15 amp ignition

[grey1]

A neighbor has tried to splice in a 4-flat trailor harness. He makes it about 2 miles down the road and engine dies. Tows it in and the 15 amp fuse marked "ignition" has blown. This is the mini fuse under the dash. This is a 98 sidelick or tracker 1.8 5-speed.

What has gone wrong?

What is an easy way to convert this vehicle's lights to a typical small trailor?

I have access to some wiring diagrams but they are not complete. I do not know what all is on the circuit in question.

I looked this up last year and told guy that there was connector behind the tail light and a plug could be purchased

Thanks

[grey1]

Oh, I almost forgot... the fuse has blown again, and last i heard he put a 20 amp in.

[ranger88den]

Originally Posted by grey1

Oh, I almost forgot... the fuse has blown again, and last i heard he put a 20 amp in.

This looks like a fire in the making.

[aquanaut20]

Originally Posted by grey1

Oh, I almost forgot... the fuse has blown again, and last i heard he put a 20 amp in.

Have him replace the 20A with the required 15A (fire hazard).

The Ign fuse should have no connection to the trailer wiring.

Are the stop and signal lights separate (2 bulbs) on that vehicle? If so you need a converter to hook up to standard USA trailer lights.

Regardless until you find the source of the short, the trailer hookup needs to be removed.

[billsmartis]

14 gauge wire = 15 amps 12 guage wire = 20 amps 20 amp fuse on 14 guage wire = melted wires and quite possible fire you can't put out until battery disconnected and buy that time get the marshmellows and some sticks and stand back.

Bill S.

[jtgh]

you wired it to the wrong circuits.

there is a trailer connector in the main harness behind the left rear tail light.

here is the correct adaptor for 5 wire car to 4 wire trailer.

trailers

$13 bucks and 30 minutes.

you wired in the the main power feed. never ever do that.

there are other systems too, that use the cars wiring(above ) and use it as only a signal this is called buffererd trailer lighting. and it needs a power source.
the best source is a direct wire to the battery with your own fuse.
its says that in the instructions.
never connect the DOME< FI , TAIL FUSE ever.

you could have used the radio fuse and now car would at least run.

if you need a power distrabution, try this.
piick something safe.

here is my power page
see the last link, that is your car.

stay away from, the fuses marked with CANT live with out words.
like ECU, memory, ABS, FI, and others so obvious. see them?

mine is a $10 diode gating trailer box . so useds the cars lighting directly.
the buffered kind , must have its own power feed.
the best way to do that IS MAKE ONE from scratch.

at Fuse #3 or directly to the battery, Id go directly with a 20 amp inline (at bat) fuse.
then if you ground out the trailer ckts. then you dont kill ANYTHING ELSE in the car.

think of it as extending the main buss on top. that makes my idea simple.

hope that helps. Use bills comments on gage.
fires suck.

[Ole-Boy]

Originally Posted by jtgh

.

here is my power page
see the last link, that is your car.

??

Sorry Jerry. But you forgot the link.

[jtgh]

ops. sorry.
Electrical power failure