No indicators AGAIN - Help

[Patrolee]

I need some help from the many experts on this forum as this intermittent problem is driving me (and my auto-electrician) nuts! I use my 2000 4.2TD to tow a horsefloat. On several occasions, when towing, my indicators/turn signals stop working….not safe when towing huge horse float. Auto electrician changes a fuse and checks that everything is OK and away we go and then a few trips later, it does it again. Luckily, I always notice the absence of the ‘indicator ticking’ before we are far from home.
Background – have had float since new (2003) and this has only been happening in last 12 months. Had same AE do a thorough check of all electrics in Patrol and float 3 months ago. Replaced electric tow unit then. Float has only been towed with my Patrol. Patrol never tows anything else. (I know…boring life for my Patrol, compared to what some of you get up to!) Brake lights, headlights, tail lights still work…just no indicators. This only happens when I have the horsefloat attached, but not on every occasion. Damned intermittent faults! When I got my Patrol in 2003, it used to blow the indicators if I pushed the hazard lights button. I got it fixed and have avoided using hazard lights, but mention it in case it is linked to my current problem.
Any suggestions?

[4bye4]

Mate your comment about changing the fuse. Check the "plug" that the fuse blades slide into. I have had over the years these getting corrosion or plaque on them and the fuse not making contact, although it appears OK.

Also the blowing fuse on the hazards used to happen on mine, but it was due to the rear lights (I have wired the Christmas tree in) and camping trailer overloading the 15A fuse. I replaced it with a 20A and no more worries.

[Patrolee]

Thanks 4bye4. I am determined to get to the bottom of this problem, so will be waiting outside the auto-electrician's tomorrow morning, along with the suggestions from other Patrol owners. Hopefully it will save some time.

[4bye4]

Hope it's as easy as mine was.

[Bigcol]

have a look at the trailer plug itself as well, make sure all the pins have the wires going in neatly, and no stray wires
also check that the plug pins are not loose
also, be aware that when you plug it in and out, you need to hold the plug firmly, but not pull up and down, but just push in, and pull out straight

and trace all the wires to where they join the loom makings sure of NO nick's, cuts wear points
AND
if you find any Scotch lock type connectors, boot your AE in the ar$e, they are crappy and will always cause trouble

they look like this......

60439

[kevin07]

rewire the horse float and put led lights in.

[Patrolee]

Thanks for tips on plug use, Bigcol. I have not always pushed plug straight in and out. Will check there carefully.

[Patrolee]

Kevin07 (not the politician, I hope)...just wondering how rewiring with LED helps the problem? Love my Patrol, but very limited experience with what's under the bonnet etc.

[Bigcol]

he means change the tail lights on the Horse float to LED's

it helps to lower the amount of current draw - which may be why it is blowing fuses
if you total up the watt's on all the indicators (car & float) it may be just on the line of over loading the system

also, wet weather wont help if there is a bad connection

[Cuppa]

Like 4bye4 I found that my indicators which worked ok with the vehicle solo would blow their fuse when connected to the trailer. A slightly higher rated fuse resolved this. However you have previously towed your float without problem...... so something has changed.

My guess is that you have , as BigCol suggests a momentary short somewhere, most likely somewhere from the plug back to the trailer. When the cable moves, a short occurs & it is enough to cause the fuse to blow. As it is going to be somewhere where wires can move, & the biggest area of movement is around the plug area, this is probably the primary suspect area, but try swiching on your hazards make sure all is working, & whilst leaving them on go around systematically wiggling wires to see if you can make them not work or blow a fuse. Having a mirror or reflective board behind the trailer lights can help to see what is going on.

Intermittent faults are indeed a PIA.

[Patrolee]

OK, that makes sense...will add that to the list. Thanks

[Patrolee]

Thanks for your advice. Intermittent faults with impatient horse in trailer increases PIA factor!

[kevin07]

Like 4bye4 I found that my indicators which worked ok with the vehicle solo would blow their fuse when connected to the trailer. A slightly higher rated fuse resolved this. However you have previously towed your float without problem...... so something has changed.

My guess is that you have , as BigCol suggests a momentary short somewhere, most likely somewhere from the plug back to the trailer. When the cable moves, a short occurs & it is enough to cause the fuse to blow. As it is going to be somewhere where wires can move, & the biggest area of movement is around the plug area, this is probably the primary suspect area, but try swiching on your hazards make sure all is working, & whilst leaving them on go around systematically wiggling wires to see if you can make them not work or blow a fuse. Having a mirror or reflective board behind the trailer lights can help to see what is going on.

Intermittent faults are indeed a PIA.

and this is why I say just run a new harness though the trailer and change the lights to leds no more bad connection poblems

[SpecialDave]

To trace it - do you have any friends with a float you can borrow? If yes then replicate the exact conditions (eg weight route speed current draw ie headlights etc) that you had on previous outage incidents and see if it happens again...

If not problem is from the plug on the float all the way to the tail lights. If that the case use a multimeter on each individual component check for continuity if any give you a reading that's the short circuit you can then trouble shoot from there.

If however it does happen it's in the truck under towing conditions, you've already replaced breaks unit so not that.
it's only indicators?
Once the float is off do they begin working again?

Again if yes to the second it's most likely your tow connection plug or the trailers or overloading the turn signal relay or flasher unit could also be happening.

To check the flasher it's the square thing above and to left of brake pedal. Check the earth out the back of the unit and also follow the other wires coming out of flasher away from ignition until you hit the signal switch, check them and the earth at the back of the signal switch as well.

With towing it's tricky as there are heaps of different forces on the truck. Not only is there the drag but there is downward force at the rear which makes you drive in the truck at a different angle. Corners snd wind add new lateral forces and the thick is using more energy this generating more heat in the moving bits, which share a lot of common space with electric bits...

Intermittent blows because it's hard to do the first diagnosis.

Previous issues or hazards also compound the problem identification. Gu's have the hazard fuse under the bonnet whereas other models are typically under dash..

Here's the turn sig trouble shooting although I suspect you've got a plug / trailer short or loose connection that wobbles etc and loses contact occasionally but is not visibly obvious..


http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2015/08/78.jpg


Good luck


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[Patrolee]

Success..... I hope....due to intermittent nature of problem....I won't be sure for a while. Closer inspection of the float revealed a section of cable that had rubbed to bare wire where it disappears inside the frame of the float pretty close to the plug...where there is a lot of movement - as mentioned by Cuppa. Also found another place in danger of similar problem...so it has been sorted too. Thank-you all for your many suggestions. I will gradually replace standard lights with LED versions. And I now know that I need to add cable and plug inspections to my regular trailer maintenance. Thanks again.

[SpecialDave]

Excellent!!


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[flemj]

I had this issue with my camper trailer, it was happening when going through water and arcing across,. Needed a better quality plug

Does it happen in the rain maybe.

John