Troubleshooting Intermittent Running Lights On a 2007 Equispirit Horse Trailer

Question:

I have a 2009 Silverado and a 2007 Equispirit horse trailer. The running lights dont come on or come on sporadically and at times the turn signals are sporadic as well. Can you advise please?

asked by: Shirley W

Expert Reply:

It sounds like you might have a bad ground somewhere. There are several locations to check. I would start at the coupler and work my way back checking each ground to be sure they are securely connected to clean, paint, rust and corrosion free surfaces.

Horse trailers have a lot of aluminum cladding on them so many of the lights are grounded through separate ground wires. Check each lights ground whether it is grounded through its mounting hardware or a separate ground wire.

If all of the ground wires are connected properly to the tail light circuits then you will need to check the wiring itself and the trailer connectors. Start by checking the vehicle and trailer connectors for corrosion. If corrosion is found in the connectors it will need to be cleaned out or the connector will need to be replaced. Sometimes this corrosion causes a short across the wires inside the connector it is found in. Then, check the wiring itself for cut pinched frayed or otherwise faulty spots. Suspect areas are where the wires contact any metal surface or where the wiring enters the trailer.

expert reply by: Robert G