Trailer lights - Competition Diesel.Com

J-Pipes · 02-22-2019, 01:15 PM

I have a 2017 gator made bumper pull trailer that when hooked to all but two vehicles so far all the lights work as they should. When I used a friend's 2013 duramax to pull it while my truck was broke, everything worked fine until I turned the headlights on, then I had no trailer lights. I just blamed the truck then because it sits alot as the owner spends most of his time in a semi. But I just installed a hitch and harness on my wifes 2018 Nissan murano, and it is doing the same thing. All lights worked fine as long as the headlights are off. Turn them on and I have nothing. I'm thinking a ground issue, but kinda stumped as it has now done the same thing on different vehicles. You guys think I'm on the right track checking grounds, or should I be looking elsewhere?

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Mark Nixon · 02-22-2019, 01:24 PM

Hook back up to the last vehicle it worked right on.
If you again lose the tails, the problem is likely a ground.

Another way to check, is turn the headlights on, then try turn signals and see if the trailer's lights fluctuate a lot, which also means there's a bad ground.

Don't rule out a pulled wire in the connector plug, either.

Mark.

bracker8040 · 02-22-2019, 01:25 PM

That’s one of the more comical problems I’ve heard of in awhile.

I think you are on track with a ground issue. Make sure that the ground terminal in the trailer plug actually has a wire going to it that is grounded to the trailer frame, and that they aren’t relying on the hitch ball to ground the trailer.
I fought with a similar issue when I would put 2 different trailers behind my Excursion. Once I grounded them thru the plug everything worked correctly.

J-Pipes · 06-06-2019, 08:08 PM

Update. Haven't done anything with the trailer yet, it had still been fine when hooked to my truck, until Tuesday night. Getting dark, had headlights on, trailer brakes randomly activated going up a hill. Everything is fine until I turn the headlights on. Plan is to start with the grounds on the trailer, but I was wondering, could it be the battery for the trailer brakes? Need to get this figured out before next Saturday, making a trip to Illinois.

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99GreenCummins · 06-06-2019, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Pipes

Update. Haven't done anything with the trailer yet, it had still been fine when hooked to my truck, until Tuesday night. Getting dark, had headlights on, trailer brakes randomly activated going up a hill. Everything is fine until I turn the headlights on. Plan is to start with the grounds on the trailer, but I was wondering, could it be the battery for the trailer brakes? Need to get this figured out before next Saturday, making a trip to Illinois.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Check connections on 7pin on trailer side if its a removable pin. Our broke the plastic housing at one time and did funky stuff on my 99 but was perfect on my brothers 07. Just difference in female connector on truck would make it shift and make it go crazy.

dieselbeef · 06-07-2019, 05:57 AM

do the brakes work?

4x4dually · 06-07-2019, 06:31 AM

Subsc'd for info.

Does the trailer have the pre-mad, molded, wiring harnesses or how is it wired? The last time I had an issue with mine, a mouse had gotten into the tool box in the neck and decided to eat a bunch of pvc. Made a mess of the wires.

dieselbeef · 06-07-2019, 07:31 AM

Just put a farm placard on there and roll..lights my a$$

4x4dually · 06-07-2019, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselbeef

Just put a farm placard on there and roll..lights my a$$

Dammit, Gary, no. That is the general concept around here. Just...no.

J-Pipes · 06-07-2019, 11:29 AM

Farm use probably won't work on a trip to Illinois! Jory, I dont know what that means to be honest. It's the factory wiring on a 2017 gator 82"×12' tandem 3500lb braking axels. Everything works fine brakes included, until I turn the headlights on, then the brakes are on full time.

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dieselbeef · 06-07-2019, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4x4dually

Dammit, Gary, no. That is the general concept around here. Just...no.

itll be fine ya old fart...if it has a placard around here its a lot

dieselbeef · 06-07-2019, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Pipes

Farm use probably won't work on a trip to Illinois! Jory, I dont know what that means to be honest. It's the factory wiring on a 2017 gator 82"×12' tandem 3500lb braking axels. Everything works fine brakes included, until I turn the headlights on, then the brakes are on full time.

