Hopkins Tail Light Converter with 4-Way Flat Trailer Connector
(45 reviews)
Price: $33.97
Hopkins Tail Light Converter with 4-Way Flat Trailer Connector
Retail:$58.18
Our Price: $33.97
You Save: 42%
Will this fit?
To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
Thank you! Your comment has been submitted successfully. You should be able to view your question/comment here within a few days.
Error submitting comment. Please try again momentarily.
Need help with installation?
Locate installers near me- All Info
- Reviews (45)
- Q & A (0)
- Photos
Hopkins Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring
- Universal Fit
- Trailer Hitch Wiring
- 4 Flat
- Converter
- Hopkins
- 6 Feet Long
Great for cars and trailers with either LED or incandescent bulbs, this tail light converter has a 72" 4-way flat harness. Designed for vehicles that have amber turn signals. Installation hardware sold separately.
Features:
- Provides a 4-way flat trailer connector at the back of your vehicle to power your trailer's signal lights
- Compatible with 5-pole, 6-pole, and 7-pole adapters (sold separately)
- Ensures your vehicle's wiring matches that of your trailer
- Designed with safety in mind
- Guards against electrical shorts and mis-wire situations
- Splices into your vehicle's wiring
- Color-coded and labeled wires ease installation
- Wire connectors sold separately
- Resists damage from dust and humidity
- Includes durable, molded-rubber, female output socket with protective dust cover
Specs:
- Application:
- Vehicles with 3-wire electrical systems
- Trailers and vehicles with LED or incandescent lights
- 4-Way harness length: 72"
- Ground wire length: 36"
- Splice-in wire length:
- Brown, red, yellow: 12"
- Green: 71"
- Max amperage:
- Turn lights and brake lights: 2.1 amps per circuit
- Tail lights: 2.1 amps per circuit
- Wire gauge: 14
- 90-Day limited warranty
Do I Need a Tail Light Converter?
Some vehicles operate on a 3-wire system, wherein the brake signal and the turn signals run on separate wires to illuminate different lights. (Typically, these vehicles have amber turn signals.) But most trailers run on a 2-wire system, which means the brake and turn signals travel along a single wire. You'll notice that, on your trailer, the brake light will flash for the turn signals.
If your vehicle operates on a 3-wire system, it will need to be converted so it will be compatible with the wiring system of your trailer. This is where a tail light converter comes into play. This converter lets you combine the brake and turn signal functions of your vehicle so they run on a single wire to properly activate your trailer's tail lights.
If you have LED tail lights on your vehicle and incandescent lights on your trailer, you'll need some voltage regulation to make sure that your trailer lights get the power they need to activate. This converter will do just that. LED lights are more energy-efficient and require less power than incandescent lights, so the converter will adjust the power accordingly, ensuring that your trailer lights will activate no matter what type of bulbs your vehicle has - or your trailer, for that matter.
Converter Wiring Configuration
| Wire Color | Wire Function |
|---|---|
| Green | Right turn |
| Brown | Tail lights and parking lights |
| Red | Brakes |
| White | Ground |
| Yellow | Left turn |
Tail Light Converter Installation
To begin the installation, use a circuit tester (sold separately) to double-check the function of each wire on your vehicle's tail light wiring harness. The color/function of the splice-in wires on this converter may not match the color/function of those on your vehicle, so you'll want to be sure to check all of the wire functions first. Once you've figured out the functions of your vehicle's wiring, use quick-splice or butt connectors (sold separately) to connect the corresponding wires on the trailer connector.
Using double-sided tape (sold separately), stick the converter box to a flat surface inside your vehicle near the tail lights. It's helpful to clean the surface first so the tape can adhere fully.
Find a raw, unpainted metal surface to use as a grounding point and secure the white ground wire using a self-tapping screw (sold separately). Cleaning the surface before securing the white wire will ensure the converter is fully grounded. Finally, secure the converter wires to your vehicle using included cable ties.
Quick Tips:
- Butt connectors - especially heat-shrink ones - provide the most secure, longest-lasting connection, so we'd recommend you grab a few for this installation.
- Use a circuit tester on the plug terminals once the harness is installed to make sure everything's working. There's nothing worse than figuring out that you have a bad ground or a faulty connection right before you're about to hit the road.
