Troubleshooting Intermittent Wiring Issues  

Question:

Expert Reply:

It sounds like you may have a problem with corrosion or damage with your connector on the back of your vehicle, or on your trailer. If you have the Twist-in 7-Pole RV-Style Trailer Connector, part # PK11916, on the back of your vehicle, the vehicle wiring harness that plugs into the back of the connector may not be seated fully, and causing the issues you are having.

I would recommend disconnecting the wire harness from the back of the connector and checking to make certain there is no corrosion or any visible signs of damage. You will then want to test the functions of the connector with a tester like part # PTW2993.

If that does not take care of the problem, the next step I would take is to check all of the ground connections for the vehicle side trailer connector, the trailer side connector, and each of the trailer lights, including the marker lights and the license plate light. The ground wires should be attached to a clean, bare metal surface on the vehicle or trailer frame.

If you have a tilt trailer or an aluminum frame trailer, I recommend running the ground wires for the lights to the main trailer ground if possible. The hinges on tilt trailers and aluminum frames can cause ground issues. Some lights will ground through the mounting studs, so you may want to verify how the lights are grounded as well.

I have attached a link to an article that helps explain trailer wiring.

expert reply by: Jeffrey L

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