Journey rear turn and flasher problem

[skigramp]

I own a 2004 Winnebago Journey model 39W. This model has a red stop and amber turn and flasher lens below it.

I have a problem with rear turn, tail-light, and flasher that I can't figure out.

Facts:
1) All the lights work as they should on my toad.

2) Both the left and right (front and back) turn signals "work" although there is only about 10 volts (max) at the rear lamps

3)The right rear flasher works but is not as bright as it once was ... it has about 10 volts at the socket when on flasher...

4) The left rear flasher does not work ... there is not enough voltage there to illuminate the bulb ... about 5 volts at the socket when on flasher


There is a yellow and white wire that comes into each of the amber fixture...


I am unclear about where to start looking for this problem ... I hate to spend $100 (or more) per hour for a tech to trace this down ... I am hoping that someone can give me some good ideas of where to look for the source of this problem ...

[W8RLM]

Skigramp,

Do the lights on the Journey work when the toad is disconnected?

I'd suggest that you may have a bad ground - possibly at the plug to the toad. That could drag down the voltage when thetoad is plugged in.

As a last resort, call Winnebago Owner Relations. Have your VIN number with you. They do an excellent job helping you troubleshoot problems over the phone - and they don't charge.

Good Luck

W8RLM - Bob

[MrTransistor]

My guess also is a bad ground. Sounds like you know the front from the back of a meter so measure the voltage at the bulb but instead of going across the bulb, measure from the hot or yellow lead to a good ground point, say on the engine block or the negative terminal of the battery (extend the ground lead of the meter if it’s too short). If the voltage then reads 12 point something, you have a resistive ground. Start with the schematic for your coach to see where the grounds are connected, then work backwards from the actual ground buss for that circuit through all the connectors that return to the lamps themselves. Since they all do it, you should find the bad ground prior to the last branches in the circuit. You can just tighten the studs on the ground buss and reseat all the connectors checking after each one or you can measure across the connection to see if a voltage drop exists. Good Luck.

[skigramp]

I sent a detailed email to Winnebago ... then called Brian ... he suggested that I start looking for loose grounds ...

SOOO ... I started the engine and moved the coach to a more convenient location ... AND EVERYTHING WORKED ... so it looks like I have one of those frustrating intermittent problems on my hands ...

In our second communications Brian suggested that I check for corrosion in the trailer connector ... so I will look at that tomorrow ...

[DeanLinAZ]

Skigramp:

Funny, not, our brother to Ernie, a 2004 39W, had a similar problem last week. The right hand stop/turn pin at the trailer plug went dead (no right hand stop or turn light on the toad). I guess after five years these guys start acting up-bad grounds, broken wires, huh?

I spent $150 for a tech at Charlie Echols, Peoria, AZ to figure out what was going on. He found a broken wire, but could not pin-point the break. The fix was to add a wire to the bundle going from the right hand light housing area to the trailer plug. He put a new shroud around the whole bundle so it looks very sanitary.

Best of all, it works--at least for now. I still love my nameless 39W Journey.

[skigramp]

Brian (at Winnebago Owners Relations) is a wizard ...

His prognossis of a faulty plug was right on ... the ground wire on the "leash" to the toad at the Journey end had a loose ground wire ...

I am glad to report that everything is flashing as it should ... at least for now ...

Ernie is road ready now ...