Troubleshooting Wiring with Hopkins Plug on 1997 Chevrolet C/K Series

Question:

plz help me figure out how to redo my wiring mess. last year i bought part # HM40975-11998 from etrailer and i must have messed up somewhere. my truck is a 1997 chevy c1500 ext cab. my problem may be on the trailer end but i'm pretty sure it's on the vehicle side.

asked by: Charles W

Expert Reply:

The Hopkins 7-pole and 4-pole part # HM40975-11998 does use an untraditional wiring color configuration. I have attached a wiring configuration color chart specific to the Hopkins plug you purchased. If you have the wires attached to the correct functions, then you can use a circuit tester part # PTW2993 to test the pins on the 7-way plug. Have someone sit in the truck and run the functions and see if you have 12v or close to it at the corresponding pins. You should not have any power at the ground pin. I have also attached a photo showing the pin configuration of a 7-way.

Check the ground connections on the vehicle and trailer side. A lot of wiring malfunction issues are caused by a bad ground connection. Make sure all of your ground connections are grounded to a clean bare metal surface and are free of debris or corrosion.

If you have power at the pins of the 7-way, then the problem is probably the trailer side. Check the trailer connections to make sure they are seated properly and free of debris or corrosion.

Please let me know if you check the wiring configuration and ground connections on the trailer and vehicle side and are still having problems. It does help to have a little more information like exactly what is happening. For example: Are the lights blinking intermittently?

expert reply by: Heather A