RowdyRebel Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 ...so I took my truck in a while back for a new turbo, along with a few other "minor" things. Only electrical issue at the time was the "R" idiot light would be on (but dim) all of the time and would brighten up a bit when I'd actually put it in reverse.Anyway, I got the truck back and the marker light switch wasn't working.Keep in mind, the headlight switch was already redneck-engineered due to the dang things burning out all of the time. The headlights and clearance lights were either all-on or all-off...no clearance-lights-only setting with a simple toggle switch.Anyway, the marker light switch is supposed to work the 2 outside cab marker lights on the roof, as well as the tail lights across the rear of the trailer (the ones that blink when you push on the button on the end of the turn signal lever). I unplugged the switch, and it wasn't getting any power to the plug. So, when I got home, I redneck-engineered another simple toggle switch running power up from an auxiliary fuse block I installed (I don't like to mess with the truck's wiring...I add my own for anything I install) before plugging a single wire into the terminal that made the trailer's tail lights come on.Somehow, though, while all of the truck's lights were on, the trailer was missing the clearance lights (normally operated by the headlight switch). It was late, though, and since I now had tail lights, I wasn't going to be TOO concerned about it. I was just missing the amber lights on the front of the trailer, the amber lights at the mid-point of the trailer, and the 3 DOT lights on the rear of the trailer.About 45 miles into the first day, I made a turn and noticed ALL trailer lights were on, and continued to work fine all day.The next day, again, I was missing the headlight-switch-operated trailer lights...but by the time I climbed down out of the cab and turned towards the trailer, they were on...and stayed on for the duration of the day.Anyway, after a couple weeks of this, I had shop time scheduled to try to find the last 10 psi of boost I'm missing. I swung by the company shop to hose the truck off...clean trucks are ALWAYS more pleasant to work on than dirty ones...and when I went to leave, I noticed the headlight-switch-operated trailer lights were not on. I grabbed my multi-meter, unplugged the pigtail from the trailer, and tested the headlight-switch-operated pin...it was showing 12+ volts.So, I figured it was a trailer issue.I put the trailer into the company shop. Although the plug was showing 12+ volts, it would not light a test light. The other pins would...turn signals, brakes, etc...just not the headlight-switch pin. Hook a battery up to the headlight-switch-operated circuit on the trailer, the lights came on. In other words, it wasn't a trailer issue.When I dropped the truck off, I told 'em the 'lectrical issues needed to be resolved before they worried about the boost. Oh yeah, the "R" idiot light started being on again when I got home from the company shop.The plan was to do whatever the CX recall was for the headlight switch issue (even though I have a CH, my toggle switch was there as a direct result of my getting tired of spending $30/pop every couple months when the danged switch would blow) and try to figure out why the stock plug for the marker light switch wasn't getting any power. Most of all, though, I needed the trailer lights to be working...because that's something that will get me pulled over and will cost me money. I left the trailer hooked up when I dropped it off so they could see exactly what I'm working with.Anyway, I picked the truck up early Monday morning:The headlight switch, by itself, does not turn on ANY trailer lights. It still works the lights on the truck that it always has. It is once again a Mack toggle switch, so I can turn off the headlights while keeping the amber clearance lights all lit. Ain't been able to do that in a LOOOOOOOONG time, so it's kinda nice.The marker light, however, was STILL just my redneck-engineered toggle switch, and still controls the 2 outside cab marker lights on the roof...except by itself it now does NOTHING on the trailer.Yeah...you read that right. NEITHER switch, by itself, turns on a single trailer light. For the trailer lights to be on, BOTH switches have to be "on". If EITHER switch gets turned off, all trailer lights are shut off. The switch on the end of the turn signal lever does nothing.Don't get me wrong...I'm absolutely NOT complaining. I told 'em I needed the lights to work, and they do. I guess it is more of a surprised feeling than anything, after the scolding I received about my electrical alterations and how they were doing all this work (at $75/hour) to get the electrical system back to "stock". I told 'em "GOOD! That's how I want it!". Besides, what they can do in a couple hours in a climate-controlled shop with all of their experience and the resources they have available to them, it would probably