Troubleshooting Aluminum Snowmobile Trailer Where Lights Stop Working When Brake Applied

Question:

I have an aluminum snowmobile trailer that pivots. all of the lights work with the running lights on and when the brakes are applied, the lights go out completely. The lights stay on and work for both the right and left blinker. I pulled the lights out and each light has a ground wire that comes out of it does not ground to trailer since it is aluminum. Is this a ground issue with the lights going out? does the trailer ground through the tongue? Any suggestions on problem shooting this issue?

asked by: Patrick

Expert Reply:

For an aluminum trailer with a pivot like yours you will need to run individual ground wires for each light back to the main ground wire of the trailer connector. For an aluminum trailer the ground wire does not typically run to the frame since aluminum doesn't conduct well.

Getting the grounds of each light run back to the connector should fix the problem as it sounds like a textbook insufficient ground scenario.

expert reply by: Jameson C