Problems with our 2001 Pajero Exceed after plugging in our camper

Thanks for your reply Andrew..

Yes it's going to be a process of elimination..we found a couple of fuses blown, and fixed them, and was hoping that's all it was, but it looks like a bigger problem than that.

Hubby is a Mitsubishi mechanic, and he suspects a bigger problem, but he's not an auto electrician, so it will have to go to be checked out by one.

We did leave the vehicle to cool down over night, and everything was working again in the morning, but as soon as the hazard switch was pushed in again, everything stopped working again.
So we will try a new Hazard switch when he gets home from work, to see what happens.

We are having someone come around to check the camper, just so we know if it has a problem or not.
But for now we need to get the Pajero back up and running..

We just thought someone might have experienced something like it!

I very much doubt that you have damaged the ECU. The blown fuses should have prevented further damage. But............

1. Do not fit a new hazard switch until the vehicle has been inspected by an auto electrician.

1. Do not operate the hazard switch again before going to an auto electrician.

2. Have both the vehicle and trailer inspected by an auto electrician.

From the above you can see that I recommend engaging the services of an auto electrician!
Is the "someone coming around" a competent auto electrician or do you want to risk more damage to your vehicle and camper? I think you should already know that you "have a problem or not".

Thanks Denis!

Have found a couple of blown fuses, and replaced them, but it is going to be a process of elimination now to see what's happening.
We just hope we haven't damaged the ECU

Hubby is a Mitsubishi mechanic, and suspects something a bit more, but it looks like it will have to have an Auto Elec look at it.

Camper trailer is going to be checked in the next couple of days, but we need to get the Pajero back on the road asap, so hears hoping it's not as bad as he thinks!

We just thought someone might have had the same thing happen to them at some stage of their travels..

Many thanks Steve..

Will check this as well..once we find out what the prob is..I will post again.

Thanks for the in put, it's most appreciated!

Thankyou!

I wouldn't try a battery charger either until the wiring has been checked for shorts.

A simple circuit tester or multimeter should identify the problem if one knoes what they are doing.

All the trailers I have wired up have been checked with either a service battery or a power source like a battery charger.
Seeing you are trying to check lights in sequence and brake activation, the battery charger is quite good and you can vary the power input with a globe resistance in series so the circuit activates but no short can occur.
The battery charger allows you to check the charge path of the trailer battery if fitted.
I used to do many in field work and during maintenance schedules and still use the same procedure each time.
A 21w globe in a test light on the vehicle socket will present a load to the vehicle base so it will show the flow is ok where a multimeter will indicate but doesn't check the ability to provide a current flow only a voltage level.

No problems with your approach Ross, but you and I obviously know our stuff and checking in this way is more about testing for poor connections rather than dead shorts.

For folk checking unknown wiring, the resistance method, then voltage check is better I think.
With a battery charger, you may be replacing the fuse for the 240 volt power source as not every charger has an internal fuse and few would consider placing an inline fuse in the output circuit.

And that's the nub of it....... knowing your stuff.
Where is the point of nominating testing techniques for someone who is electrically unskilled?

G"day Allan B
The person involved here is, as stated by his good lady , a Mitsubishi mechanic.
If he doesn't have the basics to check a trailer plug and the associated circuits then he wasn't paying attention at Trade school or Mitsubishi school, was he!

So he should be aware of testing procedures and series and parallel circuits at a bare minimum. Diagnosis is also a skill taught at trade schools too.
It would be pointless to attempt to give testing options to a person who won't have the basics.
I'm not trying to be harsh on anyone , just realistic.

The bad part of these situations is, you take the vehicle with small wiring issue to a workplace and the people can't solve the relatively straightforward problem, but the same workers are completing mechanical work which requires infinitely more mechanical nouse than the wiring does, and they are trust them to do the mechanical work. Makes me shudder.

Well Ross, His good lady said "So we will try a new Hazard switch when he gets home from work, to see what happens."

That's hardly "testing procedures" or "diagnosis" is it? Changing components willy-nilly until maybe it works or maybe blows something else up is hardly good troubleshooting technique.

So prescribing "checking with a battery charger" without comprehensive step-by-step procedure is unlikely to be productive to someone who rather obviously does not "know his stuff".

I know that you were trying to be helpful but I still think the best advice is to seek the assistance of a skilled colleague or auto electrician.

Sorry Andrew - repeated what you said.... great minds ? :)

CHeers - Pat

Oopps, someone beat me to it!