running lights won't work with Ford truck

ski88girl23 · Mar 24, 2007

All the lights on my boat trailer work with other vehicles, but the running lights will not work when I hookup the trailer to my truck. I've checked the fuses and the ground wire. I don't know what else to check. Any ideas?

Frank Acampora · Mar 24, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

Does your truck have amber rear turn signals separate from stop and running lights? If so, you need a special electronic unit. Not too expensive--sold in auto stores and marinas.

ski88girl23 · Mar 24, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

Okay I had to go check it out, but my truck doesn't have the amber turn signals seperate from the stop and running lights. The turn signal was just the running light on top flashing. I'm sure the problem has to do with my truck because the trailer lights all worked when I hooked it up to my mom's truck.
Here's something I don't understand about the 4-prong connector on the trailer, it has 5 wires. It has the white ground, the brown for running lights, the yellow and green for stop & turn, and then it has a black wire too. There's still only 4 prongs on the connector but it has the 5 wires. My truck has the usual 4 prong connector with the usual 4 wires.

Gabby · Mar 24, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

Not sure why your four way flat has a black wire. Never seen that. However,you already nailed the problem, if the boat lights work on other tow vehicles, your problem is the truck.

Is it a prewired connection, i.e. tow package and factory wiring or has someone spliced into the wiring harness with an aftermarket connector? I'm guessing after market.

Either way, with a 12V tester you can check the tailight's on your plug. (brown wire on the plug on the truck).

ANother option is to look underneath and make sure the connector wires are all connected. If aftermarket, they may be connected with little blue 3M splicers. The brown wire on the connector should be on the brown wire of your wiring harness. The turn/brakes on a ford are green with an orange stripe and orange with a blue stripe. Black or gray is ground.

Good luck. Re: the two way vs. three way (orange turns) that would affect your turn / brake signals but NOT your running lights.

Good luck.

(worst case, go to a U Haul Center, not a gas station that rents U-Hauls, but a UHaul owned center and pretend you want to rent a trailer in the future, and ask that they check your wiring. They'll do it for nothing). 8)

paulie0735 · Mar 25, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

This is a fairly simple problem to sort out but if you don't have the basic circuit testing tools and don't know what youre looking for than its time to take the truck down to your local auto elec and get it wired correctly, should take them 15 mins to half hour max. Good luck.

tashasdaddy · Mar 25, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

some of the newer 4 prong connector have 5 wires, two of the wires go to 1 prong, this is the tail/running light prong, they are brown w/ green chaser and brown with yellow chaser. suppose to make it easier to connect the tail lights.

white--ground
yellow-- l/h stop/turn
yellow/brown--l/h tail running
green/brown--r/h tail running
green--r/h stop/turn

also see my note in the link about independant ground wire.

http://forums.iboats.com/bbBoard.cgi?a=viewthread;fid=27;gtid=1286648

tashasdaddy · Mar 25, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

this can also be an invaluable tool,

http://www.iboats.com/Seasense_Ez_T...d.217589--list_time.1174828700--view_id.56357

ski88girl23 · Mar 25, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

ok, thanks for the advice. Looks like I've got my day planned for me looking for the cause of this problem.

tashasdaddy · Mar 25, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

by the way, Welcome to iboats. we welcome the ladies, and teenagers, interested in boating.

ski88girl23 · Mar 25, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

paulie0735 said:
This is a fairly simple problem to sort out but if you don't have the basic circuit testing tools and don't know what youre looking for than its time to take the truck down to your local auto elec and get it wired correctly, should take them 15 mins to half hour max. Good luck.

Wow, Paulie you are a lot of help, not. Keep your stupidity to yourself.

Frank Acampora · Mar 25, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

Hey! Paulie may genuinly have been trying to help. No need to go off on him. Now please don't get on me because I stuck my 2 cents in. Thanks

bruceb58 · Mar 25, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

Frank,

I am with you...I was thinking the same thing.

sid the squid · Mar 26, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

The problem is spelled FORD.

o

o

ski88girl23 · Mar 27, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

sid said:
The problem is spelled FORD.

oooooo

lol yes!

ski88girl23 · Mar 27, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

bruceb58 said:
Frank,

I am with you...I was thinking the same thing.

Sorry guys, I guess I get my hackles up when I smell the "little lady" type comments.
But for the record, a boat mechanic, an electrician, my husband, brother, and other random "lets talk about my boat" guys have looked at my boat trailer and truck problem. No one seems to find the problem.
So, Paulie the guys have all checked it out and no one came back in 15 or 30 mins with all the problems solved.

Bondo · Mar 27, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

So, Paulie the guys have all checked it out and no one came back in 15 or 30 mins with all the problems solved

If you could explain just What you, or your friends Found,....
It'll be easier to Help you find the Problem........

Is there Power at the Brown Wire coming from the Truck,..?..??.....

Rick_Criswell · Mar 27, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

My ford (99 F 150)has fuses for the truck lights. One for each side, under the dash. And one for running lights
It also has 3fuses for the trailer light wiring under the hood in another fuse box.
You should check the fuses under the hood.

studlymandingo · Mar 27, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

The 4 way tester that tashasdaddy linked to you above is in my glove box. Whenever I have a trailer light not working (not an uncommon occurance by any means) I plug it in to check my truck wiring first. I think I picked the little thing up at Wally World for less than 3 bucks.

Gabby · Mar 27, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

I'll say it again. Go to a U-Haul Center. I worked at one for two years part time. They ALL should have a person on staff that installs hitches, wiring harnesses, oil coolers, transmission coolers, etc. At one time, they were the largest hitch installers in the nation. May still be, I don't know. If you go to one, they will find the problem. Either for a small fee or free if they are under the impression you may be wanting to rent a trailer in the future...(Hey, I'm not TELLING you to fib, I'm just saying). And if your problem IS the harness, or the connection, or anything else, they'l have the new ones, But don't buy it there, they WILL gouge you. Go back to Wally World. Just find out WHAT to do to fix it.

Frugal Floater · Mar 27, 2007

Re: running lights won't work with Ford truck

Another word of advice if Uhaul installs your wiring and you live where it snows....Make sure the wiring harness module is tucked up and away from salt spray....My module nearly caught my Escape on fire as the corrosion from the spray caused the entire thing to melt and smoke....Not to mention it blew a bunch of 15 amp fuses. They were cool about it and replaced it for free, but tucked it up where spary could not screw it up again.

running lights won't work with Ford truck

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