HELP! Last Min. Trailer Lights!!

On short notice, maybe put it back to tail lights? Sorry electricity isn't exactly my thing, but it sounds like a short or bad ground. If you have either in the string, I think you loose it all.

Maybe a bad contact in the plug then? When did it work right last?

Try to clean the contacts with emery cloth or fine sandpaper(lightly oiled) and put dielectric grease on it. Wish I could help more.

Chris,
Trailer lighting always seems to be a big problem but a few good practices can make most of the problems go away.

Know the standard color coding of a trailer wiring harness.

Use a volt meter or at least a test light and test from the tow vehicle back.

Never use those damn insulation displacement connectors. They are the ones that don't need the insulation stripped off and you put over the wire and squeeze with pliers. They will come back to haunt you due to corrosion inside where the insulation is cut. I've even seen them cut the wire in half if used improperly.

Good "Sta-Con" crimp on connectors are available with adhesive lined heat shrink tubing over them. A decent auto supply will have them. If you can't find them then use adhesive lined heat shrink over your splices. If you really want to go all the way, solder the splices first.

Never try to get away with using the trailer hitch/ball as your ground. 95% of problems will be ground related. Most lights will use the mounting stud as a ground to the frame. This will plague you as well because a little rust under the nut to the frame and the ground is lost. I like to run a separate ground wire to a ring "Sta-Con" to each lights mounting stud. It had to be Henry Ford going cheap and deciding the metal frame of a car was good enough for a ground!!

Last, make sure all the wiring is firmly attached to the trailer and not flopping around in the wind as you run down the road. I have actual gone to the extent of using PVC pipe down each side of the trailer frame as a means of holding all the wiring. This isn't a conduit run like you would see a electric run in. The tubing is just open at the ends and in the middle where you need to "T" off to the running lights.

What lights are you adding? Are you bringing the trailer up to current DOT standards or just adding lights? Be careful with the latter as some officers of the law go out of their way to find non conforming trailers!!!

I have a Chevy Tahoe and I had some of the same type of issues. I found out that I had blow the fuses in my trucks fuse box for trailer lights. Some were blown in the compartment under the hood ( 10 AMP or 15 AMP) and some were blown in the compartment one the side of the dash when you open the drivers door. They are clearly marked for Trailer Lights.

I hope this helps,

Donald

Hey,

I will bet it is the fuse and it is always the first thing to check.

Clew In