Trailer Lights

[UMC]

I pulled the boat out of the water last week and the brake lights and blinkers were working on the trailer, but the running lights (the ones that come on when I turn on my headlights) were not. It was dusk and I was only about 15 minutes from home so I hurried and a couple minutes before I got home they came on. But today I hooked it up again and the running lights weren't working again. What's the most likely cause? Take note that you are advising someone with very little knowledge of these types of things. Thanks a bunch

[Bigtom]

Check your plugens, see if they are tight fitting. Look and see if they have green corosion in the holes if so cleen them off the best you can. Bend, twist, wiggle the conections to see if the lights flicker. Also look and see if there is any bare wires showing any place on sharp corners. Also if you have any bad conections where you loose lights you should always check your fuses in the truck labled tail lights.

Let us kow what you find. Also it won't hurt to check your bulbs(move, them, twist them around)

[fasternu]

It is probably a ground issue. If it is an older trailer, there will probably be corrision on the running lights themselves, and sometimes the bulbs will form corrosion around them. Clean them as best as you can and scrape away any dirt/junk on the connectors as well as the spot where the ground attaches to the trailer itself.

[Jim Almquist]

I had the same thing happen to me and I thought for sure it had to be a connection problem. It ended up being a fuse that was up front under the hood

[UMC]

Thanks guys...I'm kind of figuring it's a fuse but I'll check it out this weekend and report back. It's only about a 5 year old trailer.

[UMC]

Seems to have just been a connection issue - some green corrosion on the truck plug...thanks again.

[Jim Almquist]

Get it cleaned up real good and put a little dielectric grease on it.