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Where's the Fuse for my Trailer Lights?

13K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  gehmann2005@earthlink.net 
#1 ·
I had U-Haul install an extension for trailer lights in my spare tire compartment using the factory pre-installed harness. Initially, the lights worked fine, then after a few months, all lights were out. The U-Haul folks checked their work with a voltmeter and said its fine, that there had to be a problem "upstream", e.g. a fuse. I looked at the fuse boxes under the hood and under the dash, and a) there were no fuses labeled "trailer", or anything like that, and b) there were no blown fuses in either box. I went to the Honda dealer and they said they'd work on it for a fee, since it isn't waranteed after U-Haul touches it. So I decided to keep working on it on my own. Honda said look for a separate fuse near the clutch pedal, and I demonstrated to them, in the parking lot, that there was no fuse there. Then they said I'd have to look behind the internal wall panels in the rear, that it must be there, but they didn't know which side. I've pulled out the driver side wall and traced the wiring from the trailer light extension up to about the drivers seat, and have found no fuse.

I don't see any reason to pull open the passenger side wall since the wires are clearly on the driver's side.

Anyone know where the fuse is?

Thanks,
Bob
 
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#2 · (Edited)
One is under the hood, In that fuse box. It will be the 7.5 amp top right hand side.

The other is hidden under the dash. Take off the trap door below the steering wheel. Then look left and up. You will see the connectors for the trailer harness

The fuse is stuck in the holder on the bracket. It's not what you would expect to see.

You can go to H&A And look up the instructions for the wiring. They have a graphic drawing to look at.

I know this do to the fact that I spent 40 Min. Putting in the wiring harness on my E today.

Try this link For 05-06, ( Edit ): Look at page #7 step 20 :

http://www.handa-accessories.com/element/05hitch.pdf


Dom
 
#3 ·
Dom,

I don't think the thing is actually fused under the dash. I've looked all over, including (and especially) where you suggest. Nothing looks like it. The techs at Honda couldn't find it under the dash either. I'll go back to Honda tomorrow. There is no 7.5 amp fuse in the upper right hand corner of the fuse box under the hood, as you'll see in the picture. One of them in the middle is labeled "(OP2)". I suppose that may be one of the two. It's fine.

Thanks a lot for trying.

Bob
 

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#4 · (Edited)
Yes It's the op2 Fuse. The tech did not stick on the label provided by Honda with the kit.

That should be a 7.5 amp fuse. It looks like a 10 amp. from your Photo. It's the First red one just to the left of the Blue 15 amp fuse just below the 2 spare fuses.

If that one is good then look at the one under the dash. Also make sure the connectors are in tight. Take them apart and remake them ( plug them back in ).

It must be the fuse under the dash. Did the Instructions from H&A help ?

( Edit ): After looking more closely, that may be a 7.5 amp installed upside down. The color looks a little off from the red one ( the 10 amp ) next to it on the left. That may be just another manufactures color for red though. Take a closer look at that fuse, and replace it with another one. It may be bad, and just look ok. I have seen that on these mini fuses.

Dom
 
#5 ·
Yes, it is a 7.5 upside down. I had pulled it up and checked it. I like your suggestion of just replacing it even though it looks fine.
The separate, under-dash fuse you mentioned does not appear to exist in my E. If is does, it has been tucked into the deepest, darkest and most inaccessible recess of my car, and not into the bracket that is up and to the left as expected by the Honda techs who had a look for themselves, and as detailed by the H&A.

If they try charge me for finding a fuse that was not placed in its proper place, I will pitch a fit with them.

If you like, I'll let you know the outcome of this ordeal.

Bob
 
#6 · (Edited)
Please do !

Bob, your only in Portland Me. Thats less than an hour away. If you like we can meet someplace and I'll take a look at it. It's tough to figure it out over the internet.


Dom
 
#9 ·
Dom,

That is extraordinarily generous of you. But, as I suspected, I've learned that I've been a bit of a bonehead about this whole thing. UHaul had told me that they tied into a trailer harness. In fact, according to a very helpful guy at Honda (finally!), UHaul had in fact tied into an auxiliary line that is in the spare trunk to be used in the eventuality that one of the tail lights (for example) goes out and needs rewiring. The first time Honda looked, they didn't really give me the time of day, and after looking under the dash, they told me to start pulling out the walls. Now, thanks to this one nice guy at Honda, I had a realistic sense of what I was dealing with.