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ok so the brakes work..try this for fun..take the trlr grnd..the one from the truck thru the plug and ground it to the same stud as the brakes..see if it helps...unless the plug is all fucll of crap and water insdie...I had mine doing some of that weird light crap..since I knew the brake grnd was good I jumped the light grnd to it and its been perfect ever since...

J-Pipes · 06-07-2019, 01:27 PM

I'll post some pictures when I work on it tomorrow. So far I've only seen one ground up near the hitch, I did pull it loose already, but need to double check.

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4x4dually · 06-07-2019, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Pipes

Farm use probably won't work on a trip to Illinois! Jory, I dont know what that means to be honest. It's the factory wiring on a 2017 gator 82"×12' tandem 3500lb braking axels. Everything works fine brakes included, until I turn the headlights on, then the brakes are on full time.

So, I'd be willing to bet it is a short inside either the trailer plug or lead going from the trailer to the plug. Sounds like the brown wire is touching the brake wire. Hopefully you figure it out easy enough.

As far as the modeled wire harness thing goes, I now for load trail like mine, the harness is broken up into multiple sub assemblies. Each one has an over-molded connector for each splice. There is not of that scotch-lock BS and no places for water or weather to affect performance. They are far superior in the robust category. Mine failed because a pack rat decided to water proof his nest with PVC.

Wire Wiring Harness

J-Pipes · 06-07-2019, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4x4dually

So, I'd be willing to bet it is a short inside either the trailer plug or lead going from the trailer to the plug. Sounds like the brown wire is touching the brake wire. Hopefully you figure it out easy enough.

As far as the modeled wire harness thing goes, I now for load trail like mine, the harness is broken up into multiple sub assemblies. Each one has an over-molded connector for each splice. There is not of that scotch-lock BS and no places for water or weather to affect performance. They are far superior in the robust category. Mine failed because a pack rat decided to water proof his nest with PVC.

Wire Wiring Harness

It is supposed to be a sealed harness system.

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dieselbeef · 06-07-2019, 07:15 PM

get it hooked up while its doing the wrong weird thing anf then use some jumper cables fron the truck to the trlr to make a good grnd and see..kinda riggin but might help

J-Pipes · 06-07-2019, 07:16 PM

Not a bad idea!

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J-Pipes · 06-08-2019, 11:03 AM

Here's a picture of the cord coming into the junction box. I think it's in the cord itself, it has a pinched spot in it, I can remember it getting pinched, but not when it happened. I have another cord I'm going to swap it out with. I was checking continuity of the pins of the trailer plug, almost all of them ding together, to were as my gooseneck does not.

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J-Pipes · 06-10-2019, 08:26 PM

Well, got this figured out yesterday. It had shorted out at the right taillight. Had to cut out a fair chunk of melted wires, but got it all back together and woking good on my truck. Also took a few to get my wifes Murano figured out, it is a ground issue. I'm using an adapter to go from the 7 pin trailer to the 4 pin in her car. The adapter harness I have has an extra ground wire, that needs a mating end made and attached to the frame of the car. The ground wire of the cars harness does nothing, even if I put it directly to the wire of the adapter. But if I wedge the adapter wire into the receiver it works. Just need to make a permanent setup for that.

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4x4dually · 06-11-2019, 06:40 AM

Good deal. What caused the short? Wire wrapped around a sharp edge on the steel?

