Trailer wiring question ~

[Eckie]

Recently installed new lights on my trailer, using the existing electrical harness that's on the trailer. Right side -- everything works - taillights, brakelights, blinker, side marker lights. Left side -- taillights and side marker light work. Brake and blinker light do not. Hooked up the left light blinker/brake wire to the right blinker/brake wire -- works fine.

So --- problem appears to be the left-side wire. I then by-passed the wire and spliced the blinker/brake light to the 4 prong adaptor ---- still no go.

Guessing that the issue must be the 4 prong connector? Can't think it could be anything else, due to process of elimination, but any takers on something I missed or should check?

Thanks!

[jeffreyd]

Take a test light and check the 4 prong connector. That way you can eliminate that step.

[marine_man]

It sure sounds like that's the issue.. I'd start with a testlight and start tracking it down from there.

marine_man

[SkunkedAgain]

When you bypassed the trailer wire and went straight to the 4-prong connector, did you still have the light grounded?

My whole thought from the beginning is that there is a grounding issue. 999 times out of 1000 times that's what it is. Usually, once I've eliminated the possibility of it being a grounding issue, it ends up being a grounding issue anyway.

[Eckie]

Skunked ~

Thinking back, I believe the light is/was grounded properly because I only disconnected the hot wire and ran a 20 ft bypass wire up to the connnectore, leaving the ground in place. The actual "taillight" still works -- just the blinker and brake light don't work.

If however, you are right, I then think I'm better off just buying a new harness/wires -- which also seems like a fairly straight forward task.

If I end up doing that -- where's a good place locally to buy trailer wiring harnesses?

[SkunkedAgain]

You can buy them at places like Fleet Farm. When I replaced the entire wire harness on my trailer two years ago, it didn't work correctly. I eventually discovered that the ground between the flasher mounting bolts and the frame was corroded. Therefore there wasn't a good ground and the lights acted funny.

Make sure that you've eliminated all grounding possibilities.

[jeffreyd]

4 way flat molded connectors allow basic hookup for three lighting functions; right turn signal / stop light (green), left turn signal / stop light (yellow), taillight / license / side marker (brown) and a ground (white).

This might help a bit. good luck Jeff

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[Sandmannd]

Honestly, if it was me, I would buy new wiring and redo the whole thing. I did that when I redid my wiring. Check the thread on boat wiring. I soldered all mine and it works so much better. Flawless for the last two years.