So, today I went and got a multimeter to a) prove to myself that I understood what I was taught in physics class, b) prove that what they told me in physics class was not just rational, but that it applied to the real world, c) show that my E is a member of the set of things in the real world that have electrical problems, and d) demonstrate the integrity of the U-Haul wiring and the presence of a breach in the E wiring.

Having done all the above with my new multimeter, I'm now in the position of choosing between a) accepting defeat and just letting Honda put in their own trailer wiring (against the advise, believe or not, of the nice guy at Honda), b) trying to trace back to the source of the problem with my multimeter, wire cutters, a soldering iron and a crow bar, or c) buy a different car for towing. Oh, yeah, and d) buy the harness and install it myself, but my self-confidence is rapidly eroding, and I don't think this is a safe option, at least when it comes to issues of sanity, let along ventricular arrhythmias.

Anyway, I SINCERELY appreciate your offer. You are clearly a man with a very big heart, and you could teach something to the unnamed Honda dealership in South Portland, Maine, right next to the mall, but I think the project of troubleshooting the current problem is rather large and I'd feel pretty guilty sucking you into the vortex of what, thus far, torments me alone.

But stay tuned, and I'll keep you apprised of the fate of my trailer lights. Hopefully, one day, someone will have the same problem I'm having and will search the internet with key words that land them upon this thread, and they will be spared much time and heartache, and potentially a few bills. Actually, I hope that no one ever has the problem I'm having - a problem of syntax, but I'm getting tired now - but you know what I mean.

Regards,

Bob
 
#11 ·
I had U-Haul install an extension for trailer lights in my spare tire compartment using the factory pre-installed harness. Initially, the lights worked fine, then after a few months, all lights were out. The U-Haul folks checked their work with a voltmeter and said its fine, that there had to be a problem "upstream", e.g. a fuse.
Sadly Bob, The U-Haul guys had to put a fuse in somewhere, or they tapped directly into the existing wiring for the tail lights.

The "OEM harness" you're talking about only runs from the spare tire area to under the drivers seat, there are no fuses or even a source of +12v at all.

IF the harness had been OEM, there would be a single fuse mounted in the side panel just as described in the link that Dom.five posted. Plus the fuse in the Under Hood Fuse/Relay Box. (Yes, a total or two fuses)

Since this is something U-Haul did, it's pretty much a WAG as to what they did, no one is going to be able to say where or even if there is a fuse.

Best advice I can give would be to start tracing wiring, look for any inline fuse or even a "small black box'.

Best of luck. Please keep everyone posted on your progress.
 
#13 ·
Best of luck. Please keep everyone posted on your progress.
DONE!
I got the harness from H&A, installed it, and it worked fine.
Why I had lights for my boat trailer immediately after UHaul tied into the "spare" vehicle harness in the back left spare tire compartment is beyond me. But I did. There must be some low amp circuit that I'm not going to pull my wiring apart to find, and it must have blown.

If anyone comes upon this thread in the future, wondering about getting UHaul to install some trailer wiring on their 2006 E, here's the lesson:

DON'T DO IT!

Get the Honda kit at H&A, and do it yourself.

The other lesson:

Dom is a really great guy! This whole community is very welcoming and helpful, but holy cripes, if there were more Doms in this world we'd all be better off.

Thanks to all.
Bob
 
#14 ·
I had UHaul install my hitch and harness and they did a great job of it. It was a big outfit in Virginia Beach, recommended by Lifeizgood, and the installer had 4 years of experience and had installed several Elements before mine.

These factors contributed to my comfort level but I certainly would not trust the work to a smaller UHaul or an inexperienced installer. In hindsight I could have done the work myself but have no regrets.

- Ted
 
#16 ·
2 fuses are standard for aftermarket install

My trailer light harness on my '06 EX-P just shorted out and blew both fuses. I replaced the faulty harness and then went after the fuses. The first fuse (5A) was located in a fuse holder that looks like a cubical piece of white plastic that is on the end of some wires and can be found hanging down to the left of the cabin fuse block just above the clutch pedal. This fuse holder had been tucked up high under the dash and I had to dig around to find it and pull it down to where it coulld be accessed for fuse replacement. The second fuse (7.5A) is located in the fuse block that is under the hood. Apparently any "open" fuse insert can be used for the install, but mine uses the #8 position (per the owners manual). Why they both blew out at once, who knows. My trailer light system was installed by a non-U-Haul rental yard.
 
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