Trailer Lighting is Getting Power But Lights are Not Working When Connected to 2008 Chevy Silverado

Question:

I have power in the trailer plug - power in the wires to the lights but the lights wont light - hook the towing lights to a different truck work fine - at first when plugged it into the 08 Silverado they came on then just stopped - literally has power to the lights in the wires but just doesnt light the lights - any ideas ?

asked by: Jason

Expert Reply:

If you are getting power to the connector on your 2008 Chevrolet Silverado and you have tested and found that there is power on the wires that go to the lights themselves, then it sounds like you have a short somewhere - most likely near the lights. You can verify this by using an alternate power source, like the battery from your Chevy, and test the different functions on your trailer connector. You can also check the connector on both your Chevy and your trailer to make sure there is no debris or corrosion that might be causing an issue.

If you have power in the wires but it is not lighting up the lights then you will want to check the grounds for each of the lights, check the connections to make sure there are no places with damaged, corroded, exposed, or bent wires, and also check the light bulbs themselves. You could even try applying the 12V power to the lights themselves to make sure they are operating properly.

If all of your wiring looks good and everything works good separately then you will want to take your setup to a shop so that they can physically inspect the wiring.

expert reply by: Jon G