Clearance/tail marker lights on the trailer keep turning off.

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by RobertRivalTransport, Jan 26, 2021.

  1. RobertRivalTransport

    RobertRivalTransport Bobtail Member

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    Jan 25, 2021
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    Hello everyone. I have been reading threads from this website for a pretty long time, only recently that I decided to make an account and interact.


    I’ve been driving for about a year now, and I’ve never experienced this issue. I have a freightliner Cascadia 2020.

    I was driving on the highway and I noticed truckers were flashing me from behind so I look at the trailer and noticed my tail / clearance lights were out. I pull over as fast and safely as I could. The first thing I did was wiggle the pigtail , unplug it , plug it back in , and attempt to clean any debris or grease , locate any damaged prongs, or exposed wires.

    My attempts at this were not successful. I pulled out my fuses and as I was turning the truck lights on so I could see to remove the fuse box cover, I noticed my trailer lights were back on.

    I took off down the road and not even two minutes they are back off again, at this point there was no travel stop or any trailer repair nearby open at this time.

    I pulled over and turn the truck off and immediately back on. This seem to work , resetting The clearance lights/tail lights operated all night without turning off until about the morning time.

    I am now driving during the day and luckily nobody has noticed they are off. But I do need to get this fixed, I just don’t want to take it to a trailer shop because it seems like it may be costly for something so small.

    Any recommendations?
     
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  3. bad-luck

    bad-luck Road Train Member

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    Check both ends of the pigtail. Where it plugs into the trailer as well as the tractor. Put some electric grease on both ends. You can also buy a tester that you can plug into the tractor and or the trailer that will tell you were the problem is whether it be the tractor or the trailer.
     
  4. RobertRivalTransport

    RobertRivalTransport Bobtail Member

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    Thank you! Very simple but yet informative answer.
     
    bad-luck Thanks this.
  5. Dennixx

    Dennixx Road Train Member

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    If it is old style plug, pull cord and spread the prongs (inside the receptacle) on the trailer with a knife for a tight connection.
     
  6. RobertRivalTransport

    RobertRivalTransport Bobtail Member

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    Jan 25, 2021
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    Hey guys just an update.

    I took it to the trailer repair shop and the receptionist had me wait an hour because the she told me they were on lunch.

    So I waited an hour for one of the guys to come out , go inside and get another guy to come back out with the voltmeter and tell me that the tractor is putting too much electricity into the trailer, that is an old trailer. Telling them thank you, I go to get back into my account and he tells me just go see the front for the ticket. Blows my mind , They charge me $105 for this at an hour of shop time, And did not even fix the problem
     
  7. buzzarddriver

    buzzarddriver Road Train Member

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    That's about right for an hours work by a mechanic.
    Did you ask him to fix the problem?
    That would have lowered the final bill.
     
  8. bad-luck

    bad-luck Road Train Member

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    How old is the trailer? I've never heard such a thing. It shouldn't be putting out more than 14.2 volts
     
    sevenmph and Dennixx Thank this.
  9. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Should not have paid, and if you did, pay with a credit card and call the card company and tell them you are not paying for it because they didn’t do the work.
     
    AModelCat Thanks this.
  10. mustang190

    mustang190 Road Train Member

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    Take your pocket knife and spread the pins in the power receptacle on the trailer.
     
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