Thanks for reaching out, Lisa!
Trailer wiring can be a bit confusing at times but the best piece of advice I can give is for you to ditch the colors of the wiring and focus more on what circuits they are connected to.
For example, the Hopkins 7-Way RV Style Connector with Molded Cable # H20046 uses the following functions for the following wires on the harness:
White Wire - Ground
Red Wire - Left Turn and Brake
Brown Wire - Right Turn and Brake
Green Wire - Tail Lights
Blue Wire - Brake... view full answer...
Bill, since trailer manufacturers use whatever wire they have available, it'd be best to use a circuit tester like the Hook Probe Circuit Tester # PTW2993 to test the functions of the trailer wire. That way when you go to hook up your new trailer light you'll know what wires do what. view full answer...
That is definitely a strange problem you are having Brad. Especially with the right turn signal working but the brake light is not since they both are powered off the same wire. I would start by checking your ground connections both at the lights and the ground from the trailer to the vehicle. You can try using a loose piece of jumper wire from the trailer lights to the vehicle to see if that helps to resolve the issues you are having. If that fixes it you know there is an issue with the... view full answer...
The best thing you can do is trace the wires or test them for their functions. Trailer manufacturers are not required to only use specific colors for their wiring so they can literally do whatever they want. Once you have traced you can label your wiring so that you can wire it to a particular connector. Also depending on the quality of the wiring on the trailer you might consider replacing it all completely. A harness like the 4-Way # A25W2GWB has full length ground wires but the wires... view full answer...
Hey Eric, with that much voltage drop the issue is that the wire length added way too much resistance. The only solution is heavier gauge wire everywhere most likely. I would think that 8 gauge wire would be pretty close if wired everywhere but you might be looking at needing 6 gauge since there's just so much wire. You also need to make sure the ground wires are of an equal gauge too. view full answer...
Hey Randy,
When it comes to trailer wiring there unfortunately isn't a standard color coding that manufacturers have to follow so you'll have to do a bit of investigating to determine the function of the wires on the trailer lights, unless you still have the wire diagram for the lights. White wires will more often than not be your ground, Brown wires are typically running lights, yellow and green are usually your stop/turn light function. If you have a 12v battery laying around you can... view full answer...
The black wire is usually the 12v power wire that typically goes in the 11 o'clock position on the trailer side 7-way connector as you are looking directly at the front of it. It'll keep your battery charged, run an electric jack, or something along those lines. Not the end of the world if you don't have anything to run it to. Now the red wire is going to do something with your left side trailer lights if you are wiring your 7-way in a standard configuration so it's pretty important.
I... view full answer...
Hey Mark,
What gauge wire did you use to run from the junction box to the brake assemblies? If you didn't use at least 10AWG wire # 10-1-1 that could explain the heat build up and voltage drop. I don't recommend leaving the manual override clamped for long periods of time. I recommend reconnecting your brake assemblies, activating the manual override, and then then testing both wires coming from the brake magnets to see if there's voltage on both wires. Only one should have voltage and... view full answer...
Since these "trim" lights turn on with your brakes I'm assuming they also flash with the turn signal. Whatever wire is running to these lights is probably spliced into the left and right turn/stop circuit. All you need to do is disconnect that wire from the signal/brake wire.
I'm assuming you want them to work with the running lights so splicing them into what is typically the brown wire would do the trick. Colors aren't always true to function so it would be a good idea to test the wire... view full answer...
You could honestly have a problem on either the vehicle side or the trailer side. The best way to check is by using either a different vehicle or trailer to see if the problem duplicates. If you do not have another trailer or vehicle with a 7-way a Test Light # PTW2993 or 7-Way Tester # PK12741 can be used to verify if your vehicle wiring is correct.
Often times when you have a wiring issue like you describe it is from the tail lights being connected backwards on the trailer. You may... view full answer...
If you're using the wrong plug to connect your trailer, that might be the issue right there. If you don't have something already, you can use the Adapter 7-Pole to 6-Pole # 47549 to adapt your 6 way trailer to your 7 way truck.
If not, this type of error usually happens when there's an issue relating with the blue brake output wire that runs from the brake controller to the 7-Way connector.
Since you've already had your wiring tested and you tested a different trailer and it works,... view full answer...
I linked an faq with wiring diagrams to show the standard colors for most 7 way trailer harnesses. That said, color is not always best to go by, so you'll want to take a circuit tester # PTW2993 and test each function before wiring the harness to your trailer. If you can tell me which vehicle you have or send in a photo, I can better help you. view full answer...
Ford F-150's are an odd bunch when it comes to connecting to trailer wiring for some reason. While we haven't seen this exact issue it does not surprise me. It typically has to do with the 12 volt accessory circuit of the trailer wiring though so that would be where I would be inclined to start. If trailer has aluminum frame make sure you have a jumper wire from the ground harness back to the trailer wiring connector. view full answer...
It sounds like something isn't wired correctly or the 4-way connector is bad but you've ruled out the trailer as the source of the problem. You will want to check to make sure that the brown wire is properly connected to the running light wire at the rear of your Metris and that the white ground wire is attached to a bare metal surface that is free of dirt and corrosion. view full answer...
There's a couple of things that could be causing the Trailer Disconnected error to keep popping up on your dash. If your lights aren't working on the trailer you will want to check both the 7-way on your F-350 and the one on your trailer to make sure there isn't corrosion or frayed wires. You can use a wire tester like item # PTW2993 to make sure you're getting power to the circuits.
If the lights on your trailer are functioning correctly then it is most likely the blue brake controller... view full answer...
Hey Kevin, typically this issue is a dirty trailer wiring pin. I know you tried checking fuses and relays but you should also try sanding the pins of the 7-way to clean them off so that they can make better contact. view full answer...
Hey Lawrence,
The black wire on the Optronics LED Trailer License Plate Light # LPL81C1B is going to be your 12v power and the white wire will be the ground. You can either cut the plug off and hardwire the light or use a connector like the # GP-1 or # 142-49 to connect your light to power/ground. view full answer...
Hello Cole. The issue you are describing sounds a lot like an issue with the trailers wiring. Most likely either a bad ground or a short circuit. A bad ground can cause all sorts of issues, and it would certainly explain why problems only arise when the trailer is hooked up.
The first thing I suggest doing is checking your ground on the trailer and make sure it is connected to good clean metal free of rust or corrosion. Taking some sandpaper to the frame and using a new ring terminal... view full answer...
Hey Bill thanks for your question. Like you said there are several things that can cause an intermittent trailer disconnected message. The most common cause is a rusty or corroded trailer connector. Go ahead and inspect the trailers 7-way plug. If there is noticeable rust or corrosion it will need to be replaced with something like the 7-Way Round RV Style Trailer Connector # A7WCB. I suggest using a bit of Dielectric Grease # 11755 on the trailer plug and the vehicles 7-way.
It is ok... view full answer...
Are you getting any errors related to the brakes? It looks like the 2019 Silverado 3500 detects the trailer through the running light circuit so it may not be brake related. I would start by double checking the vehicle and trailer connectors for damage or corrosions. I would also check all of your ground connections and make sure there is no damaged wiring on the trailer.
If it also gives you brake related errors it could be brakes themselves or the brake controller. The P3 # 90195 can... view full answer...
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