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Trailer light problems
Maybe one of you trailer boaters can help me out. I've got an
intermittent problem with my trailer lights - either one side or the other will light (tail lights and side marker lights). This is intermittent - sometimes both sides will light. I put a test light on my truck's electrical input - that doesn't seem to be the problem Any suggestions on where to start troubleshooting? Thanks much. |
Trailer light problems
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Trailer light problems
wrote in message oups.com... Maybe one of you trailer boaters can help me out. I've got an intermittent problem with my trailer lights - either one side or the other will light (tail lights and side marker lights). This is intermittent - sometimes both sides will light. I put a test light on my truck's electrical input - that doesn't seem to be the problem Any suggestions on where to start troubleshooting? Thanks much. Bad Ground connection. |
Trailer light problems
wrote in message ... On 15 Mar 2007 03:31:06 -0700, wrote: Maybe one of you trailer boaters can help me out. I've got an intermittent problem with my trailer lights - either one side or the other will light (tail lights and side marker lights). This is intermittent - sometimes both sides will light. I put a test light on my truck's electrical input - that doesn't seem to be the problem Any suggestions on where to start troubleshooting? Thanks much. Grounds can be a problem but don't ignore that cheap assed connector most trailer lights hook to the car with. Trailer lights always seem to be trouble if they are out in the weather and dunked in the water.. I have mine on a 1x4 that I keep in the garage and I bungie it across the back of the boat when I tow (or just to the trailer if I am going "bareback"). The wiring is SJOW cord, not that zip lead the trailers come with. I agree ... mainly because I am not so sure the OP's problem is a ground. Usually there is only one, common ground connection to the trailer. Since he stated that either one side lights or the other ... sometimes both ... it would seem to indicate that he has a ground connection. Betcha his problem is in the connector plug. Eisboch |
Trailer light problems
"Eisboch" wrote in message . .. wrote in message ... On 15 Mar 2007 03:31:06 -0700, wrote: Maybe one of you trailer boaters can help me out. I've got an intermittent problem with my trailer lights - either one side or the other will light (tail lights and side marker lights). This is intermittent - sometimes both sides will light. I put a test light on my truck's electrical input - that doesn't seem to be the problem Any suggestions on where to start troubleshooting? Thanks much. Grounds can be a problem but don't ignore that cheap assed connector most trailer lights hook to the car with. Trailer lights always seem to be trouble if they are out in the weather and dunked in the water.. I have mine on a 1x4 that I keep in the garage and I bungie it across the back of the boat when I tow (or just to the trailer if I am going "bareback"). The wiring is SJOW cord, not that zip lead the trailers come with. I agree ... mainly because I am not so sure the OP's problem is a ground. Usually there is only one, common ground connection to the trailer. Since he stated that either one side lights or the other ... sometimes both ... it would seem to indicate that he has a ground connection. Betcha his problem is in the connector plug. Eisboch Or where it's spliced into the car/truck harness. |
Trailer light problems
"D.Duck" wrote in message ... "Eisboch" wrote in message . .. wrote in message ... On 15 Mar 2007 03:31:06 -0700, wrote: Maybe one of you trailer boaters can help me out. I've got an intermittent problem with my trailer lights - either one side or the other will light (tail lights and side marker lights). This is intermittent - sometimes both sides will light. I put a test light on my truck's electrical input - that doesn't seem to be the problem Any suggestions on where to start troubleshooting? Thanks much. Grounds can be a problem but don't ignore that cheap assed connector most trailer lights hook to the car with. Trailer lights always seem to be trouble if they are out in the weather and dunked in the water.. I have mine on a 1x4 that I keep in the garage and I bungie it across the back of the boat when I tow (or just to the trailer if I am going "bareback"). The wiring is SJOW cord, not that zip lead the trailers come with. I agree ... mainly because I am not so sure the OP's problem is a ground. Usually there is only one, common ground connection to the trailer. Since he stated that either one side lights or the other ... sometimes both ... it would seem to indicate that he has a ground connection. Betcha his problem is in the connector plug. Eisboch Or where it's spliced into the car/truck harness. My last answer doesn't make sense. The left side/right side isn't determined in the connector (except for turn signals). It's in the trailer wiring, if at all. The four pin connector has +12v for the running lights, left turn, right turn and ground. The +12v should be "Y'd" to the left and right side running lights. If some how that connection is hosed up, that could be the problem. |
Trailer light problems
On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:33:10 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:
