for the coach are working correctly;
1.) A fuse is likely not the issue because all brake light power is single sourced from fuse #81 (15-amp)
2.) Also, relay 19 is likely not the issue (coach red brake lights).
I would start troubleshooting at the turn signal switch. Make sure that the switch is receiving brake signal power (from relay 26-terminal 87) when the brake pedal is depressed. The turn signal switch has the final control over the combined brake light/turn light operation (trailer tow connecter).
If there is brake light signal into the turn signal switch but none out, the switch is bad.
If there is no power into the turn signal switch, check the operation of relay #26. It must be energized and 12-volt power on terminal 87 when the service brake pedal is depressed.
If the operation of relay #26 checks out, then you have a connection or wiring issue.
Check the wiring harness inside of the steering column. A common failure point for faulty turn signal switch operation is the wiring harness inside the steering column. Sometimes the connections are pulled loose when adjusting the column.
You can probably eliminate a wiring issue from the front run bay to the trailer tow connector because the same two wires are used for both the turn signal and brake lights.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe that the turn signal switch layout is shown in the Contessa wiring diagrams, you can find turn signal switch layout on page 193 in the 2007 Patriot Thunder diagram, it SHOULD be similar to the Contessa.
-Scott
