Tire help and running lights are not working

NorCalSteve

NorCalSteve

Senior Member
Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
198
Location
Chico, CA
Time to replace my tires on my truck. I will get E rated tires. I want Michelin tires and just want to make sure, when I go into Costco, that I order the correct tires. I searched the forum because I remember someone posting the part number for the tires in a thread (I swear I saved a link to the thread) but can't find it. Just want to make sure I do it right.

The running lights not working is a friends Hawk. We stopped by FWC today and the person that helped us (I was getting a new water drain valve) said to check the green wire that goes from the plug to the tail light. I was just curious if anyone else has had the running lights go out. It does not appear to be a fuse. We got home late and have not checked the wire connections yet. I like that check because we can do it without jacking up the camper.

Thanks!

Steve
 
If you have a $5 test light connect it to a good ground. Wherever your green wire is drawing power from right now, test it there for power with the headlights/running lights on. If the the green wire has power, then you know it is not a fuse. Then test the 3 pin connector in your truck box for power (turn your lights on and off to ensure you are on the correct pin), if you are getting power straight through to the plug in the truck box, then you either have a bad ground connection on your main wiring harness or wiring issues within the camper itself (not likely). Check that there is no corrosion on the ground wire (black on the wiring harness) and that it well grounded.


In the end you are testing a circuit. Power from the fuse box is making it's way to the pin on the running lights, you are tapped in that wire with your green wire. It carries power to the 3 pin connector in your truck box and then through the camper's running lights. It has one goal in life and that is to make it to ground where your main wiring harness is attached (likely to the firewall).
 
Thanks Llavaseur,

I went into Costco today and they have a sale on Michelin tires coming up on May 4th. Now I need to see if that is the one that will be on sale. He showed me two E rated tires. One was more M&S while the other was more of a street tire. With a 2WD old loud truck, I lean towards the street tire to reduce noise. Decisions decisions. These should be the last tires I put on this truck before it get replaced with something else.

Thanks again!

Steve
 
I tend to favor these for circuit testing:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/apt-7760

APT-7760_xl.jpg


You are the ground wire, just touch grounded metal with some other part of your body, and they are very sensitive. No more wondering if I don't have power or if I don't have a good enough ground connection. Power indication is both audible and visual.
 
Thanks for the help on finding the running lights problem. This really was more of a question to see if anyone else had their running lights go out, which could help Mike and I find the problem quicker. Electronics is my hobby so I am pretty well set on tools although that circuit tester looks like a nice item to add to my tool box! Thanks!

My camper has a small computer that runs 24/7. It logs fridge, freezer, HW heater, indoor, outdoor temps as well as the temperature of the cooling fins of the 3 way refrigerator. It turns the fans I put on the fins in the back of the fridge on depending on the temperature of the fins as well as what the outdoor temperature is. It logs the battery voltage for both the truck battery as well as the camper batteries. I do not yet monitor the battery current (amps) but bought the parts to do this. I just need to get motivated to wire it up. I also log the refrigerator gas on time and the HW heater on time to help me better guess when I need to check my propane tank. I have not come up with an easy way to sense when the stove is in use. I put a GPS up in the ceiling fan and the computer logs all my travels. Not really that useful unless I want to know how long it took for me to get someplace. The computer is a wireless access point so I connect to it with my smart phone or tablet to access the data. It has been a fun project!

Steve
 
Perfect!

I plan to go into Costco and see exactly which tire they are selling. I could probably figure it out on the web but need to go in anyways.

Sure wish I had a new truck. :(

Steve
 
You're welcome. I was dubious when given my first one about 20 years ago, but I've come to embrace them and have not bothered to replace the corroded bulb in my Blue Point traditional circuit tester.

If you are willing to consider something other than a Michelin I will say that I'm thoroughly impressed with the Yoko A/T-S' that I put on our CTD. They have a 50k wear warranty, on a 315/70R17 no less! Based on the lack of wear in the 10k to maybe 12k that we've put on them so far, more than 50 doesn't look unreasonable at all.
 
I am not stuck on Michelin. I just remember a thread here that I was unable to locate when I needed it now, where a number of people liked the Michelin tire. I still have a small amount of tread on my current tires but, because they are 6 ply and I we are heading to Alaska in the middle of May, I want more tread on my tires than I have now and the tires should be E rated. I will take a look at the Yoko tires as well. I know Yoko is a good brand. Thanks!

Steve
 
I'm not sure that I understand the whole "Load Range" thing. Just looked at the Yoko page & see that my tires are D's, but are rated for 3195 lbs. each, so each axle will nearly support the original net wt. of the truck (6400 lbs). A number means a whole lot more to me than a "range".
 
I had the same issue with the running lights on my 2014 Hawk shorting out. After a couple of trips to Woodland, it was determined that the 5 amp fuse for the running lights was not enough. They swapped the 5 amp with a 10 amp and the problem has gone away. the fuse is located under the cabinetry near the refrigerator under the furnace. There is a coiled green wire with an in line fuse.
 
Thanks Tule Creeper for the fuse pointer. I have not got together with Mike to look a it yet. It will be sometime this week. He said he checked the fuses but this one may be hidden. His Hawk is slightly older than ours. I think 2010. I know the wiring in his is a little different than mine but also think I remember seeing the coil of green wire in mine and know what to be looking for now.

Steve
 
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