Troubleshooting Trailer Lights After Installing Wiring in 2006 Nissan Xterra
Question:
Installed harness per instructions and tested all pins on the 4 way harness all work correctly but when connected to boat trailer the blinkers and brakes lights do not work but does work when I hook up to second boat trailer. All wires run same on both boats? Can you help?
asked by: David C
Expert Reply:
Thank you for your recent purchase from etrailer and for detailing your troubleshooting efforts with your wiring harness kit # C56225.
Since you have applied a circuit tester to the 4-pole harness and confirmed that it has the correct output, and that it works fine with a second trailer, odds are that your issue is within the wiring on the first trailer.
It is possible for corrosion to build up inside the connectors or on their contact surfaces. Even slight greenish or whitish discoloration can indicate corrosion that is bad enough to cause signal interruption. Carefully inspect the trailer connector and also the wiring from the connector all the way back to the light assemblies. Look for worn or cracked insulation, especially at points where the wires have to bend or where they may contact the trailer frame. Also make sure that the grounds for the non-functioning lights are firmly affixed to clean bare-metal spots on the trailer frame. Some lights use a wire for ground and others use the light's mounting hardware to establish the ground. In either case you need to ensure a good ground connection to the trailer frame.
You can also test the trailer lights directly by bypassing the harness completely and applying 12V power from your vehicle battery or from a spare 12V battery if you have one around. Connect the ground wire from that battery to the ground on the trailer connector and then one by one apply the positive wire from the battery to each one of the circuit on the trailer. If they still fail to operate then you know there is a wiring issue on the trailer. Repair or replace any damaged trailer wiring.
You can also refer to the linked troubleshooting article.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Curt T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector
- Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring
- Trailer Hitch Wiring
- No Converter
- Custom Fit
- 4 Flat
- CURT
more information >
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