Travel Supreme Mid-Engine Brake Light Issue

[raywaller]

My brake lights have stopped working and I can't find the brake light fuse on my Travel Supreme Mid-engine. It doesn't seem to be in the major fuse box which is accessible outside and below the driver. The right rear signal light has stopped working also, even though the bulb looks ok. I've determined, using a VOM, that I am not receiving the proper control voltage at the rear of the coach (for the right rear signal light), so the problem must be somewhere in the front of the coach (under the dash panel ??/in line fuse??). Any help would be appreciated.

Ray

[wolfe10]

Ray,

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

Have you contacted Spartan-- maker of your mid-engine chassis?

Brett

[raywaller]

Ray,

Welcome to the FMCA Forum.

Have you contacted Spartan-- maker of your mid-engine chassis?

Brett

Brett,

No, because I thought they just furnished the chassis to TS, who then built the final product. However, your suggestion to contact Spartan is a good one, as I have seen their deliverable and it looks like something that can be driven (i.e., should have lights). I'll try them.

Ray

[Jon796]

Ray,

Most times you don't have a fuse for brake lights. Most of the time they install a curcit breaker where a fuse normally would go. Look under the dash at the break pedal and look for the brake light switch. Look for something that should be hitting the pedal with wires on the end and a push button on the end. Using a test light make sure you have voltage on one side and when the pedal is pressed, you get voltage on the other side. This switch is located about mid-way of the system, so no voltage at all would tell you to look before the switch and if you do have voltage on both sides when pushed, it will tell you to check after the swich. If you find voltage all the way back, check your grounds.

Jon

[Frankturman]

In my coach, a Spartan Chassis. there is a fuse panel behind the rear axle near the battery compartment. In that panel there are fuses for the brake lights and the tow electrical system. I think that is a part of the Spartan system. I would also check the Spartan manual for additional fuse information.

Frank

[raywaller]

Brett,

No, because I thought they just furnished the chassis to TS, who then built the final product. However, your suggestion to contact Spartan is a good one, as I have seen their deliverable and it looks like something that can be driven (i.e., should have lights). I'll try them.

Ray

Brett:

I checked with Spartan and they confirmed there should be a fuse box in one of the compartments near the engine, but since they did not build very many mid-engine units for TS, they couldn't be more specific (even having been given the last 5 digits of my VIN number). Having this new information, I resumed my search compartment by compartment until I found their fuse box. It is located in the compartment containing the 50 amp cable reel. I found both the 15 amp Brake Light and the 7.5 amp Right Brake Light/Turn Signal fuses were blown. After replacing both fuses, the right turn signal now works, but the brake lights still do not work. Since I borrowed the fuse from the Back Up Alert slot (it indicates it is suppose to be a 10 amp fuse, but someone had installed a 15 amp fuse), I intend to replace that fuse (first with a 10 amp, then a 15 amp if necessary), and the 7.5 amp fuse I borrowed from the Trailer Right Brake Light/Turn Signal, start the coach to remove the Low Air indicator (i.e., recharge the brakes, etc) and then contine troubleshooting. If I resolve the remaining issue (no brake lights) without blowing any fuses, I will problably conclude an exposed wire at the rear corner of my open trailer I was towing caused the problem; when pulling out of a restaurant parking lot, the rear of the trailer bottomed-out and a wirenut was pulled off leaving an exposed wire junction to flop in the wind close to the trailer frame.

Thank you so much for your help.

Ray

[raywaller]

In my coach, a Spartan Chassis. there is a fuse panel behind the rear axle near the battery compartment. In that panel there are fuses for the break lights and the tow electrical system. I think that is a part of the Spartan system. I would also check the Spartan manual for additional fuse information.

Frank

Frank:

Thanks for your input. I will revisit their manual, but I think when I first read it they referred me to the coach manufacturer's user's manual for fuse locations. And as you know, most coach manuals tend to be generic (in some areas) as they are written to cover several models. Please see my response to Brett.

I appreciate all the help I can get, so after reading my response to Brett, please don't hesitate to offer further suggestions.

Many thanks,

Ray

[raywaller]

Ray,

Most times you don't have a fuse for brake lights. Most of the time they install a curcit breaker where a fuse normally would go. Look under the dash at the break pedal and look for the brake light switch. Look for something that should be hitting the pedal with wires on the end and a push button on the end. Using a test light make sure you have voltage on one side and when the pedal is pressed, you get voltage on the other side. This switch is located about mid-way of the system, so no voltage at all would tell you to look before the switch and if you do have voltage on both sides when pushed, it will tell you to check after the swich. If you find voltage all the way back, check your grounds.

Jon

Jon:

Please see my response to Brett. If I still have problems, I will check the relay associated with the Brake Lights fuse, and then if necessary find and test the brake light switch you mentioned.

Many thanks,

Ray

[raywaller]

Once I recharged the air-brake system, the brake lights worked; both problems are now resolved. I mentioned what I had found (two blown fuses) to my old friend who was traveling with me during the trip. He reminded me that I had my right-turn signal on, and was applying the coach brakes as I turned right out of the restaurant parking lot. When the right corner of the trailer bottomed-out, and the wire-nut was crushed/pulled off, the bare wires were probably mashed against the trailer frame, causing the two fuses to blow. I'm back in business!

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

Ray