Troubleshooting Trailer Lights with Dim Turn Signals with Running Lights On

Question:

running lights work fine both turn lights work finebut when i turn on running lights and a turn light the running lights blink very dimly. i re wired the trailer with separte wires of white-brown-yellow to left and white-brown-green to right

asked by: Arden S

Expert Reply:

Sounds like you are having a ground issue.

First thing I recommend doing is to make sure all of the ground connections are good and mounted on a clean metal surface. There will be a ground connection coming from the trailer connector to somewhere on the trailer tongue and each of your trailer lights should have a ground connection through either a ground wire ran to the trailer frame or grounded through a mounting stud on the light assembly. Try to remove all rust and corrosion as possible or relocate the ground locations to a bare metal surface.

If the issue persists after you have checked all of the ground connections, then you will want to check for cut, pinched or damaged wires. You could also use a circuit tester, # PTW2993, and test the wires at different sections of the trailer to see if you can locate where the signal drops. I would also recommend checking the inside of the trailer connector for any corrosion.

If you continue to have issues, let me know I'd be happy to help you further.

expert reply by: Jackie C