Electrical Wiring On Trailer

[ElfPower]

First off...let me say that I'm not sure this is the right forum for this, but I figured I'd start here and hopefully get an answer or at least pointed in the right direction.<br /><br />A couple of days ago, a friend and I went to hook up the trailer and boat to my truck. In haste, I believe I accidentally hooked the wiring harness up to my tow hitch upside down. I dont know the technical terms, but the circle part of the wiring that comes from the trailer that plugs into the hitch on my truck. Aparently it fits both ways. The right way and upside down. I didnt think anything of it. I drove the trailer around a bit. Then noticed that my blinkers in the truck weren't working. I pulled over and had my friend turn on the blinkers while I went behind the truck. Sure enough, blinkers weren't working at all. Furthermore, neither were the brake lights. Neither on the truck or the trailer.<br />To make an already long story short. Fixed the blinkers with a fuse. Fuse on the brake lights is fine. Checked all the bulbs. The bulb from the third brake light installed on the top of my cab was blown. I changed it and it now works fine. But the two normal brake lights on the back of the truck are still not working and the bulbs are fine. Fuses are fine. I even exchanged the old fuse with a new one and exchanged the old bulbs with new ones, just to be sure. Still don't work. Am I missing something here?<br /><br />My truck is a 1998 Chevy CK1500. Anybody else ever have this problem??? Or can anybody point me to a message board like this but for Chevy's or something? I don't know. I'll be ****ed if I'm gonna take it to the dealer though and pay them a couple hundred bucks to figure it out. In the meantime though... I can't take the boat out because when I do hook the trailer up with the wiring, the brake lights on the trailer aren't working as well.<br /><br />Thanks in advance.<br />Erik

 

[A. Souphound]

Re: Electrical Wiring On Trailer

Erik;<br />From what you said, everything works now EXCEPT<br />the brake lights on the truck and trailer. How about the Park Lights? <br />Your troubleshooting indicates the turn signals and brake light circuits ARE NOT shared, and therefore five connections are necessary: one for brake lights, one for each turn signal, one for the tail light and one for ground. The brake light circuit is from battery, thru fuse, to brake light switch, to brake lights and to ground. Check for power at brake light using probe, and brake pedal depressed and use a SEPARATE ground. If the light burns, you have a bad ground. If it does not burn, start checking backwards in the circuit toward the brake light switch starting at the trailer connector. Hope this helps,<br /><br />Alvin

 

[ElfPower]

Re: Electrical Wiring On Trailer

Hi Alvin, <br />Thanks for the quick reply. I'll have to give your suggestion a try. I'm all out of ideas and kinda bummed cause I got the new boat and have only been able to take it out once. We're dyin to go again but I can't take it out with no brake lights. <br />In your reply though...you said that I would need 5 connections. I know that the wiring harness I have has only 4 connections. It's a round connector, maybe 3/4". 4 pins. The first time I hooked everything up, all lights worked fine and truck and trailer. All turn signals, brake lights, regular tail lights (or I guess park lights, as you called them). All worked fine. And yes...the park lights still work. They never went out. Only the turn signals and brake lights.<br /><br />Erik

 

[BigBabyLou]

Re: Electrical Wiring On Trailer

Erik, I have a Chevy too and from what I know, the brake lights and turn signals share the same lightbulb on the truck. So your bulbs are fine. You need to check the brake switch and fuses. I believe there is a separate fuse for brake lights, I've had trouble with it before.<br /><br />If you still cannot find the problem, I'll look in my repair manual at home and try to post some more advice.<br /><br />Good luck<br />Lou

 

[ElfPower]

Re: Electrical Wiring On Trailer

I think I may have found the problem...hopefully.<br />There is a whole other set of fuses under the hood that I was unaware of. I discovered them after scouring my owners manual. Sure enough, the fuse for the brake lights is blown. I hope that's the only problem, cause that's a cheap one to fix.<br />I'm at work now so I can't leave to go get a new fuse at the moment to confirm that this is the only problem.<br /><br />I took it to the service department at the dealer this morning before work. He suggested maybe it was the "master switch" in the steering column but couldn't say for sure and suggested I leave it with them and have them check it out. Didn't even mention the 2nd set of fuses. Typical.<br /><br />Lou...<br />is this "brake switch" you mentioned the one in the steering column that the service guy mentioned? Where is the "brake switch"?<br /><br />Thanks for you help.

 

[ElfPower]

Re: Electrical Wiring On Trailer

Just wanted to thank everybody for the help. <br />I got it fixed by replacing the fuse up in the fuse box that was underneath the hood. <br />I had no idea that thing was there.<br />I'm glad it was a cheap fix.<br />Thanks again for your help.<br /><br />Erik

 

[Scoop]

Re: Electrical Wiring On Trailer

It seems like every vehicle now has two fuse panels. My Chevy Truck, My Oldsmobile car, and my Honda Minivan each have two fuse panels. One under the hood and one on the side of the dash. All of them are easier to work on than the old ones under the dash. They also gave me extra fuses.

 

[BigBabyLou]

Re: Electrical Wiring On Trailer

Erik,<br /><br />I'm glad it was just the fuse. The same happened to me when I bought a new trailer and they hooked it up to my car at the trailer place and it blew a fuse instantly. Grounded brake wire <br /><br />As for the brake light switch, it is a small switch usually above your brake pedal, it turns on the brake lights when you depress the pedal. I mentioned it to you because a friend of mine had a problem with his brake lights and it turned out to be the switch. You gotta use the eliminating method to find the broken link in the chain.<br /><br />Happy boating!<br />Lou

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Electrical Wiring On Trailer

Elfpower, I hope that you know or found the source of your problem that lead to the blown fuse.

 

[MrBill]

Re: Electrical Wiring On Trailer

Yes...most vehicles today have two fuse blocks. It has baffled the best of us.