Lights Out

[rikguy33]

I was told that my drivers side tail light was out. I put in a new buld and that didn't fix things. I pulled out the #7 fuse and saw that it was bad. Replaced it and the light worked. A day later the light is out again so I'm guessing that I have a short somewhere. Can someone make a suggestion where I can start looking some the problem? I do have a trailer wiring harness that attaches at that tail light and all of those connections seem fine. Suggestions?
2004 Liberty Sport

Thanks,
~Rick~

 

[bjs2063]

I had similar thing happen twice now in my 2007 KJ limited. It was caused by a short in the trailer wiring harness. After the first occurrence I replaced the wiring Harness, then 6 months later it happened again, now the new harness is unplugged and the lights are working fine.

I have not figured why I kept getting shorts in 2 different wiring harnesses that would blow the fuse. I will remove the harness from the vehicle when the weather gets better (warmer) and troubleshoot it. While I don't usually tow with the liberty, I do like to have the ability occassionally.

 

[Porkchop]

4 wire? Short to gound I bet. Fluke it out. is it geting wet?
Hide mine in the back of the reciver box when not in use and keep it filed with bulb grease with a cap over the 4 wire plug.

 

[rikguy33]

Yes it's a four wire plug. There is a cover on the plug but, I'll try unplugging the harness to see if that's the short.

 

[kb0nly]

Those ones that plug in at the tail lights are a pain in the ass. Just too much to go wrong. Get one of the powered and short protected models that plugs into the rear end harness behind the rear passenger side trim panel. The Hopkins 42475 from etrailer.

Sounds like a trailer harness short to me!

 

[rikguy33]

kbOnly - I had one of those wiring harnesses. The wiring got against the exhaust pipe and melted the insulation. So I replaced it with this current harness. I guess I'll go back to the other type again.
Any idea why the type that attaches at the tail light has problems? I don't see any water in there and the plugs are tight.

Thanks.

 

[kb0nly]

kbOnly - I had one of those wiring harnesses. The wiring got against the exhaust pipe and melted the insulation. So I replaced it with this current harness. I guess I'll go back to the other type again.
Any idea why the type that attaches at the tail light has problems? I don't see any water in there and the plugs are tight.

Thanks.

Ahh, well you have to tie it up good. I covered the flat four wire harness with some split loom tubing just as an extra layer of protection from where it goes through the floor grommet to the hitch, then i used some large cable ties to hold it up to the hitch tube in a few spots across, just make sure it cant hang down onto the exhaust.

Not sure what makes them so bad but it just seems every trailer harness i have had trouble with, on my vehicles and others was one of those style. Bad connections or something im not really sure.