A driver complains that his trailer marker lights continually cycle on-and-off,being illuminated for a couple of minutes,then quit for up to five minutes.What type of circuit protection device is likely installed in the trailer marker light circuit?
A) blade type fuse
B) ballast resistor
C) SAE #1 circuit breaker
D) SAE #2 circuit breaker

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The behavior described is indicative of a circuit breaker, specifically an SAE #1 circuit breaker, which is designed to cycle on and off to protect the circuit. When it overheats due to a fault, it opens the circuit, then automatically resets after cooling down, causing the lights to cycle on and off. Blade type fuses and ballast resistors do not exhibit this cycling behavior as they do not automatically reset. SAE #2 circuit breakers also exist but the specific behavior aligns more closely with the characteristics of an SAE #1 circuit breaker.

A Driver Complains That His Trailer Marker Lights Continually Cycle