Wiring Harness

[Richard in Smithville]

When my Ford Escape had the hitch installed a few years ago, when they installed the wiring harnes, they used an in-line circuit breaker type of unit. This unit has failed for the left turn signal.

Can I just "jump" the unit and bypass for the one wire or should I replace the whole unit?
THX

[just started]

I would 'jump' the unit using an in-line fuse holder, or replace the unit. Just jumping with wire is asking for trouble down the line.

[LCHIEN]

I would 'jump' the unit using an in-line fuse holder, or replace the unit. Just jumping with wire is asking for trouble down the line.

like JS said, protection devices are there for a reason. At least jump it with a in-line fuse. If there's an fault/intermittent fault that took out the circuit breaker, then bypassing the safety will allow the fault to destroy something else.

[Richard in Smithville]

I did a bit more research into the unit in question and found it also works as a "descambler"(lack of better word) to sort out what light is actually on( ie; brake, tail, indicator). Plus it runs the power direct from the battery so not to overload the circuits on my vehicle. I went out and bought a new unit before I went to mums for dinner. I'll install it tomorrow while I'm suppose to be visiting with the inlaws.

[cabinetman]

IIRC, the turn signal and brake light are on the same circuit, with an intermittent for the turn signal (interrupts the brake light for that side). You might also check the turn signal switch.
.

[Richard in Smithville]

Hi C-man. Yesterday I was able to trace the fault to this one unit. I was hoping I could by pass it but doing that just made the signal light stay on.

[eezlock]

wiring harness

You might have another problem that you didn't mention in your post. It might be in the signal flasher,it may need to be changed to a different unit when using the wiring harness and pulling a trailer, the extra lights will and do cause problems with some vehicles electrical system, light won't flash as they should, ex: too fast, too slow, or not all . I have found thru experience, that any time the electrical system on a vehicle is altered in anyway from factory original, most of the problems can be traced back to
a bad installation with poor quality work having been done. Most people
who hack into a vehicle wiring system know very little about what they are doing and wind up doing a botched/ patched up job at best. Have it checked by someone reliable and they will find the trouble. I would wager that the ground wire in the trailer wiring harness is not making good contact with the frame as it should, this causes more trouble than you can imagine.

[cabinetman]

You might have another problem that you didn't mention in your post. It might be in the signal flasher,it may need to be changed to a different unit when using the wiring harness and pulling a trailer, the extra lights will and do cause problems with some vehicles electrical system, light won't flash as they should, ex: too fast, too slow, or not all . I would wager that the ground wire in the trailer wiring harness is not making good contact with the frame as it should, this causes more trouble than you can imagine.

Could a bad flasher only affect one of the directionals, and likewise for the ground?
.

[master53yoda]

on the majority of the cars built after about 98 the cars computer actually does much of the switching rather then running the full load through the turn signal switch etc. on those cares the trailer light assembly is actually an interface device from the computer and uses a separate feed direct from the battery for the trailer lights. If the interface has a separate power direct from the battery it is this type of device and will need to be replaced with a similar unit. the one on my endeavor burned out and i replaced it with a complete unit from the local parts store. it was about $35.00. Go to the parts store and look up what type of trailer connection they carry for your vehicle and use it. If the vehicle is newer then about 95 I would not chance trying to hard wire the trailer lights especially if the trailer has marker lights etc.

the older vehicles turn flasher is for all the turn signals it would not be affected differently on one side then the other. the other flasher unit is for the emergency flashers and is heaver rated then the turn signal flasher. If the turn signal flasher is having trouble with carrying the additional load of the trailer lights they will flash very quickly when connected.

[Richard in Smithville]

I replaced the unit with a similar one from Reese and everything works fine now. Thanks for all the help and advice.