Parking Light Wires Melted after pulling boat trailer?

[muskielaw]

So my brother comes home last weekend after pulling his boat and is complaining about his fuses blowing on his 97 Chevy Z71. He brings it in and finds out his wires were melted at the switch/knob to turn the lights on in the truck. They quoted him $1500 bucks to re-wire the truck. So being the nice bro I am I tell him how bad that sucks but glad its not me Well fast forward to this week. I pull my boat (different boat) up to Grand Rapids with my 99 GMC Yukon. I get just about there and the fuse blows to my parking/dash lights. I replace fuse fish all week and drive home. I get just about home and the fuse blows again. Of course I think it is the boat trailer. Got some new fuses and notices that the parking lights are still flickering and turning off even without the boat. So I pull the dashboard cover off and notice my wires are melted right at the switch/knob to turn the lights on as well. Karma is a B...h! Any ideas what caused this on both of our trucks considering it was different boats? Is it the boat trailers? Is this common with this generation of Chevy/GMC's considering the guts of these trucks are essentially the same? What am I looking at to fix this?

Muskielaw

[jeffreyd]

could have simply been the switch on the gm trucks. Use to have issues with them in a fleet setting.

[Big Buck Buster]

One thing I have noticed on the GM's is if they have/or had a heater core go out in the truck, the coolant vapors went through the ducts, and dripped down on the light switch shorting it out. The customer complained about a burning smell coming from the dash, and sure enough, when ran for a while, you could smell it. Pulled the dash panel back to check the wiring, and the wires were melted as descibed above. After we told the customer about it, they then add that, "yes, we have been adding coolant every so often". We put a new heater core in, fixed the wiring, and they haven't had any problems since.

This doesn't mean that it is the same for you, but is worth looking into.

[NETim]

Wow. Sounds to me like the wiring on the truck simply isn't up to the job. The added current draw from the trailer lights is just enough to overwhelm the wiring on the truck.

[Ol_Bullhead]

this is a stupid question but do you unplug your trailer when you back it in, brake lights may be seeking a ground through your dash lights (trailer lights) unplug them before backing in saves alot of headache if lights are not sealed waterproof

maybe plugin goes under water too

did you just splice the wires into your truck wiring or did you buy the plugin kit for your truck a good one has short out safety built in

[Jeremy airjer W]

Unfortunately you would have suffered the same fate whether or not you where towing a trailer. This is a week link in the exterior lighting circuit and is a fairly common problem.

[Big Buck Buster]

Unfortunately you would have suffered the same fate whether or not you where towing a trailer. This is a week link in the exterior lighting circuit and is a fairly common problem.

That problem you are stating would not have melted the wires right at the switch. There is circuit protection in the power distribution center under the hood for the trailer circuit.

[Jeremy airjer W]

That problem you are stating would not have melted the wires right at the switch. There is circuit protection in the power distribution center under the hood for the trailer circuit.

99 GMC Im pretty sure the trailer wiring comes right off the exterior lighting circuits. No seperate wiring for the trailer lighting.

97 I'm sure is the same. Seems like the dark green wire is the common one to burn up.

2000 was the first year for separate fused factory trailer wiring.