Community Forums

b-u-d · 06-11-2011, 01:33 PM

I own a Southwind MH on workhorse W22 chassis w/8.1 Chev. engine. All of the sudden 20A stop/hazard fuse started blowing. When this happens, I have no brake lights, no cruise control and no aux. braking. Usually the ABS light comes on. When replacing the fuse sometimes it will last days and other times maybe a half a mile. I have checked the wiring harnesses grounds etc: Help!

John H... · 06-11-2011, 01:42 PM

Possibly a wire whose insulation is worn through and only touches some ground during traveling and is intermitant. Something has to be causing a short circuit. Maybe one of those lights you mentioned has a bad ground and puts extra load on the fuse. Sounds like it will be a tough one to find, but I would start with the lights. Good luck...Would like to know the cause when you find it...

450Donn · 06-11-2011, 01:43 PM

My first guess would be a bad ABS sensor at one of the wheels.

KJINTF · 06-11-2011, 04:53 PM

Are you towing anything when the fuse blows?
It took me a long time to track mine down to a connection on the toad

Rocky 2 · 06-12-2011, 12:08 PM

X 2. Mine would blow the fuse when connecting the toad. Switching to a six pin connector from the original 4 pin on the toad fixed it.

b-u-d · 06-12-2011, 04:31 PM

How would you go about testing for a short in the ASB sensor in a wheel?

DriVer · 06-12-2011, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b-u-d

How would you go about testing for a short in the ABS sensor in a wheel?

b-u-d, I do not expect that your issue is related to an ABS sensor in the wheel. In order to test the sensors a Tech II instrument is used to scan all the sensors. I had the same problem and I would look for a fault in the lighting circuits. It could be a bad bulb or something more easily diagnosed and obvious. I would try to duplicate the event while you are standing if that is possible rather than while you are going down the road. Have someone in the back of the vehicle identifying which lights are working and which are not. Connect the car and repeat the process looking not only for whether the bulbs lights but the brilliance as well.

The ABS light being lit could simply indicate an out of adjustment sensor or bad sensor. Have not read anything about a bad sensor blowing a fuse.

Phil R · 06-12-2011, 07:08 PM

One other thing to check would be the female trailer connector. If there wasn't any non-conductive grease put on those wire connections they can rust and short out. I've seen it happen a couple times.

oldusedbear · 06-21-2011, 11:56 PM

A trick we use to find sneaky short circuits in the AutoPark system - - Buy several inline fuse holders and install them on individual components or circuits in the system. Hopefully, the bad component will pop the inline and then you know where to look. Use fuse sizes that you think will just operate the individual components. Real heavy fuses will defeat the experiment.