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Allow me to entertain you with a little anecdote that happened to me last evening. All of this stems directly from lack of formal diesel truck training.
So I was doing a PM on a dump trailer. Easy and straight forward 2 hour job. A little grease here, a brake adjustment there and I’m good to go. Before I pulled the trailer back out into the lot I did a walk around inspection of all the lights. That’s when I noticed one little yellow marker light at the back-right of the trailer that did not illuminate. I thought about it for a moment and decided I better do something about it to prevent a DOT violation. So, I pulled the light and tested for voltage. Got nothing on either lead. Ok, so now I am thinking new pigtail, broken wire or bad connector somewhere. So I trace this thing and I immediately wonder why this little light runs on its own dedicated line… all the way down to the trailer ABS module. I traced the line twice because at the time it didn’t make any sense to me.
After awhile, I was kinda ticked because I could not find anything wrong, other than no power being supplied by the ABS module to power the light. So I decide that the fault must be in the small area behind the light which is a welded compartment inaccessible to me. I then proceed to cut the line and splice into a nearby working light. Everything works. I feel good about sending the trailer out with all good working marker lights. Life = good.
Before I could pull the trailer out the 3rd shift technician comes in. I talk to him briefly about the jobs lined up for the day. I then mention what I did to the trailer including having to hot wire a marker light. He then proceeds to laugh hysterically and says 5 words that resonated through my soul and that I will remember for the rest of my days, “Dude, that’s the ABS light.”
So kids, remember to go to school and pay attention or else you will end up just kinda knowing how to make proper repairs. (or more importantly as in this case, knowing when to make non-repairs)
To summarize, here are all the warning signs I blatantly ignored to reach the point of having to ‘force’ the marker light to work:
- There was no comparable marker light symmetrically located on the opposing side of the trailer
- The light ran on it’s own dedicated line
- The light was tied directly to the trailer ABS module
- The existing light was good (ohm test for continuity)
- All other LED lights operated normally
Essentially, all this equates to a metaphorical bat attempting to beat me upside the noggin’ trying to tell me that something was awry; however, the unusual thickness of my cranial bone structure prevented a much needed moment of clarity to prevent me from slicing a perfectly good ABS circuit into electrical sushi. :blink:
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why would an abs light be on the back of the truck?
By looking at it.I would have thought the same thing
you did.Either marker or blinker light. 😉 Time for a beer.Yeah……..That’s a funny story. We all have had moments like that. At least you will know better next time an maybe someday a young, bright apprentice will ask you about that and you will be able to guide him in the right direction.
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