Does White Wire On 4-Way to 7-Way Adapter Need to be Grounded

Question:

I have a 2014 Jeep Wrangler with a 4 way pin connector. We just bought a trailer with a 7 way blade connection. We purchased a 4 way to a 7 way adapter, and after connecting them, nothing works. The adapter came with several wires including a ground wire. Do I need to connect the ground wire to my Jeeps frame in order for the adapter to work? Or, do I need a different adapter? Thanks,

asked by: Jeff

Expert Reply:

When connecting a 4-Pole to 7-Pole Adapter like # 37185 to the existing 4-Way on your Jeep, you will indeed need to connect the white ground wire to the vehicle's frame. Make sure the attachment location is clean and free of any debris or corrosion.

If you are just needing to power the trailer's basic signal lights, then the remaining wires coming from the adapter can simply be tied off as they are not needed. If the trailer happens to be equipped with electric brakes that need to be powered also, these additional wires will need to be connected. To do this, I recommend adding the Wiring Kit # 5506, which includes duplex wire, ring terminals, and the necessary circuit breakers for connecting to the battery.

If the trailer has electric brakes, you will also need to install a brake controller on your Jeep. For this, I highly recommend the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 # 90195. This is an excellent, proportional controller that will activate the trailer brakes at the same time and with the same intensity that you apply to them in your Jeep.

expert reply by: Chris R