Gerritt Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) I am ready to pull my hair out... yeah yeah.. the little I have... anyways... I had a problem last year with the trailer lights.... seemed to be a short in the plug if I moved it a certain way I had running lights.. it was on the truck side it seemed... So I replaced the wiring harness on the truck today.. getting ready for opener on Nippising. Here is the issue.... I have right and left turn. I have brake.. but I do not have running lights, or side markers.. Now my thinking is it cannot be the Brown wire as the brake lights work... nor could it be the ground as everything else works... I have checked the wires, removing them from the "loom" in which they are incased... is there anything I am missing here? I put a volt meter on the brown wire and grounded it to the frame of the truck and there was no issue... again the brake lights work... Tail Lights and Brake Lights are on the Brown Lead.. Anyone have any bright ideas as to something I have missed??? G ( I should add I bought the trailer new last year with the boat, and everything worked as it should when I bought it) Edited May 12, 2008 by Gerritt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernie Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Green is right turn and brake. Yellow is left turn and brake. Brown is tailights...Don't overlook the white ground wire. Some Fords have separate fuses for the trailer lights. Give me a PM if you need some more help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I bet Emil can come right over and fix you up Bud ! lol And what Bernie said.. the brakes are the same wires as the signals. Your brown wire is disconnected somewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 brake lights are on yellow and green only tail lights and side markers are on brown..you have it wired wrong?? what make of truck do you have, some need an extra wire or a converter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Very simple way to check the trailer lighting, take a 12V battery, heck even a 6 volt will probably do. Negative terminal to white, take another wire from the +12 on the battery and probe the yellow-l turn, green-r turn and brown for all other running lights at the trailer plug. If they don't light up in this test, your trailer wiring is T/U. No other lights should illuminate durning the individual tests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted May 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I have a 2002 F150...it is the tail lights and side lights that are not working... They worked last year... but after a couple trips I found the truck side had a short... if I moved it a certain way it would work... but if I hooked it to my FIL truck it was fine... as was the case today... Running lights worked fine... So I know it is not a problem with the trailer...(sorry my title does not reflect so) But I do have an issue between the truck and the trailer.. I followed the brown wire as far as I could... and no breaks to be found...... Having said that my FIL's harness on his boat has 5 wires... his also has a black wire on the trailer side... I am at a loss here.. might blame the beer at this point... LOL! G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTHM Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I have a ford van, probably the same setup. What I did with mine is bought a very handy harness at CTC that plugs directly into the wiring harness of my van. Plug it in, and plug in the trailer, and go. As a matter of fact i put new lights on my trailer Friday night, and just plugged em in. It was great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 well go to the truck plug and see if the brown wire has power when the lights on the truck are on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I think that might be the problem right now Terry... the lights are on..but nobodies home ! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTHM Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I think that might be the problem right now Terry... the lights are on..but nobodies home ! LOL Yep, Yep, Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted May 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I think that might be the problem right now Terry... the lights are on..but nobodies home ! LOL Trust me.. When we were working on it there was no beverages involved.. That said... I think I might have busted wire or a blown fuse... but it make little sense to me, as I had the same issue last year, but if I bent the harness (Old one) the right right way it worked.... Hence the confusion... But... the trailer works fine on the FIL's truck...... so I think it is on the truck end... Come to think of it, I replaced the harness last year as well on the truck side... Hoping to alleviate the issue I had last year... I am almost certain it is on the truck side.. but to pull the wire from inside the frame seems a bit extreme... I will be ok to get up for opener...perhaps I will have it looked at after that... G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) LOL Gerritt.. it's Sunday and you're in your laneway. Tell the truth buddy.... If it works on the F-in-laws.. your brown wire is off somewhere. Tail lights are on...harness should be live.. but you are correct, could very well be a fuse blown if it's a factory direct wired harness. Flat 5 wire harness is what I have on mine... actually I have a 7 on the truck.. but 5 on the trailer. 5th wire is for back up lights/reverse lock out solenoid on the surge tongue...so you can back up and not have the brakes come on. Round 5 wire plug used for brake wire on electric brake trailers. Edited May 12, 2008 by irishfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I had the same problem with mine and it was the ground. All lights worked except the running lights. Sinker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskymike Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 just had a similar problem it was a fuse, i was ready to ditch the truck and trailer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Clemens Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) I have right and left turn. I have brake.. but I do not have running lights, or side markers.. Hey Gerritt: I had something that sounds similar last year. Coming up the QEW and noticed no running lights when it started to get dusk. Brake and signals worked fine. Forced me to spend the night sooner than I had wanted. Fiddle-farted around quite a while checking the wires, bought a new adapter ... nothing. So I took it to a marina near camp and had them take a look. Anyway, I have a Dodge Dakota and the problem for me was a blown fuse in the truck. There were two fuse boxes, one in the cab and another under the hood. One of the fuses under the hood was blown. Replaced the fuse and wooo-hooo LIGHTS !! Hopefully it's would be something simple as this for your situation. Never even gave it a thought about a blown fuse - as the rest of the lights were working fine. Edited May 12, 2008 by Rich Clemens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oktravis Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 (edited) if you are using the factory harness there is a seperate fuse for the running lights of the trailer and the running lights for the truck.fuse # 5 in the under hood fuse box (20A)is for the trailer and fuse #6(15A)is for the truck its self.make sure you check both fuses hope this helps travis Edited May 12, 2008 by caseone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted May 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Thanks guys, I will check the fuse box tonight when I get home G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Checked the fuses and none of them are blown... Checked the relay, by switching it out with the same type...still nothing.. Only thing I can think of is a busted or corroded wire inside the frame of the truck at this point.... going back out after supper to take another stab at it. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecmilley Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 gerrit if you want you can bring by my shop in scarborough, i have a tow doctor and repair harnesses on my fleet accounts on a regular basis shouldn't take me long to figure out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 gerrit if you want you can bring by my shop in scarborough, i have a tow doctor and repair harnesses on my fleet accounts on a regular basis shouldn't take me long to figure out. Thank you for the awesome Offer!!!!... but I am short of time.. If I cannot find the problem tonight I will have to follow a suggestion given to me.. Take power directly from the trucks tail lights until I can get this solved. Thanks again I appreciate it! G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Do you have a separate ground to your lights on the trailer? If not, run one, and I bet they work. I had the same thing happening with mine, it drove me nuts. I bought new harnesses, replaced wires.....everything....it was a stupid ground. All lights worked, except running lights. Sinker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskymike Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Was it the fuse G? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 (edited) Was it the fuse G? Nope.. I seem to have isolated the problem to the power distribution box under the hood on the truck.... I have 12v @ the fuse socket (So I know it is getting power), and only 1.3v @ the relay socket so there is a problem between the fuse and the relay... likely corrosion I also have 1.3v @ the back of the truck..) The truck has its own power source for the trailer... So it looks like we have to pull open the Power Distro box.. But I am going to McGyver it for now... I am going to Jump the fuse to the relay with a bit of wire.. it will suffice until I return home and have more time to take my time and fix it properly. Thanks for all you're help folks.. And Bernie thank you for listening to my complaining on the phone while I picked you're brains LOL G Edited May 14, 2008 by Gerritt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplumma Posted May 15, 2008 Report Share Posted May 15, 2008 You the man bernie.... Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted May 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2008 You the man bernie.... Art Art yes he is.. you have no idea! He puts up with me... thats gotta stand for something! LOL! He helped me heaps.. sent me schematics etc.. gave advice and after doing the physical testing we determined this is the probable problem.. all over the phone. He certainly is a great asset and a good friend. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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