- Be sure to put a little bit of dielectric grease on the 4-way plug to protect the terminals from dirt, grime, and corrosion.
48895 Hopkins Vehicle Wiring Harness with Vehicle End 4-Pole Connector and Tail Light Converter - 6' Long
Item # HM48895
Installation Details
Alternate Instructions
This Product Fits The Following Vehicles
- 1996 - 2003 Ford Taurus Wagon
California residents: click here
Customer Satisfaction Score:
89% were satisfied with this product
11% of customers were not satisfied
- Wrong item was ordered
Customer Reviews
Hopkins Tail Light Converter with 4-Way Flat Trailer Connector - HM48895
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (45 Customer Reviews)
Great for cars and trailers with either LED or incandescent bulbs, this tail light converter has a 72" 4-way flat harness. Designed for vehicles that have amber turn signals. Installation hardware sold separately.by: Dwayne 04/24/2024
Fast shipping.Excellent service.
by: George K.05/06/2014
Honda
Ordered the HM48895 trailer light converter for my Honda Sabre motorcycle. It was an easy install and works like advertised. Great product. Fast shipping.
by: Jeremy04/17/2018
2017 Nissan Leaf
Used this on my 2017 Nissan Leaf. The wires were just long enough, and I used Posi-taps to connect them. The recommended product for my car doesn't require tapping into the car's wires, but requires running a hot wire all the way to the battery. I really didn't want to do that.
My trailer has all-LED lights. The car has LED stops and tails, so not sure this setup would work well with incandescent trailer lights.
by: Danny09/13/2020
Price is great fast ship when wireing a sand rail or dune buggy this is a great product saves time and space
by: Eric Wilson01/28/2017
Harley Davidson
Have had my Hopkins wiring adapter on my Harley for a good year now and still working perfect. Nice to know I can now hook up to any small motorcycle trailer with out trying to obtain wiring plugs from this one to that one and not pull my hair out. Great product.
by: Carl S.04/12/2017
Toyota Tacoma
I was having problems finding the right replacement 5-wire to 4--wire converter for the custom LED brake lights/turn signals on the flatbed conversion to my Tacoma pickup. I called etrailer.com's help line and described my problem to Bridget E. She knew exactly what I needed (a converter made especially for LED brakelights/turn signals), and shipped it out right away. Two days later I had it in my hands here in Hawaii. Nice! This is a high quality converter at a good price. I am pleased with both the service and the merchandise at etrailer.com. Highly recommended!
by: Mike07/18/2017
Excellent service and product was exactly as promised. Works great. Will definitely use etrailer again.
Mike
7/18/2018
It is a wiring harness for my Harley motorcycle, and it is still working great. Thank you for the follow-up.
by: Kent11/09/2016
Volkswagen
The product fooled me a bit . I thought it was from 4 wire to 5 wire , but it was 5 to 4 . Which worked out fine , on my VW Bus . The product works well and i recommend it . But make sure you don't want the 5 wires going to a 5 wire motorcycle trailer . Because the 5 wires need to connect to a European Cars 5 wire set up .
by: Glen 12/21/2021
Exactly as ordered...shipped on time
Glen
1/2/2023
Still in use...doing what it is supposed to do
by: Royce05/01/2016
Harley Davidson
This is the second one of this I have had they are great for going from a five wire to a four wire configuration. I actually put this one on a Harley Davidson.
by: Trailer light wiring harness07/30/2019
This wire harness is awesome. Well made and robust. Received shipment in a very short time and customer service support was awesome as well.
by: Ceejones07/12/2013
2011 Nissan Versa
Simple to wire and a complete solution to my trailer wiring. All I needed to add were the Scotch Locks. Wire lengths adequate to the job so no extra splices. Works with my low amp LEDs.
by: debbie s06/21/2016
This is the second time we have ordered from e-trailer. Both times the
items were received within two days. Both times the parts were
exactly as pictured or ordered. Great service! Perfect Parts!