take me a month of sleepless nights (after working all day) flying blind (since I don't know what I'm looking for or where the typical problems are) working outside in cold/rainy weather....well worth the money. The way it is now sure ain't the way the switches & lights would work in stock form....but all my lights are now working...so I am happy. I think part of the reason they came up with the solution they did was because it was a short work day....new years eve...and they all wanted to get out of there. I told 'em when I dropped the truck off that I'll be taking a 4-day weekend next month...that they should expect it to be back for whatever they don't have time to get to this time. Haven't talked to them since picking the truck up, though...been fighting the sore throat/stuffy nose/fever/etc that my fiance gave me while I was there ringing in the new year with her sick ass. Battled through work yesterday bundled up with the heat cranked and kinda glad they didn't have anything for me today. It's back to work for tomorrow, though...sick or not....hopefully not.Did I ever mention how much I HATE electrical problems? Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/17124-strange-lectrical-gremlins/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambi80 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I'll drink to that. I'm by far not the best electrician, but I like to just cut out all the bad crap and start over. Only place for spaghetti is on the dinner table. Quote Ever wonder how a blind person knows when to stop wiping? Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/17124-strange-lectrical-gremlins/#findComment-69755 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 I'll drink to that. I'm by far not the best electrician, but I like to just cut out all the bad crap and start over. Only place for spaghetti is on the dinner table.Which is exactly why when I ran the 4 gauge cables from the batteries up to the electric roll tarp controls, I ran a 10 gauge jumper wire from those roll tarp controls over to an auxiliary fuse block I bought at Auto Zone...which is where all of my add-ons get their power.The truck's wiring is the truck's wiring. I don't mess with the truck's wiring. My wiring is my wiring. My wiring is kept simple and designed to do what I need it to do...nothing more, nothing less. Starting from scratch, I can pretty much wire anything to work the way I want/need it to and it works without any problems....but when it comes to deciphering some college edumacated engineer's idea of the best way to turn on a set of lights when they aren't working, I'm lost. Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/17124-strange-lectrical-gremlins/#findComment-69756 Share on other sites More sharing options...
vision386 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Man i can relate! i HATE lectrical'problems! i'm ok with a hot and a ground,but thats about as far as my lecrical'experttise goes! anything much more complicated then that an i'm screwed!....... Mark Quote Mack Truck literate. Computer illiterate. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/17124-strange-lectrical-gremlins/#findComment-69758 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackpro Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 ...so I took my truck in a while back for a new turbo, along with a few other "minor" things. Only electrical issue at the time was the "R" idiot light would be on (but dim) all of the time and would brighten up a bit when I'd actually put it in reverse.Anyway, I got the truck back and the marker light switch wasn't working.Keep in mind, the headlight switch was already redneck-engineered due to the dang things burning out all of the time. The headlights and clearance lights were either all-on or all-off...no clearance-lights-only setting with a simple toggle switch.Anyway, the marker light switch is supposed to work the 2 outside cab marker lights on the roof, as well as the tail lights across the rear of the trailer (the ones that blink when you push on the button on the end of the turn signal lever). I unplugged the switch, and it wasn't getting any power to the plug. So, when I got home, I redneck-engineered another simple toggle switch running power up from an auxiliary fuse block I installed (I don't like to mess with the truck's wiring...I add my own for anything I install) before plugging a single wire into the terminal that made the trailer's tail lights come on.Somehow, though, while all of the truck's lights were on, the trailer was missing the clearance lights (normally operated by the headlight switch). It was late, though, and since I now had tail lights, I wasn't going to be TOO concerned about it. I was just missing the amber lights on the front of the trailer, the amber lights at the mid-point of the trailer, and the 3 DOT lights on the rear of the trailer.About 45 miles into the first day, I made a turn and noticed ALL trailer lights were on, and