Running lights don't work

Split from General / Technical for discussion of anything electrical, electronic... 12v, Inverter, Satellite, Headlights, flashlights etc.
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kdarling
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Re: Running lights don't work

Post by kdarling »

According to my 1992 Ford Econoline Electrical and Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual (*), the light green (or later light green with red) brake wire does go along the driver side, then shoots up behind the driver and back along the roof, while the other trailer brake wire follows the lower left body line back to the trailer connector.

Now obviously the E series cutaway doesn't have a rear roof. So I don't know if maybe that's why Chinook ignored it and used the trailer wire instead.

In my 95, the bottom of the closet lifts up to reveal all the tail wiring brought back. I just need to remove all the junk in there so I can look to see if by miracle the wire is there. (That area is where I hooked my rear view camera to the reverse lights.)

(*) Anyone who's serious about understanding their main Ford wiring needs to get over to eBay and buy the same used manual for their particular Ford chassis (not Chinook body) year. (Called E-Series instead of Econoline after about 2001). Usually can be found for $10 to $20. Far and away the best wiring and connector diagrams around, plus cutaway van grids to show where each connector is. Invaluable, even with our slightly hacked Chinook versions!
Last edited by kdarling on April 12th, 2017, 12:14 am, edited 5 times in total.
1994 Concourse dinette, Ford 7.5L (460 V8)
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Scott
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Re: Running lights don't work

Post by Scott »

kdarling wrote:In my 95, the bottom of the closet lifts up to reveal all the tail wiring brought back.
I've been through the wires there, too. I don't see anything Ford in mine. I'll proceed with checking the door sill pigtails.
kdarling wrote:(*) Anyone who's serious about understanding their main Ford wiring needs to get over to eBay and buy the same kind of used manual for their particular Ford chassis (not Chinook body) year.
Well that was easy enough. $20.99. It should pay for itself soon. :lol: I've been using the Haynes manual, and it's pretty surprising how many things are just plain wrong, wiring or otherwise.
1994 Premier
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kdarling
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Re: Running lights don't work

Post by kdarling »

Scott wrote:Well that was easy enough. $20.99. It should pay for itself soon. :lol: I've been using the Haynes manual, and it's pretty surprising how many things are just plain wrong, wiring or otherwise.
Yeah, Haynes often copies a lot of the material from Ford, but not always from the year you need.

The Ford Electrical & Vacuum Troubleshooting manuals are 200+ pages of electrical wiring diagrams, junctions, grounds, connector pinouts, and location maps for most all of those.

Using them, I was able to rewire and swap my instrument panel for one from an F150 with a tach, find a tach signal to use, change my cigar lighter socket to only come on with the key (so I don't accidentally run down the battery), fix a turn signal wire, add LED halo lights, install a new radio, add heated front seats using existing seat wires, and I forget what else.

Great bedtime reading material. Mine is now dog-eared at core places, with penciled in notes about my Chinook mods :)

Kev
Last edited by kdarling on April 11th, 2017, 2:31 am, edited 2 times in total.
1994 Concourse dinette, Ford 7.5L (460 V8)
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Blue~Go
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Re: Running lights don't work

Post by Blue~Go »

Thanks for the manual tip, I'm going to take a look for those.

On the green wire. I don't have any actual information, but there is a Ford "Class C Motorhome chassis" manual. I only have the 2013, but there might be a chance that they didn't change the overall treatment of "what happens to those wires" that we're talking about. From what I have seen, the trailer wiring schnozzles remained the same over a period of years. I'll take a look and see if I can make heads or tails of it.

I also just happen to have the driver's side pillar covers off, plus I can peer into the area over the cab ceiling. I could at least take a look and see if I see any green, or green-striped wiring that's just hanging out there saying "Chinook SHOULD have used this wire for the taillights" :lol: Or maybe it's in the driver's side step well under the cover. Just guessing that most Class C's didn't use the trailer schnozzle for the taillights....

BG

PS: At least on my year, the Ford trailer wiring "schnozzle" wiring runs along the driver's side frame rail under the coach. Maybe all cutaways do that since there is no interior Ford floor.
1999 Concourse
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Blue~Go
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Re: Running lights don't work

Post by Blue~Go »

You know, I didn't think that 2013 Class C manual was the one I was looking for. Turned out that was just a sort of few page brochure, so I dug deeper and the one I was thinking of turned up in my files. It's the 1998 Ford Incomplete Vehicle Manual. Close to 100 pages, so I'm looking to see if there is anything about the taillight wiring.
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kdarling
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Re: Running lights don't work

Post by kdarling »

Blue~Go wrote:PS: At least on my year, the Ford trailer wiring "schnozzle" wiring runs along the driver's side frame rail under the coach. Maybe all cutaways do that since there is no interior Ford floor.
You must be right. The diagram shows lower left, but I can see now that it is likely along the frame. (see pic below)

Re: cutaway manual. I think those are only about safety and emissions compliance.

Re: your side panel being off. I also wonder if the top courtesy / maplights still follow that path? Thanks!
Electrical manual page
Electrical manual page
This is just one of many wire, ground, junction and connector location maps in the Electrical & Vacuum manuals. Most useful to us cab forward and chassis below, of course.
1994 Concourse dinette, Ford 7.5L (460 V8)
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Scott
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Re: Running lights don't work

Post by Scott »

I found the light green wire (no stripe) under the driver side step well. I'd post a pic but I doubt it would help much. It was easy to find since someone was already in there and "terminated" it by putting an open butt joint connector on its end. Kind of confusing that it wasn't part of a pigtail; it just emerges out of a wrapped bundle. The important part is that it goes hot with a pedal press. Now too bad it looks to be about 16AWG at most. Running a new wire to the back should be easy.
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kdarling
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Re: Running lights don't work

Post by kdarling »

Yeah, baby! Let us know how you intend to run the wire. Hmm. Wonder if there are any unused ones or duplicates already going back. You could steal one if so.

I swear, I often wish that Chinook had run a front-back conduit, both inside and out.
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Blue~Go
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Re: Running lights don't work

Post by Blue~Go »

Sweet!

Say, I don't know if this would be of use (or exist in yours), but in the 1998 Ford Incomplete Vehicle Manual they (also) show a wire for a CHMSL (center high mounted stop lamp). What they show in the sketch is that it's in a bundle that runs vertically in the pillar behind the driver -- just aft of where the seatbelt runs vertically along that same area. It's hard to tell from the sketch, but I *think* it's coming from the step well area, running vertically where I described, and then maybe ends up by the roof.

They point to the center of that vertical run (in other words halfway from floor to ceiling) and say "unwrap tape from harness in this area and remove jumper connection to expose CHMSL connector."

Okay, that's not as good as a diagram is it...
CMHSL.png
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Ktown
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Re: Running lights don't work

Post by Ktown »

I realize this thread is a bit old but I am having the same issues on my new to me Chinook 1998.

Taillights and the trailer lights don’t work. The brakelights are fine. My fuse boxes look completely different than the one shown in the econoline manual and what some of you posted here. Any suggestions where to start? I pulled all the fuses from the box inside (driver foot well)! Everything checked out.
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