Trailer Lights

[Specialk1302]

I know there are a lot of posts on this subject but I still can't figure it out. I rewired my trailer with all new wiring and lights. The hazards and brakes all work, but not my left blinker or running lights. I have checked all connections and checked my grounds. I can't figure out what is going on. Could it be my adapter that converts my RV connection (truck) to the 4 flat (boat)?

 

[Splat]

Re: Trailer Lights

Couple things could be at fault here. If your using a 7to4 adapter I suppose something could be bad but there's not much in there to go wrong.

Do you have independant turn signals on the truck? Like yellow turn signals and brake lights? If yes you could have a problem with the conversion box in the truck.

You said the brakes work.... Did you mean both brake lights but not the turn signals?

Bill

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Trailer Lights

Unlikely it's the module as left and right running light run off the same lead. The best way to troubleshoot is to start at the vehicle and work your way back. If you have a volt meter start at the connector on the vehicle. If you don't, a simple 2 wire 12 volt test light will suffice. With one lead attached to the ground, the other lead can verify the left and right signal and the running lights. Now do the same check at the light on the trailer. If it works at the vehicle and not at the back, string a temporary wire from the vehicle connector to the back, and test with this.
If you are using the frame as ground front and back, a rusty bolt CAN create havoc. It is sometimes necessary to run a wire for common ground.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Trailer Lights

Dumb question, but is the bulb good? Is the socket intact, not rusty? Check the light assembly itself. (I've seen new ones even have bad bulbs).

 

[kamby]

Re: Trailer Lights

Check your vehicle end like jeep man suggested, sounds like there maybe a fuse out, often fueses for towing are under the hood depending on the type of vehicle, this is typically for vehicles that had the factory tow package. All your different light functions for the trailer are usually different fuses.

If you have good on vehicle end, check the wiring for any knicks, and then do what reelfishin suggested and check the light bulbs and sockets. Sometimes those lights take a beating during transit and the filimants can break. But since your hazzards and break and right signal work im leaning towards some on the vheicle end.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Trailer Lights

Maybe this will help....
http://www.etrailer.com/faq_wiring.aspx

 

[dst87mcssac]

Re: Trailer Lights

Special K.

I just finished the rebuild of my Ski Boat trailer and tonight I installed a new set of LED Lights. I am also having problems.

The light kit states under ADDITIONAL REQUIRMENTS that a TURN SIGNAL CONVERTER is needed to make the kit work properly if the towing vehicle has seperate light for turn signals and brake lights.

I have a 2004 Tahoe and it does have the seperate lights. So now I am online to see what to buy and how to hook up a Turn Signal Converter. I saw some on E-Trailer.com and they had a little viedo to explain how to install, but I wanted to come here for some additional infomation on the subject.

I hope this helps.

Donald

 

[dst87mcssac]

Re: Trailer Lights

Special K.

I just found this while doing a search on Turn Signal Converters. I am still not sure how this thing plugs up or wires up.

I cut and pasted the following:

I installed 2 of those taillight converters in the last few weeks, on 2 different
vehicles. One cost about $7, and the other cost about $28 in a kit. The more
expensive model is about twice the size of the cheaper one, and it has about
4' of wire extending from it to the plug. With that, you can leave the converter
in the vehicle, instead of outside at the plug. They both work, but I think the
bigger and more expensive model will last longer.

Breaking news - iboats has one on sale, and this can't be beat!
http://www.iboats.com/Attwood_Road_R...view_id.163817

 

[kamby]

Re: Trailer Lights

The tail light converters are fairly simple. There job is to convert the vehicles seperate turn and break light wires into one for each side. So break light and left turn wire combine to make the yellow wire. Same for green wire.

If you want they sell a converter that does the same thing but it gets its own 12v from battery to power the lights instead of relying on the vehicles light cirquit, this is ususally good for vehciles that have lots of lights on them or LEDS, and also for trailers that have a lot of height lights and more than 1 turn signal light per side on the trailer.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailer Lights

You don't need a converter. Look at the cover on the factory connector. It clearly shows LT, RT, Tail and Ground.

 

[Biggems]

Re: Trailer Lights

Specialk1302, do as JeepMan suggested and check, and then re-check your grounds. I recently re-wired my trailer with a new light kit and had a hell of a time getting it all to work. It all ended up being a grouding problem.

