irishfield Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 (edited) Bernie's got your answer.. you just have to find it. What ever rivet/screw/etc that is holding the outer bulb socket assembly together is not making ground. Your running lights are working by back feed thru the signal wire. Signal light won't work without a good ground. Fixed this exact problem on a BRAND NEW trailer for my f-in-laws pontoon boat trailer leaving Temagami Marine last August. In that case found that they take a ground wire off the bulb socket.. run it out the housing and then have an eye ring on one of the bolts holding the lamp assembly to the trailer. They didn't even bare the steel.. leaving the lug touching the paint = no ground. Put it back together and take a piece of wire.. ground it to the frame and touch the wire to the socket case.. watch the signal light flash.. Edited April 18, 2008 by irishfield
icefisherman Posted April 18, 2008 Author Report Posted April 18, 2008 Your running lights are working by back feed thru the signal wire. Signal light won't work without a good ground. Wayne, the left signal lite IS WORKING fine... The brake light is NOT working although they both use THE SAME YELLOW CABLE. This makes me think I have perfect ground....otherwise the signal light will not be working at all, right? Cheers, Ice Fisherman
Bernie Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 Ha , had to wait for the pics to download. I made it to the cottage by boat tonight. Yep, run a wire from a good ground on the trailer to the metal base around the bulb and try it.
icefisherman Posted April 18, 2008 Author Report Posted April 18, 2008 I'll try it tomorrow guys, too exausted tonight. I'll try anything...hope something works.... Or I need someone who knows those things to see it in person. Thanks for all your advice tonight. Cheers, Ice Fisherman
Bernie Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 (edited) Wayne, the left signal lite IS WORKING fine...The brake light is NOT working although they both use THE SAME YELLOW CABLE. This makes me think I have perfect ground....otherwise the signal light will not be working at all, right? Cheers, Ice Fisherman No, read my reply on how it's getting ground. Its able to ground through the right side on signal but it cant when both are on . RUN THE WIRE! If I had a buck for everyone of these things I have fixed I could........ Edited April 18, 2008 by Bernie
irishfield Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 It's the ground on that socket base Emil. Signal I guess is working by backfeeding as well.. brakes don't have the flasher unit to let it. Jumper a ground wire to the socket base and then go looking for how the unit is grounded to the frame after you see it works.
sonny Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 Don't know if this helps but here ya go,,,i also had the same problem on my vehicle,,,it turns out i had a module on my truck that was part of the trailer connector wiring i had plugged it into another trailer that was shorted and in turn it fried the module giving me the same problem you have!
Sinker Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 I'm willing to bet the fix for this is a bad ground. I almost guarantee it. I run a separate ground wire to all my lights on the trailers. Saves a lot of headaches. Run a ground wire to that light, and I bet it works perfectly. Sinker
icefisherman Posted April 18, 2008 Author Report Posted April 18, 2008 Sinker, from where to where exactly should I run that ground wire? What are the best locations on each side? Cheers, Ice Fisherman
irishfield Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 (edited) . Edited April 18, 2008 by irishfield
Sinker Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 (edited) I run mine right from the plug. A separate wire to one light......then a wire from there to the other light. This is a single wire I attach to the trailer with nylon wire clips. Saves me a lot of headaches......and its so easy to do. Use a decent sized wire too......can't be too big! Just make sure your ground in the plug, and on the truck is in good shape!! If that doesn't work, ground that wire to the truck frame and try again.........then you know the ground from your plug in is bad. Sinker Edited April 18, 2008 by Sinker
Carp Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 I was fed up with fooling around with trailer wires and fixing corrosion problems, so I bought a set of magnetic tow lights. Problem solved. I strongly recommend taping them onto the trailer frame or using plastic ties along with their magnetic capability to ensure a good bump in the road or flying debris don't knock them off. Both have happened to me. It takes about 3/4 minutes to put them on & take them off. Don't leave them on the trailer while you launch or your corrosion troubles will return. Good for other trailers too. When not in use, they can be store in the trunk/ cargo area. Keep them in some sort of container to protect them.
icefisherman Posted April 18, 2008 Author Report Posted April 18, 2008 Just to report - problem with my brake lights is solved and everything is working fine. It sure was the ground. For whatever reason the ground wire that comes from the plug to the back of the trailer is connected to one of the bolts that holds the tail light assembly....but the other bold holding the light assembly is the actually connected with white wire to the back of the bulb...soooo....the only way the ground goes from one bolt to the other is when they are tight to the frame of the trailer. But if paint/rust is in the way - there start the problems....anyhow...it is working now...hope for a long time./ Thanks again for the help guys. Cheers, Ice Fisherman
Bernie Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 Glad it finally worked out for you! Grounds are the toughest. Had one one time with a tilt tongue. Drove me crazy till i figured it lost the ground at the pivot point. :wallbash: :wallbash:
Dondorfish Posted April 19, 2008 Report Posted April 19, 2008 Glad all is well Emil - Now go catch some fish!!!! Don
Sinker Posted April 19, 2008 Report Posted April 19, 2008 Told you it was a ground It almost alway is! Glad ya got her working.......where you fishing tomorrow? Sinker
Terry Posted April 19, 2008 Report Posted April 19, 2008 yup..almost always ground..................next
irishfield Posted April 19, 2008 Report Posted April 19, 2008 I even told you which wire and how... lol
Bernie Posted April 19, 2008 Report Posted April 19, 2008 (edited) Who said it first? Terry wins!!!! Edited April 19, 2008 by Bernie
icefisherman Posted April 19, 2008 Author Report Posted April 19, 2008 (edited) Ha ha ha guys you are amazing ;-) LOL Relax time tomorrow, but going after the big boys on Sunday on the South side. Maybe I'll see some of you on the water? Cheers, Ice Fisherman Edited April 19, 2008 by icefisherman
brickNblock Posted April 19, 2008 Report Posted April 19, 2008 Lol....I love happy endings. Today I was going to be doing just this myself.....now I knows what to look out for. I thankya'll too!
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