Both parts were also hard to find parts which made the experience
even that much better. Our customer's more than appreciated being
put back in service so quickly. :)
by: Rick L.05/18/2015
2006 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic
George J. I ordered the convertor to put on my 2006 Heritage Softail Classic to pull a Harbor Freight Tagalong Trailer and it worked great and fit under the seat with no problem. Sorry no pictures. Thanks again Rick
by: Robert K05/13/2020
Great wiring harness
by: Dale05/20/2018
2008 Harley Davidson Street Glide
great product put it on 2008 harley street glide had one on from mchitch burned out cut wires matched wires works great thanks!!
by: Rod01/16/2018
Everything worked as it was supposed to. I'm ready to pull a trailer!
by: Gary b>10/16/2016
2000 Chevrolet Silverado
Worked perfectly for the application it was needed for.
by: Stephen07/23/2018
2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Good product at the right price. Great service from the company.
Stephen
7/23/2019
still working..
by: Sergio02/14/2019
Yes It does really make a difference; to pay the right price for a quality products. Thanks a lot.
by: Javier 07/19/2021
Really great product. After 1 year, it's still performing GREAT!!!!!
by: Coy H.04/20/2017
Can Am
I have two of these on my Can Am Spyders, and they work great!
by: Nick M.03/28/2018
I installed the products my self
Haven’t had any problems
Great people to work with
by: John E09/18/2020
It does everything it is supposed to do, even when it rains and snows.
by: Daniel04/12/2019
The equipment works good, I'm happy with my purchase.
25
45
Show More Reviews
See what our Experts say about this Hopkins Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring
- Tail Light Converter Causing Turn Signals to Light UpWhen installing the Hopkins Taillight Converter Kit with 4-Way Flat Connector # HM48895 you need to use a circuit tester such as # PTW2993 to identify the light functions so it is likely the wiring connections were simply mixed up somewhere along the line. Once you do identify the wire functions you can connect them with the wires on the Hopkins: - Brown: Park or Tail - Yellow: Left Turn - Green: Right Turn - Red: Brake
view full answer... - How To Wire the Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit with 4-Way Flat Connector HM48895In regards to the Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit with 4-Way Flat Connector part # HM48895, the input side is white for ground, brown for tail lights, yellow for left turn, red for brake lights, and green for right turn. The output side is white for ground, brown for tail lights, yellow for left stop/turn, and green for right stop/turn. I don't know what color wires you need to attach the input side to but all you need to do for this is test the wires on the vehicle with a circuit tester...
view full answer... - Trailer Wiring Harness for a 1980 Jeep CJ-5To add a trailer connector to your 1980 Jeep CJ-5 you can use # 18252. This is a hardwire installation. All you will need to do is identify the functions of the taillight wires on your Jeep and then splice in this harness's wires accordingly. You can use a circuit tester such as # PTW2993 to test the Jeep taillight wires for function. On the wiring harness the white wire will ground to the vehicle frame. Yellow is for combined brake light and left turn signal. Brown is for taillights,...
view full answer... - Troubleshooting Low Output Voltage on Hopkins Trailer Taillight Converter BoxIt's possible the converter has an internal short and is damaged. Or it could be possible that you have a weak ground for the converter. Most likely though the box has shorted out. They are designed to fail as a way to prevent a short in trailer wiring from making it back up to the vehicle wiring so that is what is happening. You'd want to track down the short on the trailer wiring and fix it before replacing the converter.
view full answer... - Needing a 2-3 Wire System that will Seperate the Turn Signals from Stop SignalI do have a part that will work for what you are needing, but the Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit, part # HM48895, will not take a 2 wire signals and split it into a 3 wire signal. To split your 2 signals into 3 you will want to use the Tow Ready Vehicle to Vehicle Tail Light Converter, part # 118158. This will take your combined turn and stop wires and separate them into right turn, stop, and left turn wires. Please note that this converter does not work well with LED lights. Another...
view full answer... - Trailer Wiring Harness Recommendation for a 1981 Toyota Pick Up 4x4 and LED Trailer LightsFor your 1981 Toyota Pickup you will need to first determine whether or not you have combined or separate taillight circuits. Combined taillights are ones that the blinkers and brake lights are on the same circuit. Separate means the taillights circuits are on different bulbs. Which either way you would want the Curt Circuit Protected wiring harness part # C59496. This harness can work on either taillight style, the only difference will be how you install the harness on your vehicle. The...
