Tail Light On All of the Time

kybob
kybob Member Posts: 232
in Battery/Electrical & Solar
I noticed, tonight, that the door side taillight was on. I am not hooked up to the tow vehicle. To get it to go off, I had to turn the battery switch to off and disconnect shore power. I then turned the battery back on, and the light came back on. I turned the battery off and connected to shore power and the light came back on. So the only way to not have the light on is to not be plugged in and have the battery switched off. Any ideas why this might be happening? Thanks.
2018 Outback S, Silver/Black - 2015 Silver Honda Pilot 4WD - Florence, KY

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Comments

  • MuttonChops
    MuttonChops Member Posts: 1,940
    WAG . . . a Short Between Right Tail/Stop Light and trailer +12VDC
            . . .  would also suspect the 7-Pin cable first.
            . . .  Perhaps a short at the 7-Pin plug.

    Believe the Right Tail/Stop Light wire from Junction Box to light is a single wire run . . . no junction points . . . so short has to be a Main Junction Box or in the 7-Pins Cable.

    Suggest you disconnect 7-Pin BROWN Wire from Junction Box.
    Counting Right to Left the brown wire is on lug #6
    Only disconnect the lower brown wire - - - the one from the 7-Pin

    If right rear turns off your 7-pin cable has a problem.
    '18 320 S,  pitched axle, 3020HE; PNW based
    TV: '17 Colorado V6 Z71 4x4, Tow Package, GM Brake Controller
    TV: '25 Canyon AT4
    Adventures:  58   Nights:  405  Towing Miles 50,180
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  • N7SHG_Ham
    N7SHG_Ham Member Posts: 1,261
    Probably a bad ground someplace, no more specific advice than that, start by checking the wiring from the light. Will probably be hard to track down.
    2019 T@B 400 Boondock Lite
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  • ontheroad
    ontheroad Member Posts: 489
    Check and see if there is any water in your seven pin plug that connects to your vehicle...Greg Weller and Austin finally figured out why our Tag's taillights were on at ucamp 18.... It was very eerie...it was water!

    Former 2017 T@G Max XL
    2021 T@B Boondock CS-S
    2018 Nissan Pathfinder
    Ontario, Canada
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  • kybob
    kybob Member Posts: 232
    Thank you for the suggestions. Up until about a month ago the trailers 7 pin cable was plugged into the Tekonsha Prodigy RF brake controller mounted on the T@B's frame. I had never removed it. Our new TV has a built in brake controller so now I'm plugging the trailers 7 pin cable directly into the TV's socket. So the 7 pin cable may be the problem. I will take the hair dryer out and blow dry the cables socket, and check the brown wire.
    2018 Outback S, Silver/Black - 2015 Silver Honda Pilot 4WD - Florence, KY

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  • Michigan_Mike
    Michigan_Mike Member Posts: 2,858
    edited November 2019
    I have seen some strange things over the years with the LED lights.  They are highly sensitive and even if a minuscule amount of voltage trickles across or is introduced along a circuit this can create an issue similar to what you are experiencing Bob.  I like the ideas proposed above and as noted, water could easily create your problem as could a ground.  I make it a practice to let the trailer wiring 7 prong connector hang down to eliminate water entry as I have seen the above happen when water got into the connectors, allowing voltage to track across the surface.

    Keep us posted as to how things go... Good luck! 👍🏻 
    Mike - Elmira, Mi / 2019 T@B 400 / 2021 Chevy Silverado LTZ
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  • falcon1970
    falcon1970 Member Posts: 758
    I use one of these.  So far it seems to keep the water out.  Make sure the end of the umbilical cord is pointed UP though.  If you leave it pointed down with the cap on water might still infiltrate around the edges of the cap. 



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  • kybob
    kybob Member Posts: 232
    FIXED! I took the cap off like falcon1970's and water poured out. Taking a hair dryer to it fixed the problem. Thank you all for your suggestions. I would never of thought that water in the plug would do that. 
    2018 Outback S, Silver/Black - 2015 Silver Honda Pilot 4WD - Florence, KY

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  • BrianZ
    BrianZ Member Posts: 1,770
    Interesting.
    So, while trying to proactively protect the plug from the elements, the cap collected water & caused a short!
    I guess I'll keep doing what I've always done, and just wrap the cord around the jack post & leave it hanging downwards so water drains out.
    -Brian in Chester, Virginia
    TV: 2005 Toyota Sienna LE (3.3L V6)
    RV: 2018 T@B 320S, >100 mods 
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    We have a cap and we secure it upright so no water collects.

