?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

[Stroth]

OK:

I need some help here.

My lights are only working on the right side and not the left.

The setup is a four pin connector.

I replaced the four pin connectors on both the truck and the trailer. Still only getting the right side to work and not the left.

Then I tried connecting the brown wire to the red wire of the light (it light up, but still did not blink).

Then I thought the yellow wire must not have been connected right, so I tried to redo that one, but in the process I broke the new connector, so it looks like I will need another one of those

Just to experiment, I connected all of the wires right to each other, without the connectors. Again, the right side worked and the left side did not.

Can anyone give me a step by step fix for this type of problem?

Do I just need to re-wire the whole trailer?

I am guessing the ground is fine, because the right works. Am I right?

Or is the problem on the truck's side with the yellow connecting wire? If it is, how do I fix that?

I have a reese setup on a 2000 toyota tundra.

Any help anyone can give is really appreciated. I wasted alot of time on this today, with NOTHING to show for it.....

Stroth

 

[Silvertip]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

You are almost correct when you say the ground is ok because the one side works. First, did you check the bulb? Every lamp on the trailer must have a good ground. so follow the white wire in the harness and you will see that it makes its way to the trailer frame. There may be more than one wire connected at that point. Make sure that connection is clean and tight. Then examine each lamp assembly. There should be a white wire exiting the lamp and connected to the trailer frame. If you don't see that wire, one of the lamp mounting bolts has the job of grounding the lamp. Make sure those are clean and tight. Looking at them is not an acceptable check.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

I'm thinking that year had the separate turn signals from the tail and stop lights.
If so, you might have to get an adapter unless the tundra has one built in.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

if one side is working and the other is not and he needs a converter he has to have a converter somewhere. My last truck needed one and it seem to go through them where just exactly that would happen. One side would work the other would not. First things first. Make sure the pigtail off the truck works. Hook a voltmeter or test light neg wire to the ground wire. (assuming you have checked the ground and it is good). Then take the + lead of the volt meter or test light and put it to each terminal on the pigtail one at a time to see if you have power. The brown is the common wire and you should have a steady light or 12v when the park lights or the brake is applied. Green is always for the right turn signal. Your test light should flash when you have the right turn signal on. Yellow is always for the left turn signal. same thing. If you have all the proper lights at the pigtail the problem then lies in you trailer. As has been already said check the bulbs. Try to turn them or wiggle them when the turn signal or lights are one and see if they work then. I went to led lights last year as the cheap immersible lights I was always buying were crap. The sockets rust and the lights won't work.

 

[Stroth]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

I have a voltmeter, I will give that a shot tomorrow, I am also going to look into picking up one of those indicator lights that you plug into the connector on the vehicle side to see if everything is working.

I looked for the ground wire, as I know that is often an issue. I have one ground wire that goes back to the right trailer light, it looks like it is screwed in near the bolt.

The light itself only has two wires coming out of it, a black one and a red one. There is not a white wire near it. Should there be?

Does the light itself have more than one bulb in it? Maybe a bulb is simply burnt out?

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

The light itself only has two wires coming out of it, a black one and a red one. There is not a white wire near it. Should there be?
Not if the light grounds itself.

Does the light itself have more than one bulb in it? Maybe a bulb is simply burnt out?
No, should be a 1157 bulb in it.
But one side of it could be burnt out.

Hope that helps

 

[milkyway]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

Use "electric contact grease" on the harness. This simple conductor solved my 3 years of contact problems. When all connections are good, then your tests should be reliable.

 

[Stroth]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

Ok:

Sounds like the bulb is not a problem. I can get it to light by hooking the brown wire to the red wire of the bulb.

Which makes me think that I have some issue with the yellow (left turn) wire. Maybe I blew a fuse in my truck somehow?

Here is a dumb question. I bought these four way connector 'quick fix' pieces from AutoZone, they work by having the wire go into a v like connection, that you squeeze shut. Problem is that when you squeeze them, they break.

I know that iboats sells 4 way connectors (vehicle & trailer). How do these connectors setup? Do I just splice the wires from the connectors to the existing wires on the trailer and vehicle? Or do they setup differently.

Many thanks, I am a little closer I think to solving this problem...(maybe it will be ready to go by fall trout season

 

[brent doherty]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

some more food for thought. most new trucks have trailer light specific fuses for lh and rh sides. most of the time they are located under the hood in the aux fuse/relay box. you should either have a diagram on the underside of the box or you may have to go to the owners manual to locate where fuse is in box. if you have no power on truck side of plug with t/s on i would start there. if it is blown check your wires for chafing or bare spots where it could be shorting out on frame somewhere?

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

Take your volt meter and check the plug on the tow vehicle first to make sure if you are or not getting power to all the plugs.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

Take your volt meter and check the plug on the tow vehicle first to make sure if you are or not getting power to all the plugs.

I thought I said that but maybe not loudly enough. Why do they start at the trailer before seeing if the truck is working?

 

[Stroth]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

I thought I said that but maybe not loudly enough. Why do they start at the trailer before seeing if the truck is working?

Because half of the trailer is working, which lead me to believe that the problem was with the left trailer light and not the truck. Now, learning more about the fuse issue, that could be my problem. When I replaced the connectors, maybe one of those wires shorted out......

THANKS!

 

[freddyray21]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

half the trailer can be working and still have a problem with the truck. Did you do any of what we suggested. First find out of the pigtail at the truck has the proper voltage at all terminals. First things first. Make sure the pigtail off the truck works. Hook a voltmeter or test light neg wire to the ground wire. (assuming you have checked the ground and it is good). Then take the + lead of the volt meter or test light and put it to each terminal on the pigtail one at a time to see if you have power. The brown is the common wire and you should have a steady light or 12v when the park lights or the brake is applied. Green is always for the right turn signal. Your test light should flash when you have the right turn signal on. Yellow is always for the left turn signal. same thing. If you have all the proper lights at the pigtail the problem then lies in you trailer. Once you find that those are right then work with the trailer. Lots of times only one side will work and it is still in the vehicle. If all is right on the vehicle the trailer wiring is simple.

You stated: The light itself only has two wires coming out of it, a black one and a red one. There is not a white wire near it. Should there be?

There will either be a white wire inside the box hooking it self to the frame or the socket itself is grounded to the frame. As for the other two wires. One will hook to the common brown wire in your harness. The other one on the right side will hook to the green wire on the on the harness. One the left side the other wire will hook to the yellow wire on the harness. If all your wires are good and the truck pigtail is good and the sockets are good then the lights should work.

 

[Stroth]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

THANKS!

The first thing I need to do is replace the four way connectors, then I will check everything on the truck side.

Do I just splice the new four way connector wires to the old ones?

 

[freddyray21]

Re: ?TrailerLightProblem? Right works, Left Doesn't

yes just splice it in color to color