New LED Trailer lights....

[zman]

Well I've been having an ongoing battle with my trailer lights for going on a year now, and I figure its time to enlist some backup.

I just rewired the trailer and added some new LEDs, still my lights are not working. I'm starting to think that it may be my vehicles problem, not the trailer, cause I installed the lights as they should have been installed and the ones prior to this hadn't worked in a year either. There is tons of advice on the net about wiring a trailer, but almost none about the possibility of a problem being with the truck's wiring. So anyways I have a towing package, was wondering what could cause the harness on the truck to loose power. I've looked at the fuse box and don't see any blown fuses, that seemed like the easy answer at first but with no blown fuses I'm left clueless. Is it possible to just wire directly from the rear lights on the back of the truck (my tailights on the truck work)?

BTW, my speakers have been out for about the same duration as the towing lights...coincidence?

[housework101]

I assume you mean you have no lights at all?No running lights brake lights or turn signal's.
I would start by checking the trailer light wiring up under the truck,many times a corroded factory plug is the culprit.
Depending on the make and model of your truck you can get a trailer wiring harness that will plug directly into the factory tail lamp wiring usually located above the bumper attatched to thr rear of the box.
You just unplug original and plug new one in between
That's about all there is to it,if your truck lights work so will the trailer lights with this setup.Assuming you don't have a ground problem.

[BassNva]

what kind of vehicle is it?

[zman]

91 Explorer, has a towing package.

[BassNva]

1more q?does that have the amber turn signals?if not you can tap right into the taillights like i did.
check for power to the plug on the trailer..
this is a kind of stupid Q,but was the motor ever changed in your truck?

[zman]

I'm not quite sure what everyone is talking about with regards to amber turn signals....

What I have when I peel back the hose is a black, brown, yellow and green wire. If you follow the black wire far enough back you can see a couple other wires are combined and then spliced to the black wire....

Don't really know if its an original engine either...what I picked up from the guy I bought it from was that the car has had a few different owners...so the record is a little shoddy.

[BassNva]

the reason i asked about the motor is that sometimes when the engine is changed they forget to put the ground straps on and it sounds like you have a ground problem.

there should be a white wire that is grounded to the truck frame from the harness.same on the trailer,a white wire grounded to the trailer.

[zman]

OK Tom, lets see. Now I have 4 wires as I said coming from the under the truck, one green, one yeller, one brown with a white stripe, one black. Is one of those wires a ground? Shouldn't it be all white then? If not, then I have 4 wires, and 3 places to connect them to on the plug, minus the ground. Does that make sense?

I appreciate you trying to help, I realize how confusing this is.

[BassNva]

the green is for left turn if i remember,the yellow is other side or vice versa(think this is latin ).the brown is parking lamps.black would be ground on the frame.on your trailer the wire might be black or white for the ground.

[Rich]

WTL-there is a tester you can get probably anyplace that sells trailer wiring stuff that plugs into the harness on your truck and will light up representing the trailer lights-might help you troubleshoot if it is the trailer or the tow vehicle.

[zman]

I just tried to redo the wires in the dark and still got nothing. I'll try again in the morning, I've got to fix this by tomorrow basically, this is my last weekend at home before I leave for the big trip. Reb I'm gonna look for that tester, Tom I'm going to see if I can't ground this thing better or splice into the tailights- if by 2 tommorow afternoon I'm not successful I might just start looking to see if I can get this done at some sort of shop, although I'd hate to bring it in with this type of problem.

Once again, a huge thanks to yall..get some sleep and tight lines...I'll post some more in the morn if I figure anything out.

[BassNva]

forgot about that reb...yeah,they're inexpensive and save a lot of time.

[zman]

Got the tester...the truck is the problem. No charge coming from the harness at all. I think I'm gonna try and tap into the back tail lights, there is obviously a charge there as they work.

[zman]

This **** has gotten weird now. I got the part to tap into the tailights, did that...and at first the tail blinkers worked but I still got no power coming out of the T I guess you would call it...then the tail blinkers on the back of the vehicle stopped blinking for left or right turns., they will blink for the hazard, but when you put on a turn signal they just light up solid with no blinking.


Anyways, I guess I've done quit. Gotta cancel fishing tomorow, instead I'll take the truck to some shop that will no doubt fleece me.

[housework101]

Check the plug where the trailer harness is plugged into the truck harness.
I hate to see guys whack up there vehicle wiring when it's just as easy to fix it the right way.
It's as simple as following the wires back from the trailer plug and there will be a inline plug,unless someone has already cobbed into the truck wires.
If thats the case go to any decent parts store and buy a new trailer wiring kit for your truck.They are usually under $25.00 and take about 5min to install.

