Bad Ground Stumper
Our 2004 Jayco JayFeather 29Y has a wiring issue that I can't seem to figure out. I'm pretty sure I've got the problem pinned down to a bad ground, but I can't figure out WHERE that ground connection is to save my life!
The back-story: Everything was fine on our last trip of the season in October. Due to a job change and a couple of non-camping trips early this season, I finally got around to de-winterizing it on the 4th of July. When I connected the truck, most of the lights worked fine, but the upper set of marker lights was out. That includes two amber markers on the front, two red markers at the top of the rear, and the center gang of three at the rear. I was able to locate the point at which the two circuits split (i.e. the upper lights and the lower lights) and isolate the two halves of the circuit. Then I checked for continuity between the suspect circuits origin and the sockets to verify that I had the proper circuit (I did). The thing that had me stumped for a bit this mornin was that I was reading 12V between BOTH of the pins on each of those light sockets, but then it dawned on me that they must all share a common ground (which has failed).
So the million dollar question appears to be: Where the heck is that ground located? I pulled two of the housings (one front, one rear) and all I can see is that there are a pair of black wires on both, and they disappear into the foam wall sandwich. The walls are all fiberglass, so they require a separate ground wire that must terminate somewhere, but I have no clue where that ground would be.
Oh, and I checked the grounds at the main junction box as well... No luck. There are three white wires on a lug that is screwed to the frame, and a single solid wire to ground the junction box itself, but no indication that any of them are the return from the running light circuit. I cleaned them anyways just to be sure, but no luck there. If I could find one near a wall chase that goes down through the floor, I'd just fish a new wire and make a new ground path, but I don't even know where to begin there...
I hate to admit it, but I may be beaten on this one... I may have to suck it up and find a Jayco dealer with some knowledgable techs.
Any ideas?
The back-story: Everything was fine on our last trip of the season in October. Due to a job change and a couple of non-camping trips early this season, I finally got around to de-winterizing it on the 4th of July. When I connected the truck, most of the lights worked fine, but the upper set of marker lights was out. That includes two amber markers on the front, two red markers at the top of the rear, and the center gang of three at the rear. I was able to locate the point at which the two circuits split (i.e. the upper lights and the lower lights) and isolate the two halves of the circuit. Then I checked for continuity between the suspect circuits origin and the sockets to verify that I had the proper circuit (I did). The thing that had me stumped for a bit this mornin was that I was reading 12V between BOTH of the pins on each of those light sockets, but then it dawned on me that they must all share a common ground (which has failed).
So the million dollar question appears to be: Where the heck is that ground located? I pulled two of the housings (one front, one rear) and all I can see is that there are a pair of black wires on both, and they disappear into the foam wall sandwich. The walls are all fiberglass, so they require a separate ground wire that must terminate somewhere, but I have no clue where that ground would be.
Oh, and I checked the grounds at the main junction box as well... No luck. There are three white wires on a lug that is screwed to the frame, and a single solid wire to ground the junction box itself, but no indication that any of them are the return from the running light circuit. I cleaned them anyways just to be sure, but no luck there. If I could find one near a wall chase that goes down through the floor, I'd just fish a new wire and make a new ground path, but I don't even know where to begin there...
I hate to admit it, but I may be beaten on this one... I may have to suck it up and find a Jayco dealer with some knowledgable techs.
Any ideas?
