Blowing fuse on trailer light

[deeman]

I have a 2008 Ranger which is still newish to me. I got a utility trailer which I use a lot. Initially the lights on the trailer worked fine. Then I noticed the drivers side tail light and blinker stopped working. I traced it down to a blown 7.5A fuse. I replaced the fuse and the lights worked for about 2 days before popping the fuse again.

The actual lights for my truck work 100% fine - it's just the trailer lights on the driver side.

Any advice on where to start looking? I have new LED lights on the trailer and LED side markers. I just don't know if the issue is the trailer or the truck.

Thanks!

 

[Curious Hound]

I believe some newer trucks like yours power the trailer lights through relays if they came with factory trailer package. So the issue could be something with the trailer pigtail on your truck. But I would check trailer wiring first, especially if the fuse doesn't blow with the trailer disconnected. Look for places where the wiring to that light is next to a sharp corner of metal or something like that which could rub through the insulation and short out the circuit.

 

[09fx4guy]

X2 with above. Start tracing the wiring on your trailer to see if there are any worn spots or bad connections.

 

[RonD]

+1 ^^^

Your 2008 Ranger has separate fuses for left and right brake/turn lights on trailer connection
If this fuse does not blow when trailer is not connected then the issue will be in the connector itself or trailer wiring, not in truck side wiring

Truck lights don't use this fuse, it's only for trailer light connector

 

[britanyweel]

Hey there, I hope you're doing well! I noticed that this is an older post, but I still wanted to chime in with some advice on your trailer light issue. One thing to consider is the quality of the LED lights you're using. Cheaper lights can sometimes cause electrical issues and blow fuses more frequently. If you haven't already, you could try upgrading to a range of quality LED trailer lights like these ones (https://www.truckelectrics.com/collections/led-marker-lights). They might be a bit more expensive, but they could save you some headache in the long run. As for where to start looking, it's possible that the issue is with the trailer wiring. Check all the connections and make sure everything is secure and free from any damage. I hope that helps! If you've already fixed the issue, let us know what ended up working for you.

 

[racsan]

I know when I set up my 2011 escape for towing I had bought a harness for trailer lights that had some sort of relay in it. I dont recall all the details but it was a lit more than your typical old school harness that plugged in between connections on the factory tail lamp wire connections.

 

[2011Supercab]

Then I noticed the drivers side tail light and blinker stopped working.

Tail lights and blinker are separate circuits

I traced it down to a blown 7.5A fuse.

That 1 fuse wouldn't fix both.

Either your trailer wiring or your LED lights have a problem.