Left Turn Signal and Brake Lights Do Not Work On Trailer or 4-Way on 2006 Honda Ridgeline

Question

Question:

About 4 yrs ago I installed a hidden hitch and wiring harness #118400 on a 2006 Honda ridgeline. It has worked fine until about a month ago. The Lt signal/brake light are not activating and I have tried it on 3 different trailers with the same result. I believe I have traced the problem back to the black module. I have power in those lights wires to the box, but nothing from the box to the trailer connector on the Lt brake/signal wire. Is there a way to by-pass the module or do i just need to replace the entire harness? Is it common for these to fail or short out?

asked by: John S

0

Expert Reply:

You have done all of the correct testing and it does indicate that the converter in harness # 118400 has gone bad and needs to be replaced. There could be any number of reasons for a converter to go bad. It could be a short on the trailer that blew the box, protecting the vehicle wiring like it was designed.

Check the trailer to make sure the grounds are all attached to clean bare metal surfaces. Also make sure that the trailer and vehicle side connectors are free of dirt and corrosion. Check the wiring for any bare wires that might be touching metal.

Four years is a pretty good run for an aftermarket trailer wiring harness on a vehicle without a tow package. There are a lot of things that can negatively impact these types of harnesses like the weather, overloads, and dirty connectors.

Your vehicle has a 3-wire system with separate turn signals and brake lights where as the trailer uses a 2-wire system with combined brake and turn signals. The converter is needed to convert the 3-wire signal to a 2-wire signal so you cannot bypass it.

expert reply by: Michael H

0

Dan T.

4/20/2020

Where is the convertor box usually located on a 2006 Honda Ridgeline?

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Chris R.

4/22/2020

If your Ridgeline is equipped with a factory trailer harness, from what I could find it looks like the converter is mounted behind the left side of the dash inside the cab. I might try and verify this with a local Honda dealer though if you have trouble locating it.

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Bob W.

3/29/2020

I installed your trailer wiring kit for my 2006 Honda Ridgeline several years ago, worked flawless until recently. The trailer lights work, but the brake and turn signals stopped working. I verified the trailer wiring, all appears to be OK. Any ideas, could the converter box be bad. Is there a troubleshooting guide for the converter box?

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Chris R.

3/30/2020

It does sound like you could have a bad converter box. You can test this pretty easily by checking for power on the brake/turn signal wires going INTO the box and testing for power AFTER the box to see if it disappears. If this is the case a new converter would be in order. Otherwise check to make sure the main ground wire is still securely attached to clean, bare metal. A weak ground might cause this type of issue as well.

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Answer 1

What you will want to do is test the wires going into the box of the converter box for voltage with a circuit tester like the #PTW2993 to see if there is voltage going into the box when the taillight functions of your vehicle are applied, and then…

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Answer 2

If your 2008 Honda Ridgeline came with a factory installed 7-Way trailer connector it is possible that #HM40975 will fit. You need to look at the wiring harness that plugs into the back of the factory 7-Way. If it looks the same as the back of…

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Answer 3

The first place that I recommend starting is the battery inside your 2007 Honda Ridgeline. You will need to test the battery voltage with a Multimeter #PT89ZR. Be sure to test the battery in the same condition that you tested the lighting circuits on…

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Answer 4

The difference between the Class II and Class III hitches has to do with their Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), their Tongue Weight (TW), and their Hitch Receiver Size. Class II trailer hitch receivers have a 1-1/4 inch receiver and can be rated up to…

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Answer 5

A 4-Way trailer connector has the basic lighting functions only; running lights, left turn signal and brake lights, right turn signal and brake lights, and ground. A 7-Way has these functions and a 12 volt circuit, a circuit for electric trailer…

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Answer 6

In order to determine the torque rating for the lug nuts on your trailer you will need to know check out the chart I attached that shows all of the torque specs for all the trailer lugs available based on stud size, wheel material and wheel size.

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Answer 7

The OEM prep package consists of 4 "pucks" in the bed of the truck that will allow you to drop in puck style hitches for easy installation and removal, that gives you a completely clear bed when not in use. The B&W Companion OEM 5th…

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Answer 8

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two options.…

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Answer 9

Lance does have a proprietary plug, but many customers see a standard 6-way or 7-way round and notice it doesn't fit their factory 7-way as well. I've attached an article to help if you have one of the 7-way or 6-way round connectors which we…

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Answer 10

I did some checking and the hub/drum we offer that will work for you is the part #8-430-5UC3. This uses the same bearings as the 8-415 and will be an exact fit aside from the fact this is a non-ABS setup and the 8-415 came in an ABS setup and non-ABS…

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Answer 11

To replace your NOK AD2527E seal you can use #168233. It has an inner diameter of 1.688 inches and an outer diameter of 2.332 inches. Based on what I could find on the NOK AD2527E the inner diameter is the same and the outer diameter is 2.328 inches.…

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Answer 12

If you just need a 4-pin to 7-pin trailer wiring adapter, then you can use part #C57672. This will plug into the 4-pin trailer connector on your brother's vehicle and give him the 7-pin socket for the trailer. Keep in mind, this will only give…

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