continued to work fine all day.The next day, again, I was missing the headlight-switch-operated trailer lights...but by the time I climbed down out of the cab and turned towards the trailer, they were on...and stayed on for the duration of the day.Anyway, after a couple weeks of this, I had shop time scheduled to try to find the last 10 psi of boost I'm missing. I swung by the company shop to hose the truck off...clean trucks are ALWAYS more pleasant to work on than dirty ones...and when I went to leave, I noticed the headlight-switch-operated trailer lights were not on. I grabbed my multi-meter, unplugged the pigtail from the trailer, and tested the headlight-switch-operated pin...it was showing 12+ volts.So, I figured it was a trailer issue.I put the trailer into the company shop. Although the plug was showing 12+ volts, it would not light a test light. The other pins would...turn signals, brakes, etc...just not the headlight-switch pin. Hook a battery up to the headlight-switch-operated circuit on the trailer, the lights came on. In other words, it wasn't a trailer issue.When I dropped the truck off, I told 'em the 'lectrical issues needed to be resolved before they worried about the boost. Oh yeah, the "R" idiot light started being on again when I got home from the company shop.The plan was to do whatever the CX recall was for the headlight switch issue (even though I have a CH, my toggle switch was there as a direct result of my getting tired of spending $30/pop every couple months when the danged switch would blow) and try to figure out why the stock plug for the marker light switch wasn't getting any power. Most of all, though, I needed the trailer lights to be working...because that's something that will get me pulled over and will cost me money. I left the trailer hooked up when I dropped it off so they could see exactly what I'm working with.Anyway, I picked the truck up early Monday morning:The headlight switch, by itself, does not turn on ANY trailer lights. It still works the lights on the truck that it always has. It is once again a Mack toggle switch, so I can turn off the headlights while keeping the amber clearance lights all lit. Ain't been able to do that in a LOOOOOOOONG time, so it's kinda nice.The marker light, however, was STILL just my redneck-engineered toggle switch, and still controls the 2 outside cab marker lights on the roof...except by itself it now does NOTHING on the trailer.Yeah...you read that right. NEITHER switch, by itself, turns on a single trailer light. For the trailer lights to be on, BOTH switches have to be "on". If EITHER switch gets turned off, all trailer lights are shut off. The switch on the end of the turn signal lever does nothing.Don't get me wrong...I'm absolutely NOT complaining. I told 'em I needed the lights to work, and they do. I guess it is more of a surprised feeling than anything, after the scolding I received about my electrical alterations and how they were doing all this work (at $75/hour) to get the electrical system back to "stock". I told 'em "GOOD! That's how I want it!". Besides, what they can do in a couple hours in a climate-controlled shop with all of their experience and the resources they have available to them, it would probably take me a month of sleepless nights (after working all day) flying blind (since I don't know what I'm looking for or where the typical problems are) working outside in cold/rainy weather....well worth the money. The way it is now sure ain't the way the switches & lights would work in stock form....but all my lights are now working...so I am happy. I think part of the reason they came up with the solution they did was because it was a short work day....new years eve...and they all wanted to get out of there. I told 'em when I dropped the truck off that I'll be taking a 4-day weekend next month...that they should expect it to be back for whatever they don't have time to get to this time. Haven't talked to them since picking the truck up, though...been fighting the sore throat/stuffy nose/fever/etc that my fiance gave me while I was there ringing in the new year with her sick ass. Battled through work yesterday bundled up with the heat cranked and kinda glad they didn't have anything for me today. It's back to work for tomorrow, though...sick or not....hopefully not.Did I ever mention how much I HATE electrical problems? All those circuits run through the turn signal switch, when i have screwy problems like that I always start by replacing the turn signal switch. