Troubleshooting LED Trailer Lights that Flicker When Vehicle is Off

Question

Question:

When my tow vehicle ignition and lights are all off, the LED taillights on my trailer still flash randomly. Why does this happen and what can I do about it?

asked by: Byron

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

What you are experiencing is due to the fact that LED taillights only require a very small amount of amperage to illuminate. A tiny amount can cause them to illuminate. Trailer wring for the most part goes totally dead when the vehicle is off. But there can be small amounts of voltage that would normally not get noticed if the trailer had incandescent bulbs.

It really isn't a problem unless it bothers you. The flickering wouldn't be enough to drain your battery. But if you want it to stop you could just unplug the vehicle's trailer wiring connector.

expert reply by: Jameson C

1

Answer 1

Hey Kris, thanks for reaching out! You'll already have a good idea of how to adjust the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 #90195, but it would be good to do a bit of a test run once your trailer is loaded just to make sure the brakes are operating safely and…

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Answer 2

It sounds as though there is a short or something is mis-wired. Using a circuit tester, like the #PTW2993, check the connection points in the vehicle side connector, to see if there is constant power on the running light circuit (brown wire on the…

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Answer 3

There should be five wires on your trailer side connector, a white wire which is for a ground, the yellow/brown and green/brown are for the running lights, a green wire for the right turn/stop light, and a yellow wire for the left turn/stop light…

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Answer 4

Start by testing the 7-way on your truck, because the only pin that should be lighting up when you apply the manual override is the pin in the 5 o'clock position, which is the brake controller output wire; there should not be power to the running…

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Answer 5

I suspect your problem is caused by a damaged or corroded trailer connector. Take a look at your trailer connectors, both the socket on your truck as well as the plug on the trailer. Look for green or white corrosion on the pins or sockets of the…

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Answer 6

If the side marker lights on your trailer are flicking when the tow vehicle is off then you most likely have a short on the running light wire on your trailer. This is usually a brown wire that runs from each tail light and side marker light up to…

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Answer 7

Are you using the manual override to test this? If so, then it would not be normal to see such low voltage. If you are testing with someone just pressing the brake it would be normal for the Prodigy P3 #90195 to show low voltage since it's a…

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Answer 8

Yes. High-efficiency LED type trailer lighting pulls much lower current than standard incandescent lights. This can cause odd behavior from the wiring harness but there's a simple solution to this issue. You can install a load resistor at each…

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Answer 9

The flicker you are referring to with LED bulbs is known as hyper flashing. This occurs because the LED bulbs require so much less power than incandescent bulbs. So when your lights are on, the power to the bulbs is reduced due to the draw on the…

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Answer 10

I recommend the T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector #118754 as an option besides the adapter you referenced to provide a standard 4-Flat. This harness is custom designed to fit your vehicle without splicing the factory…

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Answer 11

When replacing trailer leaf springs we strongly recommend you replace them in pairs. I would urge you to get a set of matching properly rated springs for your trailer as soon as possible. If you look on the frame of your trailer there should be a…

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Answer 12

Yes, the Curt 7-Way Trailer Adapter for Towing Trailers with LED Lights item #C57003 will solve your flickering problem. This adapter plugs into your existing 7-way when towing a trailer equipped with LED lights so that your vehicle's computer…

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Troubleshooting LED Trailer Lights that Flicker When Vehicle is Off

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