Availability of a Non-Powered Taillight Converter for 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser

Question:

Do you have a standard 4-pole wiring harness for a 2001 PT Cruiser? My small utility trailer has LED lights and I am switching the car rear lights over to LED too. I am trying to get away from using a powered Curt unit because I had one fail and it left us high and dry with a dead battery. Thanks for any help you might offer

asked by: Tom G

Expert Reply:

For a plug and play option, a powered taillight converter like the Curt # C55532 or the Tow Ready # 118462 are the only choices available.

If you wanted to do a hardwired application where the inputs for the converter would tap directly into the taillight circuits, I'd recommend the # C55532 from Curt. This converter would not have a connection to the vehicle's battery, but the fact that it draws power directly from the PT Cruiser's taillight circuits means that it won't offer the circuit protection that a powered converter would. A powered converter can isolate the vehicle wiring from short circuits that occur in the trailer wiring.

Since your previous converter failed, I'd closely check the trailer wiring for evidence of short circuits. Look for pinched wires, loose connections, or cracked or worn wire insulation that allowed the wire to short out on the trailer frame. If you replace the converter and plug in the trailer without repairing the short in the trailer wiring, you'll keep shorting out converters.

expert reply by: Mike L