view full answer... - Troubleshooting No Brake Light Signal After Installing Hopkins Tail Light Converter HM48895Since you confirmed that you have brake light signal on the red wire, but are not getting brake lights there is one of two things happening. One is that the ground is not getting a good connection which causes issues when more than one function is trying to work like what you are experiencing. I would double check that the white wire is securely connected to clean, corrosion free metal. If the ground checks out then the converter may have an internal issue since you mention power is coming...
view full answer... - Trailer Wiring Recommendation for a 2003 Mazda TributeWe have several trailer wiring options that are confirmed to fit your 2003 Mazda Tribute, but the part # HM48895 that you referenced is not one of them. Instead you would want the part # 118343 if you don't have the tow package and part # C55255 if you do have it.
view full answer... - Troubleshooting Stoplight Circuit of Trailer Wiring Not FunctioningIf you have the other lighting functions of the Hopkins 4-way part # HM48895 working but not the brake lights and you have checked that the red wire of the converter is getting voltage the first thing I would try is improving the ground of the converter box. If that doesn't fix the problem it would have to be that the converter box is bad. Also make sure you you are checking the pins of the 4-way with a circuit tester like part # PTW2993 on the pins of the 4-way so that you know for sure...
view full answer... - Wiring Installation Instructions for Hopkins LED-Compatible Tail Light Converter # HM48895The trailer wiring harness you referenced, Hopkins # HM48895, is intended for vehicles that use LED taillights which draw relatively little power as compared to standard incandescent lights. I do not believe that your 1995 Ford Explorer came equipped with LED-type lighting and this harness is not among those recommended for your vehicle. The red wire on this harness does connect to the brake light circuit as you noted in the instructions. You can identify which wire at your Explorer's...
view full answer... - Installing a Trailer Wiring Harness on a 1995 Honda Del SolI wasn't able to look up your order number using the supplied email address but the correct wiring harness for your 1995 Honda Del Sol is part # 118336 for Tekonsha or part # 43105 for Hopkins. I called Tekonsha and Hopkins to confirm this. Both of these harnesses are a direct plug and play install that will not require you to cut or splice any wires. Most of the time, it is just simply a case of not being able to find the connector. Hopkins suggested that you look in the back cargo area...
view full answer... - Recommended Trailer Wiring Harness for 2015 VW EosYour 2015 VW Eos features a multiplexed wiring system with combined circuits which means a powered converter is needed to both safeguard the vehicle's delicate wiring (the factory tail light circuits on your Eos can't handle the additional amperage of trailer lights) and properly read the voltage. Since the Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit # HM48895 you referenced does not have a powered converter so it won't work for your vehicle. I instead recommend the ZCI Circuit Protected Vehicle...
view full answer... - Troubleshooting Both Turn Signals Flashing With Hopkins Tail Light Converter KitIt is pretty unlikely the converter failed if the issue is that both turn signals turn on when you engage the right turn signal. Instead the issue is almost certainly a poor ground which is causing this. I would re-check the ground connection with the Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit with 4-Way Flat Connector # HM48895 and ensure it is grounded to a clean, bare metal surface free of any type of paint or corrosion. In most cases when you have one signal turning on both, the ground connection...
view full answer... - Trailer Wiring Recommendation for Motorcycle Towing Trailer with Combined CircuitsThe issue is that you have separate tail lights on your motorcycle and combined wiring on your trailer. Separate means your brake lights are on separate bulbs as your turn signals. In order to get them to work together you are going to need to use a tail light converter to install a 4-way on your motorcycle. For that you will want the Roadmaster Brite-Lite Converter # RM-732 and 4-way like part # 18002. First you will need to cut off the 5-way on your motorcycle. Next, you will need to...
view full answer... - Can Hopkins Trailer Wiring Harness be Used to Wire LED Lights on a 2004 Dodge Ram FlatbedYes you could use Hopkins converter # HM48895 to combine the separate brake lights and turn signals on your 2004 Dodge Ram to work with LED lights that require combined brake lights and turn signals. You would have to cut the 4-Way end off and hardwire the wires to the lights but other than that it will work.
