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strange lights

G

GrahamDerby

I am away in the van for Xmas and as i walked around the back of the van i noticed the rear lights were glowing, strange as the car was 20 yards away . I have tried everything i can think of but they are still on !!!!. Has anybody got any idea what is doing it . If i was not on a hook up the battery would soon be flat. HELP
 
....... possibly a fault in the plug that you connect to the car especially if it is the new 13pin type.

Spray with WD40 if you have any or inspect internal connections of plug if that does not work
 
i would think someone has wired up an alarm or what ever to the 12v lighting circuit.if you unplug the EHU and it cures the problem ie the lights go off.then this is possible.
 
What van? what age? what type of plug? Give us a clue at least.
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Hi Hugh

The van is a lunar delta 2009. i bought it as an ex demonstrator still in the showroom and never been used, only visited by a few hundred potential buyers 2 month ago. I have tried to call the dealer but as usual this time of the year everywhere is closed down.

cheers
 
The rear lights are all on there own feeds/wires ,indicators,side and brakes etc,but they share 0 volts so sounds like a leak down the 0 volts with the 12v side acting as your negative as when not connected to the car the 12v 's get no power
 
inspect for what buddy,the guys looking for help and will need a wee bit more guidance than that.
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....and what help did you give?

If Graham does not know what I mean, then I can't help him from this remote distance anyway!
 
....... possibly a fault in the plug that you connect to the car especially if it is the new 13pin type.

Spray with WD40 if you have any or inspect internal connections of plug if that does not work
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Why do you say "especially if it is the new 13pin type" this set up is much more reliable that the previous 12n
 
The rear lights are all on there own feeds/wires ,indicators,side and brakes etc,but they share 0 volts so sounds like a leak down the 0 volts with the 12v side acting as your negative as when not connected to the car the 12v 's get no power
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thanks mikey

i will go and check the wiring when it stops throwing it down and blowing a gale, i have seen pembrokeshire look a lot better, but then again we are caravaners and can cope with anything eh

cheers
 
Mikey and Graham...

The new 13-pin plug obviously contains all the connection wires.

It is then possible for the battery charging connection, which in a detached 13 pin plug is directly connected to the +ve terminal of the caravan battery, to short out to another terminal if the wire becomes detached for some reason at the back of the 13 pin plug.

Say in Grahams case this wire has become loose in the connections at the back of the plug and is touching the feed wire terminal to the caravan rear lights.. then you have seemingly mysterious rear lights that are illuminated.

Under the old 12N and 12S system the rear light, brake light, indicator circuits could not get a +ve supply until the plug was plugged into the socket on the tow car.

It is even possible for water contamination to allow power to flow across terminals.... thus my recommendation to try using a water dispersing spray.
 
Not all that impressed with the 13 pin plug, but i have had no problems as yet.

Watch out for the four middle connections, its all too easy to get a short to adjacent pins.

You can't double over the wires, the connections are so small.

If the cable pulls you can lose the lot, with two plugs, you only part.

The 12n/s plugs are ten a penny,
 
If you have the 13 pin plug this is the only place a feed from the caravan could get to the running lights. Is the plug clean and dry? if so open it up to check for a loose cable or damage. Where this cable enters the van there will be a fuse box, remove the fuse that controls the running light as a test and as a temp. till you get a chance to fix properly.
 
....and what help did you give?

If Graham does not know what I mean, then I can't help him from this remote distance anyway!
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nae need to be snidey, if like me the op is a newbie then they wont know what to inspect. we aint all as clever as you yet.
 
The rear light feeds in the plug are seperate so the + feed would have to touch both pins,there is also a relay in the van that senses the so with no car connected you would not get 12v's at the plug( i dont on my van)

I have had 13pin on my car for the last 9 years and used a splitter cable until my van came with 13 pin,i have never replaced the 13 pin plug or socket but have replaced numerous 12n's and 12s's ,the latter due to melted middle pins due to the closing of the pins,this doesnt happen on the 13 pin.
 
Mikey and Graham...

The new 13-pin plug obviously contains all the connection wires.

It is then possible for the battery charging connection, which in a detached 13 pin plug is directly connected to the +ve terminal of the caravan battery, to short out to another terminal if the wire becomes detached for some reason at the back of the 13 pin plug.

Say in Grahams case this wire has become loose in the connections at the back of the plug and is touching the feed wire terminal to the caravan rear lights.. then you have seemingly mysterious rear lights that are illuminated.

Under the old 12N and 12S system the rear light, brake light, indicator circuits could not get a +ve supply until the plug was plugged into the socket on the tow car.

It is even possible for water contamination to allow power to flow across terminals.... thus my recommendation to try using a water dispersing spray.
Click to expand...
Hi Gafferbill

Thinking back to when i first noticed this probleb it was just after the first very hard frost we had, i wonder if that may have done something in the plug ?
 
Hi Graham

We had the same problem as you. Lights on back of caravan plus one of the indicator was on. We found after a great deal of looking head scratching. Water had got into the 13 pin plug of the caravan and was giving 12volt feeds to every thing. Cleaned and dried the plug problem went away.

When we got home purchased heatshrink and placed this around plug never had any more problems.

Hope this is of help. Steve & Janet
 
You say you have a truma mover fitted ..?

Is it the one where you plug your 13pin / 7pin plug back into a socket on the A-frame to make it work ?

If you unplug it do the lights go out .. ?????
 
Hi Graham

We had the same problem as you. Lights on back of caravan plus one of the indicator was on. We found after a great deal of looking head scratching. Water had got into the 13 pin plug of the caravan and was giving 12volt feeds to every thing. Cleaned and dried the plug problem went away.

When we got home purchased heatshrink and placed this around plug never had any more problems.

Hope this is of help. Steve & Janet
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hi both

thanks for the info. With all the bad weather and coming home after Xmas to 3 burst pipes even though we had left the heating on i have only now got round to sorting the van out. I went and bashed the plug and some water came out, when i looked at the lights they were brighter than before, gave a good shake and a few more bashes and out they went yipeeeeee.I will dry them out with a hair dryer and seal them soon .

Cheers
 
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