Trailer Lights Not Working on a Camper Towed by a 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette
Question:
I own a 02 Silhouette with the hydraulic suspension/tow package. I bought and installed the tow ready converter to 4 pole according to the excellent video thank you very much. However, the camper I bought has a 7 pin plug so I bought part# 30717! Yes, Ive tested all the lights on it multiple times with my neighbors truck and the campers lights work. Even after frustration I took it down to uhaul to install the harness and those idiots made me look smart, I dont do this for a living! First I must mention that Im planning on installing a brake controller, but not at this time so I will just leave the blue wire capped off. The problems Im having can be broken down into two things I cant explain. 1 The best Ive gotten to work on the camper is just the right turn signal.No brake lights, No running lights, No left turn signal 2 I keep popping the 25 fuse in the van. Ive tried switching and interchanging various wiring combos with no resolve. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
asked by: Jeff
Expert Reply:
A fuse blowing indicates to me that there is a short. If it happens when you connect the trailer to test the lights then that would indicate a problem on the trailer side.
Lets first look at the wiring harness on the van. Make sure the ground wire is attached to a clean metal surface. Moving the ground might help. When you plug in the 4-Way to the adapter, # 30717, make sure the connection is good and tight. You must have the ground wire from the adapter also attached to the vehicle frame.
This will give you the basic light functions on the 7-Way. You already mentioned capping off the blue wire. The black wire is for 12 volt power if the trailer needs it and the yellow wire is for reverse lights if needed. If the trailer does not require either of those you can cap them off as well.
Once you have everything installed the 7-Way vehicle side connector will have the functions as indicated in the picture I have provided. These pins you can test with a circuit tester like # PTW2993 if needed to determine if they are working properly. If they are not, that would indicate an issue with the converter box on the van and it will need to be replaced.
On the trailer side, make sure the main ground is intact and attached to a clean and corrosion free bare metal surface. Do the same with the trailer lights. Most trailer lights ground through the mounting studs unless there is an obvious ground wire. Some trailers have a large number of running lights that, when on, can be too much of a draw on the vehicle wiring system causing some lights not to work and could blow fuses.
You can also trace the wiring on the trailer looking for nicks with exposed wire that may be touching the metal frame. that can cause a short as well. I have included another picture showing how the trailer side should be configured. If for some reason the trailer and vehicle sides are not matching up, that can be the cause of the problem. Look at the functions in the pictures, not the colors because those do not always match up from one trailer to the next.
Products Referenced in This Question
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Adapter 4 Pole to 7 Pole Vehicle End Trailer Connector
- Trailer Wiring
- Wiring Adapters
- Single-Function Adapter
- 0 - 5 Feet Long
- 4 Flat
- Plug and Lead
- 7 Round - Blade
- Tow Ready
more information >
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