Community Forums

trvlsupreme · 06-14-2015, 02:48 PM

All of a sudden the signals are not working in my 2005travel supreme coach. The right signal works fine and normal but as soon as I turn on the left signal all of the lights blink. This would be the rear centre brake light as well as the left and right turn signals as well as both left and right rear brake lights. This problem showed up when checking to see if everything was working after hooking up the tow car. I thought it was the car wiring but it is only on the coach as it does the same thing without the car being attached. I thought it may be the actual flasher unit and I may start there. If anyone has any other ideas please let me know

Thanks

Ron

rv9apilot · 06-14-2015, 05:23 PM

Sounds like a ground wire problem to me. Check and make sure all the grounds are good. I would ground each light socket independently till I found the problem. Bad grounds cause all kinds of funky things to happen.

Freestyle21 · 06-14-2015, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rv9apilot

Sounds like a ground wire problem to me. Check and make sure all the grounds are good. I would ground each light socket independently till I found the problem. Bad grounds cause all kinds of funky things to happen.

X2 and also check the bulbs for a broken filament.

alank · 06-14-2015, 05:44 PM

X2 on the broken filament wire. If the turn signal filament wire just broke, not burned out, it can hang over on the tail light filament and feed power to the tail light circuit and cause all lights on the tail light circuit to flash.

dpinvidic · 06-14-2015, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alank

X2 on the broken filament wire. If the turn signal filament wire just broke, not burned out, it can hang over on the tail light filament and feed power to the tail light circuit and cause all lights on the tail light circuit to flash.

Not common, but a possibility.
The way to check this is to run the test at night.
if you turn on the bad turn signal, the other lights will be dimmer. This indicates a bad ground. If the lights are normal brightness, then it us likely the bad filament.

Edited....this is not your problem since your center brake light is also coming on.
A broken filament could only short to the tail light filament......no way for it to cause the other turn signal to light up.

Dan

G Schulz · 06-14-2015, 08:18 PM

Could be the signal light switch.

2009 Safari Cheetah 40'
350 HP Cat
2014 Ford Focus
Air Force One

Ray,IN · 06-14-2015, 08:40 PM

Over 90% of all 12V problems can be traced back to a poor ground.

RottenRalph · 06-15-2015, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freestyle21

X2 and also check the bulbs for a broken filament.

I was also thinking ground and then bad light bulb. I wouldn't even inspect it. Just go ahead and change it.

snewsom · 06-15-2015, 12:50 PM

Had the same thing happen on my rig. Was sure it was a bad ground wire.
Spent some time running down the ground to find out it was just a bad bulb. Next time I will at least try a new bulb first.

dpinvidic · 06-16-2015, 08:11 PM

OK....I have $1.73 that I am ready to bet on the fact that it is a ground problem

I can see a bad bulb where the filament breaks and shorts to the other filament in that bulb. Looking at a turn signal/brake filament, the only other thing it can short to would be the tail light filament.
Since the OP says that his center brake AND all other turn/brake lights turn on, it has to be a ground problem.

The simple test for this is turn on the left turn signal (bad one).
Locate the ground wire that is coming out of the back of the rear light assembly.
Using a jumper, provide an additional connection to a good solid ground.
Use a dental probe to pierce the insulation for the connection.
That should make things work...if not, try the same thing on the front signal.

If either of those two tests do not make it work, send me your address, and I will be sending a cashiers check......

Regards,

Dan

Hooligan · 06-16-2015, 08:43 PM

Had a similar problem, squirrels, (Tree rats) ate the wires behind the taillight. Definitely connects everything together...

alank · 06-17-2015, 01:00 PM

The idea that a bad ground would make lights come on, that shouldn't come on just doesn't make any since in a vehicle.
If you had lights that wouldn't come on, that should come on, then a bad ground would be a reasonable explanation.
I'm still with the bad bulb w/broken filament, I've seen that happen.
I've never seen lights come on because they had a bad ground, even though an electrical circuit could be built to do just that.

rivraton · 06-17-2015, 01:16 PM

I have seen this happen because the solder terminal had actually melted on the bulb and fused the two circuits together(not as uncommon as you may think). I have also seen it when wires were touching in either the trailer plug or receptacle.

trvlsupreme · 06-17-2015, 05:23 PM

Problem is resolved. Yahoo.........
It turns out that the trailer light adapted had a brain Fart. Likely one of the diodes had a melt down and allowed the power to flow through from the signal light to the brake lights.
Thank you all for the suggestions. What a great group of fellow RV ers with an abundance of knowledge

Happy trails.......... Until the next crisis..... Lol

Ron