Adding LED Trailer Light Bar to Cargo Trailer Troubleshooting

Question:

I have standard/Non-LED lights on my 5x8 trailer. It already has a 3-bar running light at the bottom rear. I want to add two additional bar lights to the top rear of the tailgate so I can see the tailgate at night if backing. I tried running them off of the same brown wire running to the existing 3-bar light, but the new lights do not turn on. Again, I am trying to connect non-LED lights to non-LED lights. These are running off of a flat 4-pin set up. Help?

asked by: Tim E

Expert Reply:

If the lights have voltage ran to them from the running lights all you'd need to get them to turn on would be a ground wire. It shouldn't matter that the old lights are incandescent and the new are LED. But you might test to make sure that the circuit is active with a circuit tester like part # PTW2993.

If the lights are a ramp the issue could pretty easily be that you are trying to ground them to the metal of the ramp and the connection to the frame of the trailer isn't solid enough.

I attached a help article on troubleshooting trailer wiring for you to check out as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C