[macgyver]

First off good choice in the LED's you'll love them. Once you get them working of course. Secondly, a wiring harness with plug in is very inexspensive at almost any auto part store. When you are trying to hook directly into the tail light, the lights that you pluging into probably are three way lights, there for, only receiveing power for certain things(brakes, turn, hazards,* usually not running) if memory serves me right. I have the same problem, periodically on my 2000 Blazer, that had a hitch and harness put in after market. I just this evening got my truck to my mechanic(works on the side from the dealership, for about 1/2 the price) to just replace the dang thing while he working on some other things. Anyway if you haven't disconnected the original line, you could cut off the plug, and put the directly into the holes of the the trailer plug and see if it works. I will also say that sometimes spraying WD-40 into the plug will allow them to work FOR AWHILE, definately not a longterm fix, if it's the plug.

Lizards

[zman]

Well I've been outside in the dark with a lamp trying to figure this stuff out, it just bugs me. I tapped back into the rear lights again, and now I can actually get the right tailight on the trailer to light up and blink with the hazards (my turn signals still wont blink anymore, maybe I blew the flasher). The left also lit up very, very faintly, but the juice is so dang weak...I tested the wire its coming from and I found the same thing, weak...so for whatever reason I'm not getting a good connection coming from the wires that work the left trailer light. I'm gonna go back out in a few minutes and work some more, will try that wd 40. Thanks for everybody bearing with me. Its good to be able to talk about this and vent, these lights are so damn frustrating.

[macgyver]

[quote author=WTL link=board=Boats;num=1110053341;start=0#16 date=03/06/05 at 22:20:41]Well I've been outside in the dark with a lamp trying to figure this stuff out, it just bugs me. I tapped back into the rear lights again, and now I can actually get the right tailight on the trailer to light up and blink with the hazards (my turn signals still wont blink anymore, maybe I blew the flasher). The left also lit up very, very faintly, but the juice is so dang weak...I tested the wire its coming from and I found the same thing, weak...so for whatever reason I'm not getting a good connection coming from the wires that work the left trailer light. I'm gonna go back out in a few minutes and work some more, will try that wd 40. Thanks for everybody bearing with me. Its good to be able to talk about this and vent, these lights are so damn frustrating. [/quote]


I used to work underground construction(putting power/cable/telephone/sewer undeground) and of course we had lots of trialers, that ALWAYS needed worked on. I have said it many times, if someone can actually come up with a complete set of wiring and lights, that will work for good, they would make millions. I would definately check the grounding also, if it's amking little contact, it could also be the culprit. Now the next part you didn't here from me, but if you have one side working, drive it, and if you get pulled over, the correct answer is well I checked them when I left and they were working just fine, I guess I need to check them out, but they were working when I left officer(just leave out the part about the one side) .

Lizards

[zman]

Just got the truck back from the mechanic...he fixed the problem for 25 dollars. Now I don't have to worry about lying to any cop that pulls me over (lizards, that thought has crossed my mind many times beore ;D).

[Bassin_Dude]

did he say wat was wrong?

[Rich]

Glad you got it fixed-glad the tester worked, too-those little things like that tend to come in handy.

[zman]

Well yes and no bassfisher, he said that the trailer lights (likely the old ones) were not installed good and that they probably bled a little current from wire to wire at the plug, thus causing a connection up in the truck to go out. I'm not sure I explained that well, nor am I sure that that is possible...but the fu#$#&g lights are working so I don't care.

BTW, I installed a front casting deck today on the front of the boat, complete with a dry storage box. Would have liked to have gotten out on the water this weekend, but if I didn't well then getting my boat in top condition is the next best thing.

[macgyver]

Just got my truck back from the mechanic, he even picks up and delivers ;D Anyway he fixed a few things, and as I thought the original wiring harness when installed did not use the waterproof connectors, just clips, which of course coroded, so he replaced those with water proof ones. I had my tires rotated, my power mirrors fixed(replaced a switch and fuse), checked out my 4 wheel drive switch, checked out my emissions controls, since my check engine light just came on saturday, and was coded as emissions. All of this for $70, so I gave him $90 I couldn't have taken it to any dealer and have them fix my power mirrors for that price let alone everything els he did. It's good to know a good mechanic, and I promised I'd take him to the coal pit He did say he liked to fish for catfish, and crappie :-/ So we will do that some, but I'm hoping to switch the man to Bassin, and if I take him in late april or early may, I bet he'll be hooked.

Lizards

[zman]

Lizards, sounds like were both getting ready for a trip with all these repairs/maintenence. I don't know about you but I'm getting psyched. ;D ;D ;D

[macgyver]

[quote author=WTL link=board=Boats;num=1110053341;start=0#23 date=03/07/05 at 21:23:59]Lizards, sounds like were both getting ready for a trip with all these repairs/maintenence. I don't know about you but I'm getting psyched. ;D ;D ;D[/quote]

YEAH BUDDY LOOK OUT FLORIDIANS WERE INVADING ;D

Lizards