wrote in message .. . On 15 Mar 2007 03:31:06 -0700, wrote: Maybe one of you trailer boaters can help me out. I've got an intermittent problem with my trailer lights - either one side or the other will light (tail lights and side marker lights). This is intermittent - sometimes both sides will light. I put a test light on my truck's electrical input - that doesn't seem to be the problem Any suggestions on where to start troubleshooting? Thanks much. Grounds can be a problem but don't ignore that cheap assed connector most trailer lights hook to the car with. Trailer lights always seem to be trouble if they are out in the weather and dunked in the water.. I have mine on a 1x4 that I keep in the garage and I bungie it across the back of the boat when I tow (or just to the trailer if I am going "bareback"). The wiring is SJOW cord, not that zip lead the trailers come with. I agree ... mainly because I am not so sure the OP's problem is a ground. Usually there is only one, common ground connection to the trailer. Since he stated that either one side lights or the other ... sometimes both ... it would seem to indicate that he has a ground connection. Betcha his problem is in the connector plug. Good point. Although on my Ranger trailer and on othe Loadright Princecraft trailer, both sides have seperate grounds. Why, I don't know. |
Trailer light problems
Tom,
I believe it is common for both light assemblies to have a ground, ie. right and left side grounds. I just replaced my expensive Wesbar (?) incandesant tail lights with relatively cheap WalMart LED tail lights. During the process I found that each lamp had a ground wire with a ring connector for the ground. The old lamps were the same. When removing the old lamps I found that the ring connector was attached to the trailer rail by the lamp's mounting screws. There was a large amount of white powder all around the drilled holes for the lamp mounting screws where the ground wires were connected. I used some sandpaper to clean up the area before mounting the new lamps. The OP could easily check this on his/her trailer. A continuity tester (ohmeter) would be my choice of test equipment to isolate any possible trailer wiring fault. BTW, WalMart sells an inexpensive trailer wiring harness tester. WM and BW have one for a bit more $. Butch "Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message ... On Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:33:10 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote: wrote in message . .. On 15 Mar 2007 03:31:06 -0700, wrote: Maybe one of you trailer boaters can help me out. I've got an intermittent problem with my trailer lights - either one side or the other will light (tail lights and side marker lights). This is intermittent - sometimes both sides will light. I put a test light on my truck's electrical input - that doesn't seem to be the problem Any suggestions on where to start troubleshooting? Thanks much. Grounds can be a problem but don't ignore that cheap assed connector most trailer lights hook to the car with. Trailer lights always seem to be trouble if they are out in the weather and dunked in the water.. I have mine on a 1x4 that I keep in the garage and I bungie it across the back of the boat when I tow (or just to the trailer if I am going "bareback"). The wiring is SJOW cord, not that zip lead the trailers come with. I agree ... mainly because I am not so sure the OP's problem is a ground. Usually there is only one, common ground connection to the trailer. Since he stated that either one side lights or the other ... sometimes both ... it would seem to indicate that he has a ground connection. Betcha his problem is in the connector plug. Good point. Although on my Ranger trailer and on othe Loadright Princecraft trailer, both sides have seperate grounds. Why, I don't know. |
Trailer light problems
On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:36:41 GMT, "Butch Davis"
wrote: I believe it is common for both light assemblies to have a ground, ie. right and left side grounds. On other trailers I've owned, there was always a single ground wire which ran to the frame - the lights were gorunded through the frame. On the trailers I have now, each light is connected to a ground wire and there is a bundle where they join at the connector. Seems a little complicated to me. I just replaced my expensive Wesbar (?) incandesant tail lights with relatively cheap WalMart LED tail lights. During the process I found that each lamp had a ground wire with a ring connector for the ground. The old lamps were the same. When removing the old lamps I found that the ring connector was attached to the trailer rail by the lamp's mounting screws. There was a large amount of white powder all around the drilled holes for the lamp mounting screws where the ground wires were connected. I used some sandpaper to clean up the area before mounting the new lamps. I've been thinking about changing the Wesbar lights over to LED lights, but I can't find the style I need for the Ranger trailer. I might just change the mounts, but that would look kind of kludgey. I'll take another look in a week or so. The OP could easily check this on his/her trailer. A continuity tester (ohmeter) would be my choice of test equipment to isolate any possible trailer wiring fault. BTW, WalMart sells an inexpensive trailer wiring harness tester. WM and BW have one for a bit more $. I have one of those - they are pretty handy. |
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