ilvtravln
Calif.
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We have an 09 Bighorn, when the truck is hooked up and the trailer tail lights are on and I turn on the left or right blinker, the license plate light blinks, the opposite side tail lights blink, also the marker lights blink? No light problem with the truck. I did clean the ground wire but it did not help, any ideas how to fix this. Thanks.
* This post was
edited 07/23/12 11:39am by ilvtravln *
Art
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bldrbuck
one or the other
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Check for a short with in a tail-brake light bulb.
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Camper8251
Skagit Valley, WA
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I would go with a bad ground / short some place...
sorry not much help other than that.. Trailer wiring can be a PITA to troubleshoot.
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Old-Biscuit
Across the USA
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First place I would check is the wiring inside pigtail plug.......make sure all connections are tight and wires are not touching.
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Round Topper
Greater Houston
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Does it do this with the engine running? I have seen this issue lots of times when the engine is not running because of the voltage spike when the turn signals energize it causes the tail/marker lights to dim slightly and give the appearance of flashing.
RT'er.
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Allworth
Orlando, FL
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I'm not trying to insult anybody, but I'm going to go back to very basic trailer wiring theory.
There are only three hot circuits to required exterior lights on a trailer (obviously not including Scare Lighte, Landing Gear Lights, etc.):
1) Right brake light and right turn signal (usually the same bulb element)
2) Left brake light and left turn signal (usually the same bulb element)
3) tail lights/running lights/license plate lights (many large and small bulbs scattered about the trailer)
(another note: the numbers here do NOT correspond to the contact positions on the plugs between the truck and trailer.)
Numbers 1 and 2 are single wire circuits. A wire runs from the plug to the light bulb and then to ground for each circuit.
Number three, however, is like a tree. A trunk wire runs from the plug into the trailer and then branches out with an individual wire running to each light position; 2 tail lights, 6 to 14 running lights depending on the trailer, and 1 or 2 license plate lights.
If there were a short in the plugs or in the main wires, then ALL of the bulbs connected to circuit three would flash with the #1 turn signal.
As I understand the OP's problem, only one license plate bulb (LPB) is flashing with the Right Turn circuit. To me that says that the branch wire feeding that LPB is shorting to the main wire for the turn signal. Insulation has rubbed off where the wire bundle exits or crosses the frame or (more likely) somebody has driven a screw into the wire bundle somewhere, maybe long ago and it just showed up.
Rather than spend a lot of time chasing the problem, I would just solve it. Cut the hot wire to the blinking LPB and tie it to the hot wire for the other LPB (or the nearest running light bulb). Tape the loose end and go camping.
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ilvtravln
Calif.
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Round Topper wrote:Does it do this with the engine running? I have seen this issue lots of times when the engine is not running because of the voltage spike when the turn signals energize it causes the tail/marker lights to dim slightly and give the appearance of flashing.
RT'er.
This happens with out the engine running, I did not try this with the engine running but I will do this and see what happens, Thanks
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ilvtravln
Calif.
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Round Topper wrote:Does it do this with the engine running? I have seen this issue lots of times when the engine is not running because of the voltage spike when the turn signals energize it causes the tail/marker lights to dim slightly and give the appearance of flashing.
RT'er.
This was exactly the problem, with the engine running everything works as it should. Thanks
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Mile High
Denver, CO
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ilvtravln wrote:I turn on the left or right blinker, the license plate light blinks, the opposite side tail lights blink, also the marker lights blink? That was all sounding like a swapped wire in the plug, until you said it fixes itself when the truck is running 
I'm bedaffled!
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