You should have a seperate ground wire for each tail light and a third at the tongue of the trailer. As JeepMan said, a rusty bolt can kill a good ground but so can paint and a rusty frame. I had to scrape the paint and rust off of each ground location untill I had shiny metal. Once I did that, and re-attached the ground wires, everything worked fine.

I'd suggest doing this before buying a converter.

 

[Provo5]

Re: Trailer Lights

The best way to approach any trailer light repairs is to remove the tow vehical from the testing. With some wire leads and a cordless battery as your power supply you can trouble shoot, repair any problem you may have. Ground a cordless battery to the ground at the plug. Do not ground to the trailer frame, you need to know that the ground comming in from the plug connection is good. Touch the positive lead to each lighting circuit at the trailerplug to check your lights. Once you have found an inop light ohm out the wire. If the wire is good the problem will be in the light fixture itself. Bad bulb,wire connection ect... A test lite is good to have once you have narrowed it down to the fixture.

Once your trailer is working correctly if you have a problem when hooked to the tow vehical check fuses then move on to checking for signal at the plug. There are after market testers that plug in to the tow vehical trailer plug that will take a lot of the guess work out of it.

NOTE for dist87mcssac: your tahoe has a factory converter if you install a secound converter you will damage you towing circuit. It is a GM only repair at that point for the Tahoe. I had a customer do the very thing a few years a go it cost him over 600.00 at the dealer to have repaired

 

[88spl]

Re: Trailer Lights

Im kinda with SpecialK1302 on this one also, and not to hijack your thread, but I'm confused with the wireing thing. My lab took interest in the wireing on my boat trailer, needless to say, she reconfigured the wire into little bits. She is a pup, and i guess she had seen me working on the boat, and decided no need for wire. I'm stupid when it comes to alot of things, elect and other, just ask my wife, so I need help. I purchesed new lights, one i need to take back and exchange for the right side, as i have 2 new left sides now. I got some wire, 27 feet, white, yellow, brown, green. I have a plug that came with my truck, to hook up a trailer. One side is plug, the other is 3 crome, and one black connection. I also purched a similar connection at the store to hook to the wire, and then to the plug. Ok, here is my question, the lights have 2 wires coming out brown and yellow, so i will hook the wire to same colors, now i have white which is ground, and green wire left, where do they go? I think i have the wrong connector correct?

 

[Provo5]

Re: Trailer Lights

Color Code is Brown- running lights
yellow- Left turn
green- Right turn
white-ground

 

[kamby]

Re: Trailer Lights

Im kinda with SpecialK1302 on this one also, and not to hijack your thread, but I'm confused with the wireing thing. My lab took interest in the wireing on my boat trailer, needless to say, she reconfigured the wire into little bits. She is a pup, and i guess she had seen me working on the boat, and decided no need for wire. I'm stupid when it comes to alot of things, elect and other, just ask my wife, so I need help. I purchesed new lights, one i need to take back and exchange for the right side, as i have 2 new left sides now. I got some wire, 27 feet, white, yellow, brown, green. I have a plug that came with my truck, to hook up a trailer. One side is plug, the other is 3 crome, and one black connection. I also purched a similar connection at the store to hook to the wire, and then to the plug. Ok, here is my question, the lights have 2 wires coming out brown and yellow, so i will hook the wire to same colors, now i have white which is ground, and green wire left, where do they go? I think i have the wrong connector correct?

Sometimes the wiring will split the brown wire so you have a brown running light wire running down both sides, if not you need to run a jumper wire from the brown to the other side. The plug on the trailer should have 3 chrome posts and a black socet, the vehicle should have 1 chrome post and 3 black sockets, this plug is called a 4 way flat. If you have 4 socket and 1 chrom on the vheicle then yo have the 5 way flat for surge breaks and you last wire will be the reverse lights. If you have hydral breaks on your trailer than you need the 5 flat connector to run the usually purple wire to your lock out on the break acuator so you can reverse.

Ground typically goes to the frame or some guys/gals likes to run the ground back to the lights, this is a good method if you have a rusty or painted trailer

 

[88spl]

Re: Trailer Lights

Thanks Provo5/Kamby, yes i think i have it now will install tomorrow. Sometimes i feel like a kid in a candy store here.......

Cheers