Troubleshooting Turn Light Fuse Blowing With Cargo Trailer

Question

Question:

ive got a 7-blade connector, I randomly blow the 20a fuse for turn/hazard lights . brake controller / running lights work all the time separate fuse I assume i have a worn wire grounding somewhere in the 16 cargo trailer when i tow the other no brakes trailer using 4-pole connector, the fuse doesnt blow rather than tear the cargo trailer apart looking for the problem, could i terminate the turn/hazard lines coming out of the 7-blade and run in tandem the turn/hazard lights of the 4-pole using something like the Hopkins Item # HM38138 and a little more wire to run new lines to the lights ? i think it might be faster / easier to fix this way, if it is possible I have the Hopkins 7-Way and 4-Way Flat Trailer Connector, Item # HM40920 on the vehicle thank you very much for considering my question

asked by: David C

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Expert Reply:

If you add additional wire you're still going to be getting under the trailer to run it. I would go ahead and look under the trailer to check for a short in the wiring. Many times this can be found near the lights where the wire connects. It would also be a good idea to check out your connector. Make sure it is free from any debris and corrosion.

If you don't find anything, instead of running a separate 4-way I would run new wire from the lights to your 7-way connector. It would also be a good idea to remove the old wire to avoid any confusion if you have a problem later, then replace it with something like the # DW02412-1.

However, if you do want to add the # HM38138 that will work. This would be plugged into your # HM40920 at the same time with your 7-way. I'm not sure how much additional wire you think you will need but there is also a 6' version # HM38168.

I have attached some helpful articles on trailer wiring for your reference.

expert reply by: Robin H

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Answer 1

Normally, the green wire on the right side carries right turn signal and brake light functions and the brown wire carries running light functions. On the left side, the yellow wire carries left turn and brake lights and the brown wire again carries…

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Answer 2

The best way to connect the 4-Way to your trailer wiring is going to be to test each of those wires by applying 12V power to them. By doing this you will be able to see what each wire activates on the trailer to verify their function. Going by wire…

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Answer 3

Yes, you could wire your trailer to have backup lights by using a 5-way flat like the Hopkins Endurance Trailer Connector, #HM47910, and then use an adapter like the 7 Pole to 5 Pole Flat Wired Adapter, #A57WB, to be able to plug in to your…

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Answer 4

Since wire color codes are NOT universal, we always recommend wiring by function, rather than wire color. If you look at the Trailer Wiring FAQ article I have linked you to, you can see some diagrams showing the proper way to wire a vehicle and…

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Answer 5

If you have the Hopkins #47549 that you referred to in your question you should be able to open up the adapter and repin the two wires to swap the function. Since there are two standards of wiring a 6-way in the market they made this feature…

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Answer 6

The Lexus 300 and Nissan Pathfinder use different wiring harnesses, but if they both have 4-Way flat trailer connectors, they will be pinned the same (function the same). The 5-Way trailer side connector will have an extra function at the pin…

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Answer 7

Your typical 4-way flat to round adapter like the #ADP001 is the opposite of what you need on both ends. Although nobody makes an adapter like this, you can easily make your own. For the 4-way flat trailer end connection you can use the Hopkins…

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Answer 8

A link to the trailer wiring you are asking about is provided, just scroll down the page to select the connector you have on your vehicle and trailer. The wires on the 5 pole flat are as follows White/ground, Brown/taillights, Yellow/left turn and…

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Answer 9

The Hopkins Adapter 7-Pole to 6-Pole #47549 plugs into a vehicle side 7-way socket and converts that connector format to a 6-way round-pin type. If you think you will need some length for your connection, #HM47083 is an alternative that does the same…

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Answer 10

Yes you would be able to use your current trailer wiring configuration with a standard 4-way that only has 4 wires like the #HM38138 that you referenced. Basically the yellow brown and the green brown wire would wire directly to the single brown wire…

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Answer 11

We have the parts you are looking for, but none of our 4-way connector harnesses use 14 gauge wiring as 4-way connectors typically use 16 gauge wire. With that said you can make your own using the Deka Jacketed 4-Wire - 14 Gauge #DW04923-1 which is…

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Answer 12

Typically 4-way wiring consists of 18 and 16 gauge wires. For a 4-way that has all 16 gauge wire you would want the Wesbar 4-Pole Flat Connector #W787264. The part #HM38138 uses 18 gauge for all wires but the white that uses 16 gauge.

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