Based on what you are describing, and the fact that this happens on both your Jeep and truck, you have a bad ground connection somewhere on the trailer. Make sure all of your ground connections are secure on a clean, bare-metal surface. A bad ground is the only explanation for the bizarre behavior of your trailer lights. view full answer...
It sounds like you have a ground issue. When trailer lighting does not have a sufficient ground many different scenarios can show up, but the most prevalent is when the most amperage is applied, like tail lights on and brake pedal pressed, the lights go out. All lights must be properly grounded for proper function.
When installing the standard trailer light kit, # TL29BK, the lights are grounded through the mounting studs. You need to make sure that the mounting studs are contacting the... view full answer...
On many trailers the running light wires are jumped from one side to the other on the trailer. This is because there is a single running light wire only ran on one side. A wire would have to be spliced in on the one side, ran to the other side of the trailer, and connected to the running lights.
If using a junction box, the one running light wire from the trailer connector can go to a single terminal and from there you can run separate wires for the running lights on each side of the trailer.... view full answer...
If you are not getting power on the running light circuit at the connector on the truck then none of the running lights should be working on the trailer. Trailer's in the US use one circuit for running lights, one circuit for left turn/brake lights, and one for right turn/brake lights.
So if just the right side running light is not working then it is likely a bad ground or wiring issue somewhere on the trailer. Ground problems normally show up when there is more draw on a system such as... view full answer...
So it sounds like the flashers are tied into the running light circuit on the truck side. I am not sure it this is how it is supposed to be or if there is a wiring issue on the truck. The correct 4-Way for a 1998 GMC C/K series is # 118315. It just plugs in line with the vehicle tail light harness, see instructions link.
Applying the brakes may be causing the trailer lights to go out while the flashers are on because it is too much draw on the wiring which is causing the lights not to... view full answer...
It sounds like there may be a loose or bad ground on the trailer light. When the lights on your truck and trailer are on and you use the brakes or turn signal, the system is at its max load of amps and with a bad or weak ground, the light cannot support all the power of both the running lights and turn signal.
I would start by checking the ground connection on both lights to make sure there is contact to a clean, rust-free metal surface. Also, if you have a plastic license plate holder,... view full answer...
Since there are a lot of variable in this situation the first thing I would recommend is to try and narrow down the problem to either the truck or the trailer. In order to do this I would try hooking your Dodge Ram 2500 up to another trailer with trailer lights that are known to work and then test the tail light functions in that situation.
Or, you could hook your trailer up to a friends truck that you know has functional trailer lights and see if the trailer lights still react the same... view full answer...
This sounds like a classic ground problem. A bad or weak ground will show up when there is more load on the system. That is why when you turn the vehicle lights on, the constant draw of the trailer running lights creates more of a load and the bad ground shows up.
There are some common places to check for a bad ground. First make sure all of the trailer lights and the main trailer connector are attached to clean and corrosion free bare metal surfaces. You mentioned having side lights... view full answer...
It sounds like there is too much amperage being drawn on your trailer when the headlights are on and it is too much for the trailer so everything shuts off. This could be because of a bad ground somewhere.
First thing I would do is check the grounds on the trailer for any loose wiring and corrosion and fix as necessary. If the grounds are good you might need to convert your trailer lights to LED lights so as to minimize the draw on the trailer light circuits.
LED lights draw a fraction... view full answer...
It sounds like you could have an issue on the vehicle and trailer. If you are not getting any power to the running light pin on the vehicle side trailer connector this is usually caused by a blown fuse. I checked in the owner's manual for a 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe and it look's like the trailer running light fuse is located in the engine bay fuse box, slot #41.
In order to troubleshoot the trailer I recommend you first reground the trailer connector and then apply 12 volt power to the trailer... view full answer...
It sounds like there is a 12 volt short on your trailer. The spark you are seeing is because your trailer frame has 12 volts running through it and its grounding to the ball and sparking.
It sounds like its the running light circuit since that would most likely be the circuit that would be left on if you were hitching or unhitching a trailer. This would also explain why your tail light fuse is blowing. You should go over the running light circuit very carefully and see if there is any... view full answer...
Everything you are describing here - the turn signals going slower, some lights activating when you activate certain light functions - points to a poor ground with your truck. The fact you have used the trailer with other trucks and have not had the same problem points to the ground being an issue.
You will want to check your harness ground and need to make sure your grounds are attached to bare metal surfaces and free of any paint, dirt or corrosion. I have added links to help articles... view full answer...
Adding the additional lights might be overloading the trailer wiring on the vehicle side. Any given wiring set up is rated for a certain amount of amperage draw. If you try disconnecting the lights that do work and the other ones light up then you know this is probably the problem.
There could also be an insufficient ground at the lights that are not working or at the main trailer connector since there is now more current running through the running light circuit. Since a test light ground... view full answer...
The problem you described with your MaxxHaul 70205 12V LED Trailer Light Kit sounds like a ground issue. If the trailer connector and or the tail light grounds are not connected to a clean bare metal surface then when the headlights are turned on the extra amperage draw for the running lights will cause all sorts of lighting issues.
I would start by removing the ground wire at the trailer connector and cleaning up the connection point and re-securing it to the trailer frame. Next I would... view full answer...
It sounds as if you either have a weak ground at the first light on the left side of the trailer that is not working or you have a broken or pinched wire on the left side after the light that is working. You have effectively eliminated the vehicle and trailer connectors by observing the fact that the first running light inline on the left side of the trailer is functioning properly and that all of the other trailer lighting is working.
Start, by making sure the lights that are not working... view full answer...
Begin by testing the running light pin on your trailer connector with a circuit tester like part # PTW2993. If you get a signal on that pin when the truck headlights (not daytime running lights) are turned on, then the problem exists on the trailer, not the truck.
With the trailer plugged in and the truck headlights switched on, check the running light circuit wire on the trailer (typically a brown wire) and trace back to the running lights. Test the wire with the tester, making sure the... view full answer...
Since you have tested the 4-Way connector on your vehicle and it is working properly, it leads me to believe that the wiring of the lights is incorrect. You will want to make sure that the fuse for the running lights on the vehicle is not blown. It sounds to me like the lights you have only have two wires coming out of the back for wiring to the trailer connectors wiring. If this is the case then the red wire will connect to the yellow (left) and green (right) wires on the trailer lights.... view full answer...
On a trailer the brake lights and turn signals are on the same circuits so when the turn signals work but not the brake lights it is a little strange. There are some common things that can cause that though.
First it is possible that there is a trailer brake light fuse on the tow vehicle that is blown or missing. It could also be a stop light or CHMSL fuse. You can test the vehicle side connector without the trailer connected using a circuit tester such as # PTW2993 or a meter if you... view full answer...
There are a few different things that could be causing your problem. The fact that some lights are LED and some lights are incandescent should have no effect on their functionality.
The first step I would take is to use a circuit tester, like part # PTW2993, and test the trailer connector on your tow vehicle. With the running lights on, test each pin in your trailer connector for power. If you do not have power for the taillights at the vehicle side trailer connector, then you most likely... view full answer...
Use your circuit tester to test the wiring directly at the back of the lights. If the power is not getting to that point then there is a wiring issue that you will need to track down and repair. If power is getting to the light and the light is not coming on then the issue is either a weak or bad ground or there is something wrong with the light.
The ground needs to be attached to a clean and corrosion free bare metal surface. Try moving the ground to a different location or run a jumper... view full answer...
Go To Results