Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada:(

[kfa4303]

HI all. So I just hooked up a brand spankin' new Optronics trailer light set according to the directions and with a few tips from here at the forum, but no light of any kind.
I made all connections with waterproof butt connectors, and ran an additional white ground line to each light, per the suggestions I've read here. As a result, there are three wires to each light (yellow, brown , white) on the back driver's side and (green, brown, white) to the passenger side light. I tied the two extra, white ground wire to the white lead that came in the kit on the female end of the plug. I also added the male end of the plug, which came with the kit to my '95 Ranger pick ups trailer wires, which are the same colors and have worked before. I again used waterproof butt end connectors at all junctions. All colors are matching on the wiring.
I know someone is going to say it's a grounding issue, but where in the world could it be? The trailer isn't serving as a ground in any way and all connections are fresh and secure :/


Help!

 

[Splat]

Re: Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada

I'm still going to say its a ground issue, but probably with the tow vehicle. Do you have a test light or a meter? The odd ball pin on the plug is the ground. You need to check that your plug on the truck is providing power to the trailer plug.

Be a bit patient we'll get you going.

Bill

 

[Dave1251]

Re: Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada

Are you sure it is not a truck issue?

 

[lncoop]

Re: Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada

Might check under the hood for a blown fuse. I've seen it many times before. Of course if you do find one, then the question becomes why.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada

I guess it has to be a truck side issue b/c all the other white ground wires I installed are in perfect shape. Does it matter which post on the light the newly added, white, ground wire attaches to?
The white wire on the truck that I tied into with the new male end of the plug, which cam with the kit, is a bit stiff, come to theink of it that all are/were, so I guess I'll try cutting back farther on it to get to some fresher wire. I'm asssuming the wire needs to be perfectly clean and gleaming in order to make a ood/proper connection?
Thanks for the quick responses.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada

Yup truck side ground wire I'd bet.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada

Tell me what you think. Double checked the trailer's wiring and it all looks great (if I do say so myself) so I cut back a few more inches on the truck side wiring behind the newly added male plug, which was all kinda stiff, stripped the insulation and the wire beneath was balck and sooty looking, same for the colored wires too, so I guess that means that my truck side wiring is no good, right? If so, I guess I'll hve to get a new 3 wire to 2 wire adapter. Does any of that make sense.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada

Go to a Ford dealer and get the correct plug in adapter for your truck. They make one for a 4 wire pigtail or 7 pin. Repair your truck taillight wiring to stock.

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada

HI all. So I just hooked up a brand spankin' new Optronics trailer light set according to the directions and with a few tips from here at the forum, but no light of any kind.
I made all connections with waterproof butt connectors, and ran an additional white ground line to each light, per the suggestions I've read here. As a result, there are three wires to each light (yellow, brown , white) on the back driver's side and (green, brown, white) to the passenger side light. I tied the two extra, white ground wire to the white lead that came in the kit on the female end of the plug. I also added the male end of the plug, which came with the kit to my '95 Ranger pick ups trailer wires, which are the same colors and have worked before. I again used waterproof butt end connectors at all junctions. All colors are matching on the wiring.
I know someone is going to say it's a grounding issue, but where in the world could it be? The trailer isn't serving as a ground in any way and all connections are fresh and secure :/


Help!

It is a grounding problem, Try this ,get a wire and run it from your truck to a wire on your trailer. Use a seperate wire on your trailer.Just for the heck of it twist the two end together and see if this makes a difference. It worked for me. What I wound up going was to get a five wire plug and hook up the fifth wire as I said. One wire to the truck someplace and one wire to the trailer some place.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada

so I guess that means that my truck side wiring is no good, right?

Ayuh,...As Splat said, without a Testlight, or Meter,... Yer Drivin' while Blind....

Who knows what circuit has, or hasn't power,..?? muchless ground....

All ya need is a simple Testlight,... then Follow the Power,...
If there's Power, find why it ain't Grounded...

The Testlight will give you All the answers.....

 

[nlain]

Re: Help! Just installed brand new wiring kit and got nada

Something you said, quote,"Does it matter which post on the light the newly added, white, ground wire attaches to?" In a word Yes. you have a taillight, you have a turn signal and you have a ground. You need to be sure your wiring is wired properly. Since the wires on the truck are smoked you may have shorted the wiring with the new ground wire. Get the test light and start checking, get the truck back to factory wiring and make sure it is working properly. Should you find blown fuses that would be an indication that something is shorted. Exactly where did you connect the white wires, some light assy's have places that you could connect to that would cause a short if you do not know what you are doing. Just go back and double check everything after you get the truck working. If you can get a battery to test the trailer with, that way you get sparks if it is wrong. A word of caution, connect wiring to the battery and touch to the trailer plug, do not touch to the battery, no sparks at the battery, they can blow up. See what you find and go from there.