wiring damaged after using trailer?

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johnb799
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wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by johnb799 »

Hi, i'm new to the forum and i've had bit of a concerning smell coming from my berlingo. I was connecting up the light wiring on the underside of the trailer today so left hazards and lights on to see when the connections where right. after about 15 min i got back into the car and there was a smell like heated up plastic. has the wiring possibly been overloaded?
the berlingo is a 2.0 hdi and the trailer was a 1.5 ton ifor williams
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by Paul-R »

Are all the lights (on the trailer board and on the Berlingo) operating properly? If they are I can't see why connecting the board up would have caused a problem.

Was the engine running while all this was going on? Possibly something has overheated there, maybe some plastic caught on the exhaust?
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johnb799
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by johnb799 »

thanks for the reply. Just noticed one of my brake lights has gone off and the trailer brake lights so took apart my failed berlingo light and the smell is coming from a little black box that has been spliced in, i assume to do with the trailer.
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by Stickyfinger »

Are the plugs OK inside ? often there is a lot of rot in them.

I would also say try LED Bulbs in the trailer/Berlingo to reduce the loading on the wires....two extra bulbs on the system can overload it esp if there are bad earths ...
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johnb799
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by johnb799 »

the plugs all look ok, no rust i can see. i've taken photos but can see how to attach them
johnb799
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by johnb799 »

johnb799
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by johnb799 »

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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by Stickyfinger »

you cannot attach them direct, you need to "host them" and link from there.

Have you opened the back of the plugs and looked inside.
That or the relay (if it has one) is failing in your black box.
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by johnb799 »

the links above take you to pictures. do you mean the red connector plugs?
that black cylinder is what smells like a scalextric car.
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by johnb799 »

why does it need a black box? can the wires not be spliced direct?
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by bobins »

That little black box is an eBay special to give you an audible warning when your indicators hooked up to a trailer are working. It's a legal requirement to have an audible or visible warning that the driver can see or hear to tell that the indicators on the trailer are working - and that little black box is one way of doing it.
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by Paul-R »

Judging by the number on the wires black box I would say that it's a warning buzzer for the indicators when the trailer board is connected. This may be of some help

http://www.rydertowing.co.uk/downloads/ ... TF1152.pdf

This buzzer satisfies the legal requirement that anyone towing has feedback that the indicators are working. With one of these buzzers I would NOT put LED bulbs in the board in case they do not load the buzzer enough for it to work.

Apart from the buzzer the trailer is effectively wired in direct and, for CAN bus cars, this is not a good idea. Ideally I would use a smart relay which takes a miniscule amount of power from the rear lamps.
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson​
johnb799
Posts: 9
Joined: 01 Dec 2016, 15:13
Location: sunderland
My Cars: citroen berlingo 2.0hdi

Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by johnb799 »

so the brake light probably does not run through the buzzer as it doesn't beep when you brake? so do you think likely be one of the red connections where it has been spliced that has broken?

the buzzer is also broken but i can easily enough sort that out once my brake lights are working again.

thanks for all the help
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Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by Paul-R »

Brake lights, side lights, reversing lights and fog lights do NOT run through the buzzer - only the indicators.

I really can't comment about the colours as there is no agreed standard. I also found a relevant diagram from Ring Automotive and they had different colours on the buzzer wires. The principle was exactly the same though.

What are the exact colours (including any tracer colour) on the wires coming out of the buzzer?
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson​
johnb799
Posts: 9
Joined: 01 Dec 2016, 15:13
Location: sunderland
My Cars: citroen berlingo 2.0hdi

Re: wiring damaged after using trailer?

Post by johnb799 »

ill take another look in the morning at the wiring colours.
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