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/17124-strange-lectrical-gremlins/#findComment-69760 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambi80 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Which is exactly why when I ran the 4 gauge cables from the batteries up to the electric roll tarp controls, I ran a 10 gauge jumper wire from those roll tarp controls over to an auxiliary fuse block I bought at Auto Zone...which is where all of my add-ons get their power.The truck's wiring is the truck's wiring. I don't mess with the truck's wiring. My wiring is my wiring. My wiring is kept simple and designed to do what I need it to do...nothing more, nothing less. Starting from scratch, I can pretty much wire anything to work the way I want/need it to and it works without any problems....but when it comes to deciphering some college edumacated engineer's idea of the best way to turn on a set of lights when they aren't working, I'm lost.Problem is though, by the time I buy the truck it's been through 2 or 3 owners and it's 10 years old. So far, I've learned truck drivers aren't diagnostic electricians. ............."Ah ha, the problem is...not here or here so much, but RIGHT here........we'll just...run the wires around it forgetting that positive and ground should be two different colors, then use cheap crimps and what not, maybe slop some black tape around the whole works." Quote Ever wonder how a blind person knows when to stop wiping? Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/17124-strange-lectrical-gremlins/#findComment-69762 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 Problem is though, by the time I buy the truck it's been through 2 or 3 owners and it's 10 years old. So far, I've learned truck drivers aren't diagnostic electricians. ............."Ah ha, the problem is...not here or here so much, but RIGHT here........we'll just...run the wires around it forgetting that positive and ground should be two different colors, then use cheap crimps and what not, maybe slop some black tape around the whole works."...which is sorta what they were dealing with. They have a month and a half before I'm scheduled to be in again...and have seen what they have to work with. They said that ought to give 'em time to order up some wiring harnesses & such to get things back in order. They'll have it Fri/Sat/Mon...so HOPEFULLY when I get 'er back the 'lectricals and the turbo boost will be good as new. Sometimes 1/2 the battle is knowing when it's time to pay someone else to do the dirty work Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/17124-strange-lectrical-gremlins/#findComment-69763 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambi80 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 ...which is sorta what they were dealing with. They have a month and a half before I'm scheduled to be in again...and have seen what they have to work with. They said that ought to give 'em time to order up some wiring harnesses & such to get things back in order. They'll have it Fri/Sat/Mon...so HOPEFULLY when I get 'er back the 'lectricals and the turbo boost will be good as new. Sometimes 1/2 the battle is knowing when it's time to pay someone else to do the dirty work Right! What'd they come up with for the low boost/power...if anything? Quote Ever wonder how a blind person knows when to stop wiping? Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/17124-strange-lectrical-gremlins/#findComment-69783 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Right! What'd they come up with for the low boost/power...if anything?Ain't had time to look at that yet. I told 'em when I dropped it off, I needed the lights to work...because the DOT don't like ya rolling around with lights not working. If they had time, they could look into the non-DOT issues....but they didn't have time.Next scheduled shop time is a 4 day weekend in Feb. while I'm celebrating my birthday at the motorcycle show. Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/17124-strange-lectrical-gremlins/#findComment-69786 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speed Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 If both switches have to be on for the trailer lights to work,sounds like your power is running from the power source to one switch,out of that switch over to the other switch,out of that one and on to the lights. Basically,if you leave one switch on all the time and only use the other switch to control the lights,you'd be okay,or remove one switch and just connect the wires from it together,you'd be okay. I used to use a set up like that with 5 switches all hooked together but two were mounted upside down,to run the electric fuel pump. Unless they were ALL in the right places,no start. (I tested it out on my boss at work-it took him over an hour to finally get it to run.) My nephew has his car wired so he has to turn on the park lights or his starter won't crank. Speed Quote "Remember-ANY Gun Control is Unconstitutional!"<!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><i><b>MACK-E Model Registry # 36</b></i><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><a href="http://www.nvabatetravel.com/"target="_blank">http://www.nvabatetravel.com/</a> Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/17124-strange-lectrical-gremlins/#findComment-69821 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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