Troubleshooting Installation of T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness 118334 in 1998 Dodge Durango  

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Expert Reply:

For troubleshooting we will work to eliminate one potential cause at a time. If you happen to have access to another tow vehicle, you can try your trailer with that other vehicle. This will tell you if the problem is in your trailer or your tow vehicle.

If further troubleshooting is needed I have linked an article and several videos on trailer wiring and how to go about testing. These explain much of what you need to do. In the article focus on the section titled Troubleshooting Trailing Wiring; that will be a good starting point. You will need a circuit tester like # PTW2979.

With a helper on hand to activate the vehicle functions (brake, turn and tail lights) one by one test each function at the vehicle 4-way connector with the trailer disconnected. The left turn signal should be carried by the yellow wire; the right turn signal should be carried by the green wire; and the running/brake light signal by the brown wire. If each of these signals appears on the correct pin on the 4-way, then the problem is in your trailer. If there is no signal at the 4-way you will next need to check the converter.

Next repeat these steps on the input side wiring to the converter. If the correct signals from your vehicle appear on the input side of the converter, then the converter is bad.

It is not uncommon for a converter to be damaged by a grounding problem in the trailer. If the problem is in your trailer wiring, you need to find and correct that fault before replacing the converter since the new one can also be damaged by the problem on the trailer. A bad ground connection, a pinched wire, or one with worn insulation all could cause a short that will damage a converter.

Other possible causes for damage are excessive current draw due to too many trailer lights or moisture within the connectors; pinched or damaged trailer wires can also cause excessive current draw through the module resulting in damage. Carefully check all trailer wiring and connectors for signs of corrosion or damage. Once the fault is located and corrected you can safely install a new converter module.

expert reply by: Adam R

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