No trailer running lights

[l1v3fr33ord1]

bjboles-

I would hold off running a new wire to power the brown wire. You'll probably find the factory wiring is fine.

A call to Freightliner, if you haven't made one yet, would be wise. Have your chassis VIN ready when you call. They should be able to tell you where the 12V comes from/though to power the circuit 46 marker light wire.

Attached find two documents.

1) 2006 Freightliner Trailer Brake Controller Jumper. This shows that circuit 46 is the correct one for the marker lights at the coach hitch connector.

2) 2006 Diplomat Freightliner Chassis Wiring Diagrams. Other manufacturers use Freightliner chassis. I expect your coach's chassis wiring to be very similar, if not the same. Two sheets, one for Cat C7 and the other for Cummins ISL. The trailer hitch connector appears in zone G-6 on both sheets. Work your way backwards from that connector through the fuses and relays, up to the headlight switch.

By the way, you should add a signature to your user profile. It usually includes the year, make and model of your coach, but can include other information. A signature is appended to each post. To create/edit a signature, click on the "User CP" link in the orange bar at the top, then click on "Edit Signature."

[bjboles]

Thanks l1v3fr33ord1!

I'm new to these motorhomes, been a 5th wheel guy prior. Would you have a phone number or contact to freightliner. I just want to make sure im contacting the right division of their company. Thanks for the attachments. I will hold off on adding any jumpers until i contact Freightliner.

[Morich]

Thanks for that info. It sounds just the straw that I was searching for and did not know where to find!

But I might question the reference to the trailer brake controller info. Is that really part of what he needs, as I understand that is for adding brake operation on the trailer, not just getting the lights to work?
I was thinking he needs to find the "park lights" type wiring that come on when turning on headlights or park lights?
Isn't that a different circuit?

[Morich]

This is really getting too far out for me to help much as this is a totally different drawing type and seems to give me little of what I need to follow any specific wire. No colors, no gauge and only really good info on locations if you are used to working on that chassis.
I found this for the trailer connection and would guess that they call it marker lights?
But with no color or wire info, is the plug marked A -F in any way to help you spot the marker wire?
That marker trace leads to a plug in unknown spot where it shows up on what seems to be pin 6 of a plug?

A call to Freightliner is a GOOD idea as what small stuff I did find left me blind on where to look.

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Originally Posted by Morich

Thanks for that info. It sounds just the straw that I was searching for and did not know where to find!

But I might question the reference to the trailer brake controller info. Is that really part of what he needs, as I understand that is for adding brake operation on the trailer, not just getting the lights to work?
I was thinking he needs to find the "park lights" type wiring that come on when turning on headlights or park lights?
Isn't that a different circuit?

I included that drawing set because one of the pages shows the hitch connector, with its wiring colors and circuit numbers. The rest of the information is nice to have, but does not apply to the OP's problem.

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Originally Posted by bjboles

Thanks l1v3fr33ord1!
Would you have a phone number or contact to freightliner.

According to their "Contact Us" Web site (link here) and other posts over on iRV2, the Customer Support Center number is 1-800-FTL-HELP, which translates to 1-800-385-4357. As I said before, have your Freightliner chassis VIN handy when you call.

While you have them on the phone, ask if they offer Internet access to technical information. I understand they have in the past, and some of that is specific to the VIN for your coach. They might be able to set you up an account while you're on the phone.

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Richard ("Morich")-

I expect the "Chassis Interface" connector you highlighted is not related to the OP's problem. The "MARKER SIG" originates at the headlight switch, or in the case of some coaches, at the Smartwheel/VIP controller box. The "Chassis Interface" connector looks to be an output connector for the coach manufacturer to use for his own purposes.

Note that this drawing also shows the wires feeding the marker 12V to the trailer hitch connector and coach are spliced together, meaning that if one is working and the other isn't, the problem lies in the slices or downstream of the splices. Often, the hitch connector has problems, although that may not be the case here.

Of course, the Monaco Diplomat chassis drawings may not apply at all for the OP's coach. I'm going on the assumption that- at least in the area of trailer wiring- the chassis are similar.

Here is a link to a search of iRV2 posts with the terms "Freightliner," "trailer" and "fuses" in them. The first thread listed has a post with pictures of the interior of a fuse/relay box that may match the box the OP's coach has (see his post #11). In any case, there are a number of posts listed in that search that may help solve the problem.

Hopefully, the Freightliner folks can provide the OP with both an answer to his problem and access to drawings and diagrams for his coach.

[bjboles]

Quick update. Contacted freightliner and they couldn't explain where marker wire 46 goes. They directed me to DTNA connect which has access to wire schematics. Not sure how much this will help .

[Morich]

Bummer! So how is it feeling on your end? Is it time to go desperate?
There is a tool that is often used for telephone or other work where wires are hard to find.
Look at "wire tracing tools", perhaps?
I have no favorite and no recent experience with any of them to recommend them but I have done wonderful things with them in the past as they can let you hear the tone through walls and ceiling.
But then the question becomes how much to invest in hoping to save some money???
Lots of vid on use, so I'll back out of that decision!

[l1v3fr33ord1]

bjboles-

I believe the brown wire is an output from the fuse box, not an input.

So, I would next check for the proper voltages at the relay socket. It's upstream of the brown wire. There should be a ground, a constant 12V (from the battery bank) and a 12V signal (input) when the headlight switch is in the "parking light" position.

[bjboles]

Thanks. Yeah I have changed known good relays around and no luck. So I have check all the top row of the fuses in the trailer fuse block to find they all have 12v. Here's what I'm thinking next. Let me know if this is a good test?

My next check will be to turn the right turn signal on which I know works. Test for power coming out of the fuse box (2 green wires 1-14ga 1-16ga), which it will have. Then remove the fuse and see if either of those have power. If neither of those green wires have power with the fuse removed then I now both of those are delivery power and not feed. That should tell me something is wrong with the fuse block correct? When I have power at the fuse, and have swapped relays?

[bjboles]

Well persistence paid off. So the smaller gauge wires going to the trailer fuse panel are feed/input wires. I then crawled under the coach to see if I could find where those wires go. Dumb luck I found on the passenger side a connector. And look it there. Brown wire pushed out the back. Pushed it in and bingo...power at the 7 pin trailer plug!

[Seon]

Originally Posted by bjboles

...Dumb luck I found on the passenger side a connector. And look it there. Brown wire pushed out the back. Pushed it in and bingo...power at the 7 pin trailer plug!

How cool is that! Grats.

[alantelevox]

I believe the fuse your looking for is on the panel, under the bed, on top of the engine. You will see a bank of fuses.
The fuseI have a 2004 Journey 34H. I have brake and signal light on the trailer but no marker lights. I have checked the fuses behind the electrical panel on the driver side. Also swapped relays...no luck. I checked the brown wire coming out of the fuse box for power. None. All these checks were the the key to the run position but not started. Headlights not on but markers on the coach on. I haven't checked input to the fuse box. How is this done? I'm almost out of ideas on what to check.[/QUOTE]

[Pdest]

Same here on my 2013 Meridian