Another wiring question, Journey

smlranger · 03-18-2005, 05:47 PM

I unscrambled all the wires for the toad lights....rewired the 6 pin connector and have my toad lights working fine now. However....there were two wires in the tangle of wires...one blue, one brown...that did not have any power with running lights, turn sigs, or brakes. These two wires run along the left frame rail and disappear upward near the air dryer. All my coach lights and toad lights work with these two wires disconnected.

Anyone have any idea what they might be for??

smlranger · 03-18-2005, 05:47 PM

I unscrambled all the wires for the toad lights....rewired the 6 pin connector and have my toad lights working fine now. However....there were two wires in the tangle of wires...one blue, one brown...that did not have any power with running lights, turn sigs, or brakes. These two wires run along the left frame rail and disappear upward near the air dryer. All my coach lights and toad lights work with these two wires disconnected.

Anyone have any idea what they might be for??

tomsm · 03-19-2005, 01:20 AM

Don't know if we're wired the same, but the drawing in my owner's manual shows a pin for "backup lamps" and another for "electric brakes". I assume the electric brakes wire is just led forward somewhere for hookup to a controller. Sorry, they don't show wire colors.

tomsm · 03-19-2005, 01:25 AM

Forgot to mention - the manual also shows a "+" pin. Since you say yours is a 6 pin and mine is a 7 pin, I assume that's the one you're missing since you would have seen power on it. My connector has 6 pins around the perimeter and the 7th pin is in the center.

smlranger · 03-19-2005, 03:28 AM

Tom:

Mine has 5 pins around the outside and one in the center which is labeled for back up lamps. I doubt these two wires are for electric brakes....from my TT days, electric brake wires need to be pretty stout...these are 16ga. wires.

These wires were not in the black flexible conduit like all the other wires so I'm wondering if they were for something installed by the prior owner. Are there any toad brake devices that require wires to be run from the toad light hook-up to the cockpit of the coach???

tomsm · 03-19-2005, 05:06 AM

I'll bet you're right - something added by previous owner for toad brakes. Several toad brake setups require a brake light signal to enable the toad brakes. Prevents the toad brakes from being applied when going downhill unless the MH brakes are applied.

On the Journey, if you just use the brake light signal at the connector, you also get an enabling signal when the exhaust brake is on since it activates the MH brake lights. You have to go up the the actual switches on the brake pedal to eliminate the exhaust brake signal.

smlranger · 03-19-2005, 03:31 PM

Tom:

If I understand you correctly, do our coach brake lights come on when the exhaust brake engages, even if I do not apply the brake? I wonder if that is what these wires were/are for?

tomsm · 03-19-2005, 05:06 PM

Yes, the coach brake lights come on when the exhaust brake engages. And for good reason - someone could overtake you pretty fast when the exhaust brake kicks in.

smlranger · 03-19-2005, 05:31 PM

Tom:

Thanks for that info. I checked all lights for proper operation but certainly not that function. I will have my wife follow and tell me if brake lights activate when I engage the exhaust brake. If not, perhaps these wires participate in that function. However, not sure why wires for that function would be run all the way to rear of coach to connect to the brake light circuit..would think there are many other places for that to occur.

I may need to call Winne tech folks and see if they can ID those wires.

tomsm · 03-20-2005, 02:00 AM

I wouldn't think the wire(s) would have to do with activating that function, but rather avoiding the signal when the exhaust brake turns on the brake lights. As I mentioned, several toad brake setups need to know when you actually step on the brakes, not just when the brake lights come on.

Slip under the driver's side and look at the bottom of the brake pedal arm - not sure what you call it, but the part that moves under there when your wife steps on the brakes. There are 2 switches on the end of that arm and several wires. If one of your unknown wires is a brake pedal signal, you should find the other end of it there.

Good luck...

journey · 03-24-2005, 08:45 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by tomsm:
I'll bet you're right - something added by previous owner for toad brakes. Several toad brake setups require a brake light signal to enable the toad brakes. Prevents the toad brakes from being applied when going downhill unless the MH brakes are applied.

On the Journey, if you just use the brake light signal at the connector, you also get an enabling signal when the exhaust brake is on since it activates the MH brake lights. You have to go up the the actual switches on the brake pedal to eliminate the exhaust brake signal. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

journey · 03-24-2005, 08:48 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by tomsm:
Yes, the coach brake lights come on when the exhaust brake engages. And for good reason - someone could overtake you pretty fast when the exhaust brake kicks in. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have a 2005 36 G Journey on order and will pick in about 4 weeks, would like to know what your experience has beeen with yours. Any tips on what to look for when I do the PDI.
Thanks.

tomsm · 03-24-2005, 10:25 AM

Don't know if I can be much help. My experience with my Journey has not been typical - 2 weeks after I got it, it was badly abused by hurricane Charley. Four months and $60k+ of insurance money later it's much better now

Still haven't been able to use it much cause we're still having home repairs done. When it's finally all done, we're selling the house and going full-time in the Journey. This time next year I should be able to tell you a lot...

As far as the PDI, just try to operate everything. Stay overnight at the dealer if possible. I don't think there's any one problem that Journeys are known for. Could be no problems at all or a problem with most anything.

Congratulations and enjoy! As mine has proven, there's almost nothing that can't be fixed.

Jack1 · 03-26-2005, 01:57 PM

Perhaps the former owner had to use a Remco lube pump for his toad. That would have required a wire from the coach dashboard area to the plug - to switch the pump (mounted in the toad) on/off. He'd need that switch mechanism for the next coach.

Jack1