02-22-2019, 01:15 PM	#1
J-Pipes Name: J-Pipes Title: Too Much Time Status: Not Here Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Ohio Member`s Gallery Posts: 4,575	Trailer lights I have a 2017 gator made bumper pull trailer that when hooked to all but two vehicles so far all the lights work as they should. When I used a friend's 2013 duramax to pull it while my truck was broke, everything worked fine until I turned the headlights on, then I had no trailer lights. I just blamed the truck then because it sits alot as the owner spends most of his time in a semi. But I just installed a hitch and harness on my wifes 2018 Nissan murano, and it is doing the same thing. All lights worked fine as long as the headlights are off. Turn them on and I have nothing. I'm thinking a ground issue, but kinda stumped as it has now done the same thing on different vehicles. You guys think I'm on the right track checking grounds, or should I be looking elsewhere? Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk __________________ 2000 Dodge ext cab short bed, 6spd.

02-22-2019, 01:24 PM	#2
Mark Nixon Name: Mark Nixon Title: No Savior among the flesh Status: Not Here Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brownville, Nebraska Member`s Gallery Posts: 8,676	Hook back up to the last vehicle it worked right on. If you again lose the tails, the problem is likely a ground. Another way to check, is turn the headlights on, then try turn signals and see if the trailer's lights fluctuate a lot, which also means there's a bad ground. Don't rule out a pulled wire in the connector plug, either. Mark. __________________ If you or I did business like the PEOPLE in government do business, we'd be put in jail. Government is coercive. Anarchy: The state of existence where there are no masters & no slaves. Therefore, Anarchy means the ABSENCE OF SLAVERY, or, in other words, FREEDOM. Last edited by Mark Nixon; 02-22-2019 at 01:25 PM.

06-06-2019, 08:08 PM	#4
J-Pipes Name: J-Pipes Title: Too Much Time Status: Not Here Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Ohio Member`s Gallery Posts: 4,575	Update. Haven't done anything with the trailer yet, it had still been fine when hooked to my truck, until Tuesday night. Getting dark, had headlights on, trailer brakes randomly activated going up a hill. Everything is fine until I turn the headlights on. Plan is to start with the grounds on the trailer, but I was wondering, could it be the battery for the trailer brakes? Need to get this figured out before next Saturday, making a trip to Illinois. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk __________________ 2000 Dodge ext cab short bed, 6spd.

06-07-2019, 05:57 AM	#6
dieselbeef Name: dieselbeef Title: dick doggin Status: Not Here Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: myakka city florida Member`s Gallery Posts: 9,860	do the brakes work? __________________ 02 quad cab 4x4 aluminum flatbed 63/68/14 hrvp INJ by weston 4.10 gorend/suncoast method race 01 2500 4x4 quad cab all stock/drag comp 07.5 3500 4x4 dually 4 dr 6.7 d&j extreme, fleece cheetah, gorend triple, cat filters, rip wrongway...

06-07-2019, 06:31 AM	#7
4x4dually Name: 4x4dually Title: Moderator Status: Not Here Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Stillwater, OK Member`s Gallery Posts: 31,811	Subsc'd for info. Does the trailer have the pre-mad, molded, wiring harnesses or how is it wired? The last time I had an issue with mine, a mouse had gotten into the tool box in the neck and decided to eat a bunch of pvc. Made a mess of the wires. __________________ Jory 2009 4x4 3500 MCLB "There are people far less intelligent than you making a living doing this stuff." - Jeff Mumau

02-22-2019, 01:25 PM	#3
bracker8040 Name: bracker8040 Title: Too Much Time Status: Not Here Join Date: Jan 2007 Member`s Gallery Posts: 818	That’s one of the more comical problems I’ve heard of in awhile. I think you are on track with a ground issue. Make sure that the ground terminal in the trailer plug actually has a wire going to it that is grounded to the trailer frame, and that they aren’t relying on the hitch ball to ground the trailer. I fought with a similar issue when I would put 2 different trailers behind my Excursion. Once I grounded them thru the plug everything worked correctly.

