7-Way Adapter Wire Connection Pin Locations on 2009 Chrysler Aspen

Question:

I have a 2009 Chrysler Aspen that has both the straight 4 pin trailer connector and the 7 pin connector with the blade connections. The person I bought it from wired it to the 4 pin connector which worked fine but I went ahead and changed it out to the 7 pin connector because I needed the 12v connection for a deep cycle battery. This is a popup camper trailer by the way. Heres the problem. My trailers tailights will not work on the running light pin but only on the 12v hot pin. Going to buy a circuit tester to check that running light pin to see if there is any power going to it. Seems like there is not. Which is weird being that the truck is brand new. But heres the strange thing. When the running lights on the trailer do not work on the correct running light pin, nothing works. No brake lights or directional lights work on the trailer either. Is this normal? Seems as if the whole trailer has no power going to it if there is no power running to the trailers tailights wire. But when I connect the trailers tailight wire to the hot pin everything works correctly again. But of course the trailers tailights dont go off even with the key out of the ignition because its on the hot pin. I have to unplug the connector out of the truck to get the trailers lights to go off. This is of course, no good. Any help would be very much appreciated.

asked by: Chris W

Expert Reply:

It definitely sounds to me like you have the connections in the 7-way connector on your vehicle connected to the wrong circuits. From your explanation I believe you may have the ground wire connected to the circuit that you are calling the taillight circuit. Use a circuit tester, item # PTW2993 if you need one, and the wiring diagram (see link) for the 7-way connector car end and you should be able to get the wiring connected properly. When looking at the wiring diagram remember that you are looking at the connections inside the 7-way connector not from the outside.

It sounds as if the trailer lighting is wired properly so you should be good once you get the vehicle wired properly. You also need to be sure that the wire you have connected to the 12-volt power supply is not connected to the power wire going to your trailer wiring converter (small black box with 4-pole connector coming out of it) or you will draw too many amps for the system.

expert reply by: Robert G