    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • falcon1970
    falcon1970 Member Posts: 758
    Exactly Sharon, that is the way I hang mine.

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  • Bayliss
    Bayliss Member Posts: 1,496
    @Sharon_is_SAM, what is it that you are using to hold the seven-way plug to the jack post.  Looks like it may be zip-tied to the post, but wraps around the cord.  What do you use, @falcon1970?
    2019 T@B 320 S Boondock Lite; 2025 Toyota Tundra CrewMax 4x4
    (Alde: 3020; Refrig: Isotherm Cruise 65 Eleg; Battery: BB 100Ah LiFePO4; Solar: Renogy 220W Portable Suitcase w/ Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 Controller; Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor w/ Shunt; Pwr Cntr: PD-4135KW2B; EMS: PI-HW30C)
    Greg & Marlene (Tucson, AZ)


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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    @Bayliss - Mini Quick Fist Clamp 5/8 inch


    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • Bayliss
    Bayliss Member Posts: 1,496
    Thank you, @Sharon_is_SAM.
    2019 T@B 320 S Boondock Lite; 2025 Toyota Tundra CrewMax 4x4
    (Alde: 3020; Refrig: Isotherm Cruise 65 Eleg; Battery: BB 100Ah LiFePO4; Solar: Renogy 220W Portable Suitcase w/ Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 Controller; Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor w/ Shunt; Pwr Cntr: PD-4135KW2B; EMS: PI-HW30C)
    Greg & Marlene (Tucson, AZ)


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  • jkjenn
    jkjenn Member Posts: 6,417
    I had a cap and ran into a similar problem.  I like your fix @Sharon_is_SAM. 

    I have found putting it in the spare tire (mounted on the tongue) works well, too.

    2021 T@b 320 Boondock "Mattie Ross" | 2021 T@b Nights: 239 | Total nights in a T@b 455 | 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland | T@b owner since 2014

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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    We originally purchased the clamps to hold the jack crank under the bench, but found a better use for it!
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • Michigan_Mike
    Michigan_Mike Member Posts: 2,858
    Awww come on William, do tell!  😂👍🏻
    Mike - Elmira, Mi / 2019 T@B 400 / 2021 Chevy Silverado LTZ
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  • WilliamA
    WilliamA Member Posts: 154
    Hi Mike!  Are you in AZ?

    I've spent so much time, money and energy in my life solving complex problems that I first spent a great deal of time, money and energy creating that I've come to consider myself to be something of a scholar on the process. =) What all of that has taught me is that Occam was right:

    "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the right one"

    WilliamA
    2021 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
    2017 T@G XL
    Can generally be found around west-central Wisconsin.  
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  • falcon1970
    falcon1970 Member Posts: 758
    @Bayliss
    I couldn't find anything that I thought would work and didn't know about Sharon's solution so I went into "invent" mode:





    @WilliamA
      At first I hung it pointing down and discovered even a light rain will infiltrate.  I have found that by hanging the cord upright I get no water into the cap--even through a few heavy rains.
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  • rfuss928
    rfuss928 Member Posts: 1,181
    The DM T@Bs had a parking spot with a drain for the 7-pin built into the plastic cover on the front of the frame.

    falcon1970- I also decided hangers for the saftey chains and break-away cable would be a handy addition.



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  • pthomas745
    pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,530
    I'm not worthy.  I just use a ball bungee.
    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • Bayliss
    Bayliss Member Posts: 1,496
    Thank you for the response, @falcon1970.
    2019 T@B 320 S Boondock Lite; 2025 Toyota Tundra CrewMax 4x4
    (Alde: 3020; Refrig: Isotherm Cruise 65 Eleg; Battery: BB 100Ah LiFePO4; Solar: Renogy 220W Portable Suitcase w/ Victron SmartSolar MPPT 75/15 Controller; Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor w/ Shunt; Pwr Cntr: PD-4135KW2B; EMS: PI-HW30C)
    Greg & Marlene (Tucson, AZ)


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