06-07-2019, 07:31 AM	#8
dieselbeef Name: dieselbeef Title: dick doggin Status: Not Here Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: myakka city florida Member`s Gallery Posts: 9,860	Just put a farm placard on there and roll..lights my a$$ __________________ 02 quad cab 4x4 aluminum flatbed 63/68/14 hrvp INJ by weston 4.10 gorend/suncoast method race 01 2500 4x4 quad cab all stock/drag comp 07.5 3500 4x4 dually 4 dr 6.7 d&j extreme, fleece cheetah, gorend triple, cat filters, rip wrongway...

06-07-2019, 11:29 AM	#10
J-Pipes Name: J-Pipes Title: Too Much Time Status: Not Here Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Ohio Member`s Gallery Posts: 4,575	Farm use probably won't work on a trip to Illinois! Jory, I dont know what that means to be honest. It's the factory wiring on a 2017 gator 82"×12' tandem 3500lb braking axels. Everything works fine brakes included, until I turn the headlights on, then the brakes are on full time. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk __________________ 2000 Dodge ext cab short bed, 6spd.

06-07-2019, 01:27 PM	#13
J-Pipes Name: J-Pipes Title: Too Much Time Status: Not Here Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Ohio Member`s Gallery Posts: 4,575	I'll post some pictures when I work on it tomorrow. So far I've only seen one ground up near the hitch, I did pull it loose already, but need to double check. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk __________________ 2000 Dodge ext cab short bed, 6spd.

06-07-2019, 07:15 PM	#16
dieselbeef Name: dieselbeef Title: dick doggin Status: Not Here Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: myakka city florida Member`s Gallery Posts: 9,860	get it hooked up while its doing the wrong weird thing anf then use some jumper cables fron the truck to the trlr to make a good grnd and see..kinda riggin but might help __________________ 02 quad cab 4x4 aluminum flatbed 63/68/14 hrvp INJ by weston 4.10 gorend/suncoast method race 01 2500 4x4 quad cab all stock/drag comp 07.5 3500 4x4 dually 4 dr 6.7 d&j extreme, fleece cheetah, gorend triple, cat filters, rip wrongway...

06-07-2019, 07:16 PM	#17
J-Pipes Name: J-Pipes Title: Too Much Time Status: Not Here Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Ohio Member`s Gallery Posts: 4,575	Not a bad idea! Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk __________________ 2000 Dodge ext cab short bed, 6spd.

06-08-2019, 11:03 AM	#18
J-Pipes Name: J-Pipes Title: Too Much Time Status: Not Here Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Ohio Member`s Gallery Posts: 4,575	Here's a picture of the cord coming into the junction box. I think it's in the cord itself, it has a pinched spot in it, I can remember it getting pinched, but not when it happened. I have another cord I'm going to swap it out with. I was checking continuity of the pins of the trailer plug, almost all of them ding together, to were as my gooseneck does not. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk __________________ 2000 Dodge ext cab short bed, 6spd.

06-10-2019, 08:26 PM	#19
J-Pipes Name: J-Pipes Title: Too Much Time Status: Not Here Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Ohio Member`s Gallery Posts: 4,575	Well, got this figured out yesterday. It had shorted out at the right taillight. Had to cut out a fair chunk of melted wires, but got it all back together and woking good on my truck. Also took a few to get my wifes Murano figured out, it is a ground issue. I'm using an adapter to go from the 7 pin trailer to the 4 pin in her car. The adapter harness I have has an extra ground wire, that needs a mating end made and attached to the frame of the car. The ground wire of the cars harness does nothing, even if I put it directly to the wire of the adapter. But if I wedge the adapter wire into the receiver it works. Just need to make a permanent setup for that. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk __________________ 2000 Dodge ext cab short bed, 6spd.

06-11-2019, 06:40 AM	#20
4x4dually Name: 4x4dually Title: Moderator Status: Not Here Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Stillwater, OK Member`s Gallery Posts: 31,811	Good deal. What caused the short? Wire wrapped around a sharp edge on the steel?