Trailer light won't work!!!! Help!!!!

[kh051361]

I have just had my trailer powder coated, and I'm just now putting the lights on (LED) I have replaced the wiring with new wire. But the trouble I'm having is getting the running lights to work. The blinkers will work, but when I turn on the main lights, the blinkers quit on the trailer. My brake light work but thats all that work. Can anyone help me with this? Thanks in advance. Kevin

 

[DJ]

Re: Trailer light won't work!!!! Help!!!!

Grounds, grounds, grounds. THey are the biggest problem with trailer lights.

You cannot ground through the hitch. You must run the seperate (usually white) wire.

Each light also needs its own seperate path to ground, the frame is frequently not good enough.

 

[kh051361]

Re: Trailer light won't work!!!! Help!!!!

Before I re-did my paint on the tralier, as I was unhooking the wires, I noticed there the only ground used was on the lights. There was never a ground used from the vehicle to the trailer. But I will try it again.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailer light won't work!!!! Help!!!!

The white wire in the vehicle harness is ground. That wire needs to pass through the connector to the trailer frame, or run directly to the bolt that secures the light to the frame. Trailer frames make a good ground but the light itself must be grounded securely to the frame and if its a tilt trailer or has a tongue that's bolted to the rest of the frame, those joints should have ground straps. The Brown wire runs the tail and marker lights. Green and yellow run the turn signals. If you have a tow vehicle that has separate bulbs for stop and tail lights you need a converter.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Trailer light won't work!!!! Help!!!!

Ayuh,.......

As much as I Love the LED Lighting,... They are Very Ground Sensitive.......

I'm Guessing that you're not getting a Good Ground thru the New Paint........
And,..... As Stated,... Carry the Ground Path All the way back to a Good Ground on the Tow Unit.......

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Trailer light won't work!!!! Help!!!!

i'm going to keep saying it. run and independent ground wire to every fixture, and tie it to the white wire.. on the fixture all you have to do is connect it to the mounting bolt. since i've been doing this i've never had a problem other than a bulb burn out.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Trailer light won't work!!!! Help!!!!

I was in tractor supply the other day and saw a cute device for the 4 wire, flat, rubber plugs. It's just a little plug, just like a trailer mating plug, that plugs into the vehicle side and has 4 led lights on it such that you can see in a heartbeat if the vehicle is doing it's job.

Nice.

Mark

 

[kh051361]

Re: Trailer light won't work!!!! Help!!!!

I ran a light wire from my connector all the way to the back of my trailer where I have one ground and now ever light on my trailer works great. Thanks for all the help.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Trailer light won't work!!!! Help!!!!

GROUNDS, GROUNDS, GROUNDS. sparktricity has to complete the circuit. Mark i have one of those little gadgets. make wiring the tow vehicle a snap.