[SEL] Semi OT - Trailer question

[Listerdiesel]

On Apr 5, 2005 5:52 PM, John Cullom <jhcullom at adelphia.net> wrote:
> Although I do use my trailer for hauling my engines & tractor - I hauled out
> my 16' flatbed trailer today in preparation for summer shows, & noticed
> something peculiar. All the running lights work fine, as well as the brake
> lights, but when the lights are on, the electric brakes are engaging. Enough
> that when I turn the lights on when pulling it, I can really feel the brakes
> grabbing, so they are engaging all the way. Any ideas? I figured all the
> grounds & other connections were clean & tight, since the lights worked. But
> could it be a frayed wire touching the body & feeding back into the brake
> wire? But that would blow the fuse, right? Got me stumped.
> Thanks for the help,
> John

I have to reply to this with some uncertainty as we don't have
electric brakes over here in the UK, but we DO have lots of salt on
the road in winter which causes lots of bad connections.

Assuming that the brake lights come on with the electric brake, and
that the brake lights and side lights share a common ground in the
bulb (assuming again a dual-filament stop and tail bulb) then it is
quite plausible that the side lights are not grounded properly and are
getting a ground through the stop light filaments, and thus to the
electric brake.

It is always a pain when bad earths or grounds happen, but usually it
is just a case of cleaning up connections and applying some Komaline
Jelly or Vaseline Jelly, DO NOT use ordinary grease on electrical
contacts!

Hope this may help in some small way.

Peter
-- 
Peter A Forbes
Email: listerdiesel at gmail.com
Web: www.oldengine.org/members/diesel