Turn signals out - help!

[shagr15]

Hey guys

I was wiring in a LED strip to the back of my truck that usually plugs into a trailer 4 pin connector. Last winter the salt ate through my connector so I was wiring them in straight, there was a little spark as some of the wires hit each other and then my then signals went completely out and the strip is also not working. When I hit my turn signals in the truck or hit my emergency flashers they don't even blink inside now or make any clicking noise. I'm hoping it's just a blown fuse or something simple. Anyone have any ideas/advice? I have a 1999 explorer xlt by the way. Thanks in advance!!

 

[RangerX]

I'm hoping it's just a blown fuse or something simple. Anyone have any ideas/andvice?

Yes, check the fuse!

 

[shagr15]

Yes, check the fuse!

Planning on checking that later and hoping that is all it is... I pulled out the fuses last night right when it happened but it didn't look like the wire was broken... I think I pulled the correct ones based on the layout from the owner's manual (I think I checked #3 and #7 ). I've never had any experience with them before... is it just as simple and pulling them out and putting in a new one?

 

[RangerX]

It is that simple, if the fuse is the problem! It's always a good idea to start with the simple things. Hopefully that's what your problem turns out to be.

 

[iLoveMyExploder]

I once had this problem with a car. it wasn't an explorer, or even a ford. but it turned out that a relay went bad, in addition to a couple of fuses.

when it comes to fuses, it would be a good idea to get a fuse tester. they are cheap. sometimes a fuse will appear to be functional, when its not.

and relays can be tested with a 9 volt battery. they usually have more than one male prong sticking out of them. keep touching the battery around on those prongs, two at a time until you get this reaction- you should hear and or feel a click, maybe even multiple clicks. if it clicks, it works.

by the way, im no expert on cars. that's just all the info I now about fuses and relays. im sure theres more to them than that. but at least now you have a place to start

 

[shagr15]

So I went and checked all the fuses- first the left and right turn signal ones and those were fine, which made me nervous... but then I found that the Emergency flashers had a separate fuse too and that one was blown, luckily there was a spare fuse that was exactly the same on the fuse panel cover so I replaced it and we are good!

Now- for a little bit, when I had a turn signal on and then hit the brakes, the turn signal would stop working... I undid all the wires from the LED strip on the back of the truck and now the signals are fine.

My new question is- is there a way to get my LED strip hard wired in? I clipped off the 4 pin connectors from each side, stripped the wires and wound them together but that still didn't work and obviously when I touched them together blew a fuse. I lined them up just the way the pins were on the connectors... but do they weave back and forth or anything? Or is this strip shot?

 

[beepinX]

Glad you figured it out, always check the fuse and swap with new one. A quick look could be tricky to know if it good or not so trial and error with a known working one is a good habit.