Troubleshooting A Bad Ground With Boat Trailer Lights
Question:
HI, I have LED lights installed on my boat trailer. Each rear light has its own ground wire, attached to the mounting bolt from the light. For one of my rear lights, 3 of the mini bulbs are not working, all the rest are. I wiggled the ground and got them all working, and taped it. I now have replaced the lead and resecured it and 3 of the mini bulbs are not lit. The trailer is black and hence the ground surface is painted. I think I have a weak ground which is causing the light to not work 100 correctly. Do I need to remove the paint in the grounding area with a wire brush to ensure the metal is bare? Will that help with the strength of the ground? Thanks for you help,
asked by: Wayne
Expert Reply:
Yes, you will need to remove the paint in order get a better ground connection for your trailer's lights. This is a super common issue that we see and you nailed it with the solution you described. A lot of the time the aluminum is usedfor boat trailers, which isn't very conductive and won't offer a good ground, but since you said it's painted it leads me to believe that it should be steel.
That being said, it could be some mix of metals and just might not be as conductive as you're needing so the only option then would be to run your ground wires up to a junction box # 3375601101 at the front of the trailer and then ground it to the trailer's tongue since it's typically a bit thicker and usually all steel, making it a better candidate for a grounding spot.
Products Referenced in This Question
Trailer Wiring Junction Box - 7 Color Coded Terminals - ABS
- Accessories and Parts
- Trailer Wiring
- Junction Box
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Product Page this Question was Asked From
Trailer Wiring Junction Box - 7 Color Coded Terminals - ABS
- Accessories and Parts
- Trailer Wiring
- Junction Box
- Buyers Products
more information >
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