# Interior lights don't work



## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

So I bought my Eclipse horse trailer a couple years ago and it was brand new at the time (I think it's a 2011) but the interior light in the trailer (horse part, not tack room) has never worked. The dealership told me it was an issue with a fuse but I have taken it and my truck in several times to various places and no one can find a missing fuse or anything to suggest that is it. 

I guess the logical next step would be to buy another bulb and see if they just sold me a trailer with a burnt out bulb, but has anyone else had issues with their Eclipse and what did you finally find that fixed it?
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## MysticTrev (Oct 2, 2013)

I'm no expert on it however, I have had my fair share of electrical problems. If changing the bulb doesn't fix the problem perhaps you could go get yourself an AMP reader to see if your even getting a current to it. If your not, then you know that it needs to be rewired. However, if you are then it may just be the "outlet" thats bad? Just an idea :-|


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Bad ground wire, dirty connection plug, missing or burnt out bulb, bad socket are the really simple ones...

Good luck.


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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

Customer Service. Would of taken them less than 10 minutes to diagnose the problem.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

This might be a dumb question, but have you tried using it while the truck is running? My trailer is wired up such that the interior (tack & horse area) lights only work when the truck is running. (One day I'll get around to seeing if I can change that myself...)


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

On a lot of vehicles the wire on the trailer receptacle that provides a constant power source (to run accessories like interior lights as well as charge your emergency braking battery) is not connected by default. Look in your owners manual and you should find the location where you need to add a fuse - often there is a "dummy" fuse in its spot you need to remove and replace with a real fuse. 

If this is an older vehicle it's also entirely possible that the vehicle was never wired in such a fashion as to provide power on the required pin - someone who wired it themselves but had no use for a constant power wire may very likely have never installed one. 

What year/make/model vehicle? I'll see what I can dig up for you.
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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Customer service are the ones that suggested the fuses. 

Thanks for all the ideas guys. And yes I have tried it with the truck running and just on, with and without lights turned on and even hooked up hubby's van to it and no dice. 

My truck is a 2005 Ford F150 - thanks for digging up info for me PrivatePilot, appreciate the help!
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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Check your glove box and see if there's a little plastic bag in there somewhere with 2 fuses in it. Get back to me.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

I bought it used and pretty sure the glove box was empty except for the owners manual :/ just double checked and no fuses in there...
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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Ok, long and the short of it, from what I dug up, Ford included the required fuses (or relays, there's a bit of cross information out there) to provide power to the trailer power circuit, but left them uninstalled in a bag in the glovebox so that this circuit wasn't "live" unnecessarily for those who were not going to ever use it.

So, this should be what your under-hood fuse panel looks like - please confirm.










If the layout matches, are there relays (probably little silver or black boxes) plugged into the highlighted spots?

Take note that this is the UNDER HOOD fuse panel, not the under-dash one.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

I will look when I get home tonight and am in the garage where my fingers won't freeze within seconds :lol: 

Thanks so much for all of your help!!!
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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

PrivatePilot said:


> On a lot of vehicles the wire on the trailer receptacle that provides a constant power source (to run accessories like interior lights as well as charge your emergency braking battery) is not connected by default. Look in your owners manual and you should find the location where you need to add a fuse - often there is a "dummy" fuse in its spot you need to remove and replace with a real fuse.
> 
> If this is an older vehicle it's also entirely possible that the vehicle was never wired in such a fashion as to provide power on the required pin - someone who wired it themselves but had no use for a constant power wire may very likely have never installed one.
> 
> ...


I didn't even consider that it might be something with my truck... do you know if that's the case with a 2010 Tundra? I took a quick look through the manual this morning but didn't see anything obvious in the fuse or towing sections.


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

It's almost certainly the truck. Like I said, most tow vehicles, even if they are quipped and wired to provide full-time power to the trailer for things such as interior lighting, often do not have these circuits been able to by default.

The problem was is that having a liive circuit going to the trailer electrical connection has risks - should that wire happened to ground out somewhere obviously a short, and typically it tended to cause a lot of corrosion inside the trailer electrical plugs as well – and for people who don't frequently pull trailers it was more of an issue then it was worth. Accordingly, manufacturers typically still wire for this always-on connection, however leave the fuse or breaker out at a fuse panel in order to make the circuit dead be default. The owner can make it "live" if they so wish - it is covered in some owners manuals. 

On most older vehicles, pre-2000-2002 or so, trailer wiring from the factory was less common, and typically unless whoever installed the wiring added a constant power circuit, there may not be one there whatsoever – in that case some rewiring would be necessary.
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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Promise I haven't forgotten, but it's been so cold here lately I haven't been able to stand it long enough to go lift the hood! :lol: 

Tomorrow it should be warming up a bit so I will take a look!
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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*trailer lights*

does the truck feed the liveing quaters lights.
it could be a bulb or a supply fault.
the other alternative is to have a spare fused socket that you can hook up to the battory of the truck and acts as a load bank to test the circuits.
or have you a volt meter to check if the auxillary supply has power.
you can make a plug with test lamps so as to asertain the circuits work fine.
its a shame im in england id trace it for you and have it up and running in no time.
i have done my own trailer and a frends horse box as well as all her power was not working.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Sometimes it's the trailer. My first problem with my steel 4-horse slant was that the electric connections went out. Here I am, driving back from MO (to IL) all night, Midnight Black trailer, NO LIGHTS!
Now, I fight the turn signal lights. My truck is a 2007 Dodge Cummins full ton doolie, and the connector has a cover AND my truck lives in the garage and never spends an unnecesesary day outside, so weather isn't a factor.
I swear, somebody out there can rewire my trailer!!


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

If it was other lights I'd place the potential blame on the trailer, but issues with the aux power circuit are almost always related to the tow vehicle just not being wired correctly to provide power on the required circuit in the electrical plug.
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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

So I looked today and don't see an under hood fuse box that looks like the above. The only fuse box is under the glove box. But there is a very small box that sort of looks like a fuse box under the hood on the driver side near the wheel well.

I took a pic but I can't post it using my phone and if I click full site then go advanced to post it, it just goes back to mobile site...anyone know how to post photos using mobile?


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

You'll probably have to use a full browser (on a desktop/laptop) to upload it.

That panel under the hood is quite likely what you're looking for. Did you open it? It's entirely possible it changed from one model year to the other hence why it looks different, but I think you're on the right track.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Yes opened and took a pic too - it has a few empty spots so I'm hoping we're onto something! 
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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Although unfortunately it looks nothing like the diagram you posted  I'm digging in my owners manual now...
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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Ok the box under the hood is the auxiliary relay box and apparently the items listed according to the manual are: clockspring illumination, 4x4 CCW, 4x4 CW, Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) high beam disable, DRL, A/C clutch (2 of those)
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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Hoofprints in the Sand said:


> Ok the box under the hood is the auxiliary relay box and apparently the items listed according to the manual are: clockspring illumination, 4x4 CCW, 4x4 CW, Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) high beam disable, DRL, A/C clutch (2 of those)
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Ok, yes...look at the manual and see what it shows for any auxiliary fuse panels..there is a second one under the hood on most vehicles that hold the less commonly problematic fuses, relays, and breakers. The fuses inside the vehicle are the "common" ones.

I'll dig some more and see if I can find some more year specific data in the meantime.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

i had the same issue with our trailer when we bought it but with an 08 chevy

if you can't find the fuse PrivatePilot is talking about take it to a trailer repair shop or dealer and someone should be able to fix it in a few minutes.


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