view full answer... - Parts Needed To Install 7-Way and Tekonsha Trailer Brake Controller On a 2022 Ford BroncoI recommend using the Tekonsha OEM Replacement Vehicle Wiring Harness w Brake Controller Adapter # TK55VR to install the Tekonsha Primus IQ Trailer Brake Controller # TK90160 and 7-way on your 2022 Ford Bronco. This Kit includes the Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter # 22292. The Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit # HM48895 should not be used on your Bronco as this puts the power strain on the factory wiring and does not uses a powered converter like the Tekonsha above. Also the Pollak Black...
view full answer... - What is the Right Trailer Wiring Harness for a 2000 Toyota SiennaFor a 2000 Toyota Sienna the correct trailer wiring harness is # 43475. This harness plugs in line with the tail light wiring so you will not need to splice into the vehicle wiring. I have included instructions and video links that explain a typical installation for you.
view full answer... - Is Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit with 4-Way Flat Connector # HM48895 LED Light CompatibleYes, the Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit with 4-Way Flat Connector # HM48895 is compatible with LED type lights and incandescents. It's listed on our site as LED compatible which may be misleading as it can also work with incandescent bulbs as well.
view full answer... - Will Curt Trailer Hitch # C12232 Fit 1998 Ford Taurus With Dual ExhaustCurt trailer hitch receiver # C12232 will fit the 1998 Ford Taurus sedan, both the SHO and non-SHO models, as well as the 1998 Taurus wagon. I checked the installation instructions, linked for your reference, and Curt makes no mention of any fit issues related to the dual exhaust feature. Our rep their also confirmed compatibility. The correct wiring harness depends on the vehicle version. For the SHO and non-SHO sedans use # HM40565; for the wagon use # HM48895.
view full answer... - Trailer Wiring Harness Options for a 2003 Ford WindstarHopkins tail light converter # HM48895 is a universal fit item so you can use it on your 2003 Ford Windstar. There are other, custom fit options available though. Check the build-date sticker in the door jamb of your Windstar. If it was built before November 2002 you can use # HM40615. If it was built after October 2002 then you can use # 36345.
view full answer... - How to Install Hopkins Hardwire Trailer Wiring Harness on a 2010 Dodge Grand CaravanThere are no vehicle specific instructions for wiring harness # HM48895 because it is a universal hardwire type of harness that fits many vehicles. Basically, you will use a circuit tester such as # PTW2993 to test the vehicle tail light wiring. Once you know what the wires do on the vehicle you can splice them into the harness. On this harness, the white wire is ground and attaches to a clean bare metal surface. Brown is for running lights, yellow is left turn signal, red is brake lights....
view full answer... - Converter Recommendation to Take Separate Turn Signals and Convert them to CombinedThe Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit with 4-Way Flat Connector - LED Compatible # HM48895 is designed to take separate trailer turn signal circuits and combine them so that the stop and turn signals are carried on the same wire.
view full answer... - Recommendations for Wiring Harness on 2002 Ford Windstar and TrailerWe do have a wiring harness option for you, but the Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit # HM48895 you referenced is not a compatible fit on your 2002 Ford Windstar. I would recommend the Hopkins # HM40615 that is custom-made for your vehicle. It provides a 4-pole late trailer connector to your Windstar and features quick and easy installation. I have provided links to the instructions for the proper installation of this item as well as a link to a video showing its installation on a 2002...
view full answer... - How to Connect 5-Way Connector on Can-Am Spyder RT to 4-Way Connector on Trailer for TowingIf the 5th pin on the 5-Way of your Spyder RT wiring is for the reverse light function then you can actually plug the 4-Way from your trailer directly into it and you are good to go. However, if the 5-Way has separate turn and brake light functions then what you need to do is cut it off and install the Hopkins Tail Light Converter Kit # HM48895 in its place. The wiring from the Hopkins kit needs to be connected to the following functions: White: ground wire Red: brake light Green: right...
view full answer...
Do you have a question about this Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring?
Info for this part was:
Expert Research:
Mike L
Expert Research:
Michael H
Expert Research:
Jameson C
Expert Research:
Brandon M
Expert Research:
Adam R
Expert Research:
Rachael H
Expert Research:
Jeffrey L
Written by:
Tyler C
Installed by:
Jeff D
Updated by:
Alexander C
Updated by:
Sabrina W
At etrailer.com we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time. Let us know if anything is missing or if you have any questions.
Product Experts Available Now!
Call 1-800-940-8924
Jeremy
4/17/2019
Still working well