Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

T

tonynoriega2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Messages
114
Vehicle is a 1994 Econoline 150 Conversion van

Bought a Lowes marine trailer set of lights.

When I towed the trailer last year, when I went to pick it up, everything seemed to work fine.

Got it out this past week and its freaking out.

When I turn on the vehicle lights, trailer lights work great and come on.

Hazard lights work as expected.

Left turn signal works great.

Right signal turn does not work.

When I press the brake pedal, the lights go out.

I just removed and cleaned the post the ground wire is attached too and put on a clean shiny bolt.

Even got out the qtips and electronic component cleaner and got into each port fitting on the connectors.

Which only seemed to create a better connection and the lights seemed to be brighter.

It doesn't seem to be a connectivity issue because the hazard lights flash as expected.

Even removed the license plate as I thought that could have been causing a grounding issue.

Nothing.

Maybe the right site crossed wires some how?
Any ideas?
 
C

colbyt

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
824
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Don't know my Fords but if it has separate bulbs (usually amber turns) for turns you may a bad converter / inverter. Follow the wires on the truck from trailer plug to connection If you have a little box with 5 wires in and 4 wires out to the trailer chances are good that one of the components inside the box has fried.
 
T

tonynoriega2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Messages
114
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Well here is the update... I removed both tail light housings from the trailer and the left works, and now once removed from the trailer bracket the right one does not work at all... WTF???
 
kjsAZ

kjsAZ

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 15, 2012
Messages
433
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

does it get the ground via one of the mounting bolts? If that's the case you have to apply ground to it. Could also be the reason they didn't work on the trailer. I wire all my trailers with an extra ground wire as the frame isn't reliable.
 
U

UncleWillie

Captain
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
3,995
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Just to cover all bases....
Swap the Left and Right bulbs.

You have a ground issue with the Right Lamp Fixture.
Do you have 2? or 3? wires going to each lamp fixture? Inspect the White wire closely!
 
'78 Crusader

'78 Crusader

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 15, 2011
Messages
407
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

This issue has "Bad ground" written all over it.
 
T

tonynoriega2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Messages
114
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Trust me, I agree that "bad ground" is splattered all over the place.... [Gross?].. Anyway...

I have two wires going to each tail light casing. Green/Green-Brown to Right light and Yellow/Yellow-Brown to Left.

White ground wire at the harness connector grounded to a clean bold and clean nuts at the tongue.

Even sanded down the trailer hitch and ball to ensure pure metal to metal contact.

I will try switching the bulbs tonight. Test.
If that doesnt do it.

Ill add a ground wire to the right tail light. Could I just run a wire from one of the two bolts on the back of the housing unit to the frame of the trailer?
 
Bondo

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,525
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

tonynoriega2 said:
Trust me, I agree that "bad ground" is splattered all over the place.... [Gross?].. Anyway...

I have two wires going to each tail light casing. Green/Green-Brown to Right light and Yellow/Yellow-Brown to Left.

White ground wire at the harness connector grounded to a clean bold and clean nuts at the tongue.

Even sanded down the trailer hitch and ball to ensure pure metal to metal contact.

I will try switching the bulbs tonight. Test.
If that doesnt do it.

Ill add a ground wire to the right tail light. Could I just run a wire from one of the two bolts on the back of the housing unit to the frame of the trailer?
Click to expand...

Ayuh,.... Do you have a solid Ground goin' through yer connector plug, to the tow unit's Ground,..??

Just for S & G's, hook up yer Jumper Cables, from the trailer frame, to the tow unit's frame,....

I bet the lights will work, Right,...
 
C

colbyt

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
824
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Have you plugged one of these into you jack Four-Way Trailer Light Tester to determine if it is the truck or the trailer? Once you do you will know for sure where to look for the problem.

The ground is one of the 4 wires so the comments about though the ball grounding are not correct.
 
T

tonynoriega2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Messages
114
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Correct me here guys, but I removed the cover on the tail lights and tried to unscrew the bulb and that thing doesn't want to budge... I feel like any more pressure and its going to pop right in my fingers...Do I even have the opportunity to remove and swap these bulbs?

0627132054.jpg0627132054a.jpg
 
GA_Boater

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Try pushing the bulb in and twisting. It's a bayonet base, not a threaded base.
 
T

tonynoriega2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Messages
114
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

OK, bulb swapped and the result now is...

Left turn signal works, and does not signal the right. Great.
However, the right does not blink on turn signal, it just stays on.

Brake lights work when pressed, but only for the left.
Again, the right just stays on.

A step closer to success, but not quite there.

Should I now try to ground the right tail light to the frame of the trailer with a grounding strap and a connector slip ring around one of the bolts of the housing unit?
 
S

sublauxation

Lieutenant
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
1,317
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Can you ground directly from the light housing to the wiring harness that you plug into your vehicle? You'll be a lot happier in the long run if you don't use your trailer frame as the ground. Trailer_wiring.jpg
 
ajax5240

ajax5240

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 6, 2011
Messages
134
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Are the lights not grounded with a short white wire that comes out of the light and connects to the frame? The lights need a good ground, as does the trailer harness.

My first suggestion would be to return this set of trailer lights and start over with a set of LED's. bulbs in the water will always fail.
 
joelybob

joelybob

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 30, 2012
Messages
224
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

swap the light assemblies. that way you can rule out that. it may be the wiring in the frame. sometime mice get in there and chew on the wiring. good luck
 
Bondo

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,525
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

tonynoriega2 said:
OK, bulb swapped and the result now is...

Left turn signal works, and does not signal the right. Great.
However, the right does not blink on turn signal, it just stays on.

Brake lights work when pressed, but only for the left.
Again, the right just stays on.

A step closer to success, but not quite there.

Should I now try to ground the right tail light to the frame of the trailer with a grounding strap and a connector slip ring around one of the bolts of the housing unit?
Click to expand...

Ayuh,.... You should make sure there's a solid Ground, 'tween the wagon frame, 'n the tow unit frame,....

Yer ignorin' the obvious,....
 
S

sublauxation

Lieutenant
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
1,317
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Bond-o said:
Ayuh,.... You should make sure there's a solid Ground, 'tween the wagon frame, 'n the tow unit frame,....

Yer ignorin' the obvious,....
Click to expand...

Here's another example where IBOATS cold use a "like" button.
 
T

tonynoriega2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Messages
114
Re: Trailer wiring issue cant seem to diagnose

Ok, just got back from the boat shop. And he had one of them fancy trailer socket testers.

Ground is good both on the van side receiving plug, and also on the wire harness.

He thinks it could be a blown fuse for the right blinker, OR the plug on the van side has a bad connection to the right blinker terminal.

He was getting the proper voltage on all other connections and good grounds on both sides.

Now I have to figure out where the fuse is on the old 94 econoline 150 conversion van
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top