Troubleshooting Trailer Wiring that Only the Right Blinker/Stop Circuit Works

Question:

Going snowmobiling with a brand new trailer and I no that the lights arent working besides the right side brake and signal everything is off. Would it be the ground on the truck and where is it. I have a 2001 chevy 1500 extended cab

asked by: Adam

Expert Reply:

The first thing you should do is isolate whether or not the problem is on the tow vehicle or the trailer.

Since your trailer is brand new most likely the tow vehicle is at fault and your trailer is fine, unless it was not wired correctly from the factory.

I would use a circuit tester like our part # PTW2993 to test the pin of the connector on your tow vehicle to see if the voltage is there. Most likely its corrosion on the connector. Check for that and clean it off as necessary.

Check behind the connector for corrosion or cut or exposed wire and fix as necessary.

If you still can not find the problem you should trace the wiring up through your truck and fix as necessary if you find any cut or exposed wire.

If the connector was not grounded correctly none of the functions would work. Since one of the functions seems to work fine that leads me to believe that the problem is most likely corrosion or a dirty trailer connector.

I attached an FAQ on trailer wiring for you to check out also.