[AT] Dielectric Grease

David Rotigel rotigel at me.com
Sat Oct 18 18:24:00 PDT 2014


Hi Joe, Do you have a friend in the area that can come over and plug HIS truck into your trailer? That MAY tell you where to start looking (ie under your truck, or under your trailer). 
	Dave
PS, Sure hope that some of this helps, but remember "Free advice is sometimes worth exactly what you pay for it!"

On Oct 18, 2014, at 9:02 PM, Joe Hazewinkel <jahaze at aol.com> wrote:

> I will check that first tomorrow Dave.  Not looking forward to crawling under the truck tomorrow, but it's about the only way I'll be able to track it.
> 
> Enjoy, Joe
> 
> Sent via mobile device
> 
> On Oct 18, 2014, at 8:43 PM, David Rotigel <rotigel at me.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Joe, Your brakes are (at least I think) on a separate wire from the lights. Somewhere the brake wire is broken. I suspect it runs to the brakes on one side and then is split and runs along the axle to the other side. 
>   Dave
> PS, Is the brake wire (NOT the brake light wire, but the wire that goes to and controls the brakes) hot at the receptacle on your truck?
> PPS, The ground wire usually goes to the frame. (BUT if ALL the lights work fine, I'd think the ground [from truck to trailer frame] is OK.)
> 
>> On Oct 18, 2014, at 6:34 PM, jahaze at aol.com wrote:
>> 
>> OK, I just spent the last six hours trying to track things down with no luck.  I do however think I have made progress.  Here's the deal, all the lights and turn signals work just fine, even the brake lights work when I press either the pedal, or use the manual control on the brake controller.  Here's where the fun ends.
>> 
>> For starters, I don't pull the trailer much, it's a gooseneck dully flatbed that I haul my tractors on.  Since I haven't had time to go to any shows, or auctions, the trailer has been sitting.  My neighbor used the trailer to haul a backhoe about four months ago, and the breaks worked just fine (using his truck).
>> 
>> I have always thought it was my brake controller (it was old).  Put a brand new one in today, nope, still have the problem.  I spent some time checking connections, found a corroded connection inside the plug in on the truck.  Tried to take it apart, broke it into pieces.  Replaced the plug in connector, everything is new and shinny with lots of grease.  Figured I found my problem, hooked everything up, all the lights work, even the brake lights, no brakes (right back to where I started).  I'm done for the day.  As far as I can tell, about the only thing it can be is the ground wire on the truck.  I will crawl under tomorrow and see if I can trace it.
>> 
>> Does anyone know if the ground wire on the truck side stays in the harness all the way to the engine compartment? Or does it attach to the frame somewhere?  This is on a 1997 F250.
>> 
>> Enjoy, Joe
>> 
>> Sent from my iPad
>> 
>>> On Oct 18, 2014, at 3:01 PM, David Rotigel <rotigel at me.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Dean,
>>> My first trailer was set up that way. That was, probably, 50 years ago and I think it was a home made two wheel outfit that probably would not carry more that 750/1,000 lbs. It didn't take me long to realize that you needed to run a ground wire to the trailer frame. (Although I will admit that I probably "realized" that because someone pointed it out to me.) Since that time, I have never seen a trailer with lights that did not have a ground wire running to the frame. I do, always, keep a set of Harbor Freight magnetic lights in my truck case my trailer lights "go bad" while I'm on a trip. On a dark raining night it's easier to add that kind of lighting to a trailer than even putting in a burned out light bulb! I have never needed to use the "extra" lights on one of my trailers, but I have several friends who were really glad that I had them along when their trailer lights went out for some reason!
>>> Dave
>>> 
>>>> On Oct 18, 2014, at 2:37 PM, Dean VP <deanvp at att.net> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Dave,
>>>> 
>>>> I fully agree, but if that is the way the ground circuit has to be completed on the truck/trailer
>>>> connection then it needs to be clean.  And in some cases offers a redundant and/or even required
>>>> secondary ground connection that compliments that through the wiring connector that may be a much
>>>> lower resistance than a corroded connector. 
>>>> 
>>>> Dean VP
>>>> Snohomish, WA
>>>> 
>>>> The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave
>>>> unsaid  the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
>>>> David Rotigel
>>>> Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2014 11:04 AM
>>>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>>>> Subject: Re: [AT] Dielectric Grease
>>>> 
>>>> Dean, Do you mean the "ball" and "socket" as in part of the trailer hitch? If so, that is not a good
>>>> way of grounding the lights (or anytjing electric) on a trailer.
>>>> Dave
>>>> 
>>>>> On Oct 18, 2014, at 1:48 PM, Dean VP <deanvp at att.net> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Also, check the ball and socket to see that there is a good electrical contact there as well. The
>>>> ball
>>>>> may rust between uses and the underside of the socket may do so as well. 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Dean VP
>>>>> Snohomish, WA
>>>>> 
>>>>> The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave
>>>>> unsaid  the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf
>>>> Of
>>>>> rlgoss at twc.com
>>>>> Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2014 10:34 AM
>>>>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>>>>> Subject: Re: [AT] Dielectric Grease
>>>>> 
>>>>> When I have had that experience, I found the culprit was the ground circuit on the trailer itself,
>>>> and
>>>>> that the frame, ball hitch, etc, could not be relied on for continuity.  As Farmer often said,
>>>> "Check
>>>>> the grounds. Check the grounds, Check the grounds.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Larry
>>>>> ---- Joe Hazewinkel <jahaze at aol.com> wrote: 
>>>>>> If I put dielectric grease on the prongs of my trailer plug will it help make the connection to my
>>>>> truck better?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Enjoy, Joe
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Sent via mobile device
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