Aircraft pilots call them "gremlins" and I got one or two....
Company truck, 06 Intnl 9200i CAT C-13 10spd..
This started out when pulling our 6-10yr old Fontaine flatbeds:
1. After a short period of time, the following lights would begin to 'blink' - from slow to fast and sometimes just shut down completely:
A. Tractor: Dash lights, marker lamps, tail lights and front turn signal lights.
B. Trailer: Side and rear turn signal lamps, rear marker lamps, rear side marker lamps.. But NOT the front amber marker lamps!
Running down the road I discovered two ways to stop the Blink - might last from 2 minutes to 4 hours:
1. Leaving the headlamp switch on - hit the All Kill position on the Marker Lamps switch and hold it down for 30sec. (Any time less didn't do squat.) Then flip the Marker Lamps back on.
2. Much later on in this nightmare I discovered that turning the Panel Dimmer Switch completely down (off) would stop the blinking - although I was left with no dash panel lights.... After 30sec or more and back on - about the same result. May be 2 min to 4 hr before the Blink came back.
Notes: I have replaced the Headlamp Switch & the Marker Lamp Switch. Made no difference.. After consistent blinking with the older trailers, the problem now occurs occasionally with our newer trailers, even Brand New Danes and Fontaines both.
My company Shop personnel are bumfuzzled. My local International dealer is bumfuzzled.. There are no reports of any of our other 06 9200i's having this problem.
Any suggestions?
The company/ freight situation is such that they're reluctant to pull a '5yr driver' off line to have a truck sitting in some shop where No One wants to deal with an electrical problem (gremlin) especially since I have a method of overcoming a complete lighting failure thus far.
I'd give my left nut for a factory Wiring Diagram but the company has a distinct fear of a driver having such knowledge in his possession..... matter o fact, my terminal shop is having undue trouble getting a schematic from the HQ. Go figure.
Any help would be appreciated.