tail lights not working

[ifallsguy]

Re: tail lights not working

follow the white wire from the trailer side of the plug. It should run to a screw attached to the trailer. Then follow the white wire on the Honda side of the plug to where it physically grounds. Make sure both of these connections to their physical connections are clean and tight.

Normally you would ground the lights to the trailer frame, which is grounded, via the electrical plug (connector) back to the tow vehicle and battery. Having been through this, my money is on the ground wire from the plug to the trailer frame is the issue.

And check the plug set. A bad connector there will give you all sorts of issues, from some working lights to intermittent lights to no lights.

 

[JimS123]

Re: tail lights not working

The ball to coupler should never be used as a ground.
Remove the trailer from the Veh. Hook up harness and check from there. The white wire on the trailer pig should grounded/ bolted to the trailer.
As said before grounds are funny.

You are absolutely correct. The ball cannot be used as the ground.

However......., having the trailer connected makes the electrical connection just a wee bit better and that's why light checking should always be done with the trailer attached.

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: tail lights not working

Wrong. The ball to coupler does little, to nothing, to enhance the performance.
Only to deceive, outcome of a bad ground.

 

[northernmerc]

Re: tail lights not working

If all else fails, you could ride in the boat waving a flashlight while your wife drives. Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[mark_fitzy]

Re: tail lights not working

I to believe its a ground issue, problem is the white wire dosent connect to the trailer anywhere that I can see. Looks to me that it just goes from the connector through the wire harness to the lights, It must be getting the ground from the vehicle, would this be possible?

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Re: tail lights not working

I run the ground wire to each light on my trailer.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: tail lights not working

The hitch ball will give you a ground but not a real good one.
I either run a ground to each light or at least use a self tapping screw and attach the white wire to the trailer.

 

[SSScout]

Re: tail lights not working

The fact that he already has LEDs was established in the second post.

Sorry about that - didn't read all the replies.

It's definitely a ground - or a loose connection between wires and connector or lights.

Good luck!

 

[wellsc1]

Re: tail lights not working

You got enough ground advice. So here's an obscure culprit. Follow tail light wires to they join into one wire going to the trailer connector. Look for those blasted "scotchlocks" used to splice one wire into another wire. They're not water-proof and like to let the copper wire turn into green and black state of uselesseness (if that's a word).

How do you assess my love (lack thereof) for scotchlocks.

 

[j_martin]

Re: tail lights not working

I to believe its a ground issue, problem is the white wire dosent connect to the trailer anywhere that I can see. Looks to me that it just goes from the connector through the wire harness to the lights, It must be getting the ground from the vehicle, would this be possible?

I have a brand spankin' new Y trailer harness in my lap. The white wire on it is about a foot long. It is supposed to go to the frame right at the tongue.

The power paths go through the wires to the lights. The ground return path is through the frame. With incandescent lights if the ground is off, the running lights will light dim, with the return path through the turn signals and the signal lamps on the truck to ground. With LED running lamps, they will be off because the current is trying to go backward through them, and it can't.

As about 8 guys have told you, fix the ground.

hope it helps
john

 

[wellsc1]

Re: tail lights not working

Looks like my post last night didn't make it.

Check all along the wires for those blasted "scotchlok" connectors. They are not not water proof and do compromise the insulation, exposing coper wire to corrosion.

I hate them!

 

[j_martin]

Re: tail lights not working

Looks like my post last night didn't make it.

Check all along the wires for those blasted "scotchlok" connectors. They are not not water proof and do compromise the insulation, exposing coper wire to corrosion.

I hate them!

That's why I have a brand new Y harness laying in my lap. When I install it the hidden splices will be soldered, coated with a couple of coats of liquid vinyl, then covered with adhesive lined heat shrink.

Bass boat manufacturers can take a perfectly good brand new engine harness and make junk out of it with those durned crimp-ons.