[Northern Rod]

Hello Folks.. I'm hoping that someone might have an idea about this issue and point me in the right direction..
My problem currently is that when I put a fuse in the secondary fuse box for the trailer light circuit, my truck running lights come on and stay on until I pull the trailer fuse.. I have eliminated the factory trailer connectors (round and 4 pin) as issues as I had disconnected them at the upstream connector and the issue remained. Also.. when I test the trailer connector with my light.. I get power for the runnings lights... even with the fuse pulled. Sounds to me like I have a running light wire that had fused with the trailer harness somewhere.. When I put the fuse in the trailer circuit, it then back feeds my truck running lights.. My problem is where to start looking now !!! Has anyone run across this issue ? I suppose it might even be a bad relay somewhere but... I don't have a wiring diagram currently to start chasing wires and may end up giving up and installing an aftermarket trailer wire harness.. I just hate leaving things as they are, knowing that there is a wiring issue somewhere that might bite me harder down the road.. Any help would be appreciated !!

Regards,

Rod.

 

[Carsmak]

Page 10 has the wiring diagram. Hope this helps, I've never heard of this issue, but maybe someone here has. If you can give it a few days for those that are on here more often to get a chance to see this thread.

http://www.handa-accessories.com/ridgeline/hitch07.pdf

 

[wrenrj1]

Respectfully, IMHO this project is best done by individuals that do this to make sure it's done right, no disrespect but this is a project that needs to be done correctly. Yes, it'll cost bucks but it'll be done right.

 

[Dnick]

Are you sure your current harness is OEM? Why were you putting a fuse into an empty spot (why was it empty?)??

 

[Northern Rod]

Hello folks, Thanks Carsmak for the installation instructions and diagrams.. they are perfect.. Wren - You are likely correct, however, I am decently handy with tools and testers (and love a challenge !!) Dnick - Yup.. the harness is definitely OEM... it came installed on the truck.. I have used it for years. This past weekend, I had to use my utility trailer to bring my father in law his new outdoor wood boiler (yet another story for another day...).. As I went to hook up the trailer lights, I found that they didn't work.. checked the fuse in the secondary box and saw that it was blown. I also saw that the 4 pin connector looked corroded, so I cleaned it up and changed the 20 amp fuse. Trailer lights worked and all was good. When I got to my father-in laws (approx. 5 hour drive) and was unhooking the trailer, I noticed that the 4 pin connector was very hot. I disconnected it from the truck and then noticed that the marker lights were on in the truck, even though I had the lights shut off. I then went to the secondary fuse box and pulled the 20 amp fuse, which shut off my marker lights. With that fuse out, the truck lights all work fine. This weekend, I thought that I would look into the issue as I thought that perhaps it had to do with a corroded 4 pin connector.. to no avail.. With the diagram from CarSmak, I will look into it further and see if I can see something cooked

Thanks for your help Gents !!

 

[Dnick]

Hello folks, Thanks Carsmak for the installation instructions and diagrams.. they are perfect.. Wren - You are likely correct, however, I am decently handy with tools and testers (and love a challenge !!) Dnick - Yup.. the harness is definitely OEM... it came installed on the truck.. I have used it for years. This past weekend, I had to use my utility trailer to bring my father in law his new outdoor wood boiler (yet another story for another day...).. As I went to hook up the trailer lights, I found that they didn't work.. checked the fuse in the secondary box and saw that it was blown. I also saw that the 4 pin connector looked corroded, so I cleaned it up and changed the 20 amp fuse. Trailer lights worked and all was good. When I got to my father-in laws (approx. 5 hour drive) and was unhooking the trailer, I noticed that the 4 pin connector was very hot. I disconnected it from the truck and then noticed that the marker lights were on in the truck, even though I had the lights shut off. I then went to the secondary fuse box and pulled the 20 amp fuse, which shut off my marker lights. With that fuse out, the truck lights all work fine. This weekend, I thought that I would look into the issue as I thought that perhaps it had to do with a corroded 4 pin connector.. to no avail.. With the diagram from CarSmak, I will look into it further and see if I can see something cooked

Thanks for your help Gents !!

OK! So your problem is likely related to the cause of the initial fuse blowing. I would probably heed the advice to "seek an expert" if I did not quickly locate an obvious cause (e.g. melted wire bundle near the hitch, etc.). Electrical issues can be sneaky & complex. You'll want to be sure you have it ALL fixed when you finally get things squared away. An auto-electric expert can go a long way toward gaining that assurance.

 

[Elkhunter]

Check the small light relay