Hobby Electrics
Hi all
The wife and I just rejoined the club after picking up our 2013 Hobby Premium 560 UL. We were members about 10 years ago when we travelled Europe in our Bailey.
Seem to have an issue (only on the rear right OSR) with electrics as when I indicate right, all bulbs in the rear right light unit flash, as does the rear left indicator and brake light. The left indicator does exactly as it should when operated.
Has anyone any experience of this and an idea of what the issue could be, and how to resolve? I’m guessing a dodgy earth connection maybe.
Thanks!
Comments
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I'd go for a dodgy earth too. Have you access to AN Other trailer or caravan to test the car or maybe plug your caravan into AN Other car to rule one or the other out? Check all connections in the plug & tail lights for tightness & water, I always fill plugs & sockets with plumbers silicon grease.
When I had dodgy lighting on my Lunar I discovered another connector at the back of the caravan underneath. It just needed a liberal does of switch cleaner & unplugging & re-plugging a few times to sort it.
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Assuming you check the car by using another trailer and its Ok then it is probably a bad joint as previously suggested or water in the 13pin, open it and have a look, you will know if you find green mush inside the connector.
Caravan manufacturers still use unsealed connectors on the external of the van. Its not like sealed ones have been available for 30 or more years!
Clean with WD40 and if you want to use grease get a can of electrolytic contact grease do not use silicone grease it is a really bad idea.
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Silicon grease is ideal for stopping damp, the issue is that it is a very high dielectric, it is one of the best things to stop electricity conducting. It is designed for high pressure machinery application and should never be used on electrical connectors, it causes high resistance joints.
Electrolytic contact grease is designed to give the same resistance to moisture and also reduce fretting in contacts but essentially aids the conducting of electrical current by being low resistance (even conductive) and stripping corrosion and silicon from the contact area.
It is generally not a major problem in conventional road lights but as caravans move to LED possibly with multiplexed feeds and signals the use of silicon grease will make them fail.
If in doubt use WD40 (other palm oil based lubricants are available) it really does work and will stop corrosion.
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This (or similar) is what I've used Plumbers grease and I've applied it after the plug or socket has been wired up to prevent water ingress. WD40 doesn't last very long. 😉
Silicon is a completely different animal 😉
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I've tended to use a dab of Vaseline.
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Please remember, everybody, that WD 40 comes in at least three (3) varieties :- with SILICON, With P.T.F.E. as well as the usual Blue / Yellow can we are familiar with. The usual WD40 can soften some plastics, so clean + lubricate + dry components fully. Then a smear or spray of your chosen substance using a cloth, spatula or even a small but stiff paint brush - Like CY I use vaseline 'cos it does the job & I have such luvverly soft paws now
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Hi all
Thanks for the responses, Apologies for the delay in getting back to you all; had a lot on preparing for our 6-month trip around Europe.
Managed to identify and fix the fault. Whoever had fitted after market blue led lights hadn’t connected the light unit correctly afterwards. It looked like they’d played a game of eeny meeny miny mo and just connected whichever wire they thought would work.
Earths and lives all mixed up.
All sorted now though!
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