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Phil Nowack

Phil Nowack

Well-known member
I am sooo frustrated! Last season I was having trailer light issues... new lights.. still problems... I took the truck in a couple weeks ago, and they "fixed" it... bad wire... It worked YEAH!!! then it didn't... I thought it was the 7 pin to 4 pin adaptor... Then it worked last weekend... Tonight I hook the trailer up... Yep.. IT DOES NOT WORK!!!! I know it worked yesterday. With this sudden heat wave and humidity, there is condensation on EVERYTHING... I wonder if this is related... but either way I am pissed. The dealer did not fix whatever the problem is!!!
 
Only thing other than trailer lights that might cause more duck hunting related cussing is finding out your waders leak while standing crotch deep cold water at 5:00am.
 
I finally gave up years ago... I got lazy and got stick on magnetic trailer lights. I haven't had a problem in over a decade. Sure I have to hook them up for each trip, and pull them off at the boat ramp, but I swear it's kept me from total baldness. No tracing down wires nothing, if my ten year old set dies, I'll pitch it in the garbage and buy another $30 set. I don't have a big enough boat that my trailer needs breaks though. I didn't ever put a boat in the water with the trailer lights plugged in either, that was SOP when I was running our trailer boats in the CG. The tow rig thing, I'd be trying to find a auto electronics place, one that specifically deals with electronics. We even have such a place in my PoDunk town.-Seth
 
I waved goodbye to duckboat trailers and there vast array of problems a year ago. More trouble than their worth the older I get. I do like the duck tape and magnetic lights ideas though...
 
Phil, if it is related to condensation,humidity, etc. spray the plugs down with WD-40. WD-40 displaces water in those kind of situations - I carry a can with me all the time when trailering.

Also, check your ground. If you are grounding through the ball, run an extra ground through the white wire on the plug. Grounding issues are almost always part of the problem.

Do you have incandescent lights or LEDs? I have had far fewer issues with LED lights.
 
Phil,

If you were closer, I'd say bring it over and I'll fix it for you. 12 volt wiring for trailer lights is about as basic as it gets. I'm surprised the dealer didn't get the truck fixed. Are you sure the issue is with the truck? A test light or volt meter is your friend when trouble shooting.

Like Pete said, a dedicated ground takes care of a lot of the issues when dealing with lights. The 7 pin connector on your truck should have a ground pin already wired up on that side of the connection. The ground wire on the trailer side of the connector should be extended all the way back and connected to each light on the trailer.

Yes LED lights are better but not all LEDs are created equal. Some LEDs have a ground wire and some don't. Those LEDs with out a ground wire, are still depending on a mounting screw to ground thru the frame, NOT good.

I either buy the lights with a pre-installed ground wire or I alter the others by adding a ground wire. Usually that involves soldering a wire to the internal grounding strip running over to the mounting screw. Sometimes there is a place to plug in a "bull nose" connector for the ground wire.


Anyway, to trouble shoot, I'd start by checking the pins on the truck connector (ground pin to hot pin, ground pin to next hot pin and so forth). If they all check out then work your way downstream to find the fault in the system.
 
This issue is not on the trailer. I am having the same issue on the camper and another trailer. The boat trailer is the only one with LEDs. The works on the way home from hunting.. now get this. Last night I left the boat on the truck, and plugged in... just to see what the gremlins were up to... When I started the truck with the lights off... the running lights came on, when I turned the lights on, they went off. My dealer thinks it is in the control module.
 
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When I started the truck with the lights off... the running lights came on, when I turned the lights on, they went off. My dealer thinks it is in the control module.
Click to expand...


That's weird, All the running lights came on or just the trailer running lights, or the truck running lights? Maybe that's not so weird, you do drive a Dodge, right? :>) :>)[/font]
 
Phil, I know you think it's the truck but I want to throw out an idea that is neither truck or trailer. I've been having intermittent issues with my trailer lights that are leds. This morning I tried a different 7 way connector and the issue immediately went away. If that doesn't work, trade it in for a Chevy.
 
Well.. I have had problems on non LED set ups to.. Chevy? NO I want a truck that can actually work. Chevy... give me those decoys back!!!! Chevy...
 
Phil,
I had problems with trailer lights and went through the expense of changing everything out in my truck like you did. The same problem occurred with the lights working randomly. In the end I discovered the grounding strap connected to the trailer was the problem. Ended up replacing the screw and used a dremel to sand down around the area the grounding strap/screw on both the trailer and truck. After replacing I covered the hole area with a rubber dipping compound you place on tools. Never had a problem with the lights on that trailer for 10 years except backing down the ramp into ice about every other year which I ended up replacing the coverings with a metal guard to defend this issue. Just a last resort to think about with grounding. You might have already been through this check. It also does not hurt to periodically squirt some dielectric grease into connections about every 3 months if using the boat regularly. Sorry about the problems I know it is frustrating.
Regards,
Kristan
 
Yup, it has got to be a mopar problem. If i were you phil i'd jack up the license plates and drive a new duramax under them.
 
I completely rewired my trailer this summer and used the heat shrink connectors instead of those stupid and cheap plastic crimp connectors. I also grounded the rear lights to the trailer on both sides and again at the front. I used submersible LED lights this time, and so far they are holding up great. No issues so far.

Ditch the tape, crimp connectors, or wire nuts.



Nate
 
After being sick and tired of trailer light problems on both my utility trailer and boats trailer I ran wire from the lights directly to the plug. I soldered the wires and then covered with heat shrink. The crimps always end up corroding and failing. I have done this with a couple of my friends trailers as well and the problems went away. In my experience grounding through the trailer frame is